Dynamic Performance Analysis of Track Rubber Bushing Considering Thermal Stress Coupling

Tracks with rubber bushings are widely used in modern high-speed tracked vehicles, which greatly reduce the vibration and noise of tracks. Because of the viscoelastic characteristics of rubber material, the strain of track pin bushing lags behind the stress during torsion, tension and compression, which leads to heat loss. Unfortunately, rubber has a low thermal conductivity, leading to a continuous increase in internal temperature within the structural parts. This rise in temperature can adversely affect the mechanical characteristics of the bushing. In this paper, theoretical modeling and experimental analysis are carried out to investigate the tension–compression and torsion behavior of the rubber bushing in track pins. Then, the stress–strain correction models of the bushing under different initial temperatures are obtained. Finite element analysis is used to simulate the coupled thermal stress, and the influence of temperature rise of the bushing caused by elastic hysteresis on tensile-compressive and torsional stiffness is obtained. This result can be used to track dynamics simulation and analysis of the connection between track shoes.