Track assembly and vehicle

A vehicle having a front left drive axle, a front right drive axle, a rear left drive axle and rear right drive axle, the vehicle comprising:

• a front track assembly mounted to one of the front left drive axle and the front right drive axle, and
• a rear track assembly mounted to one of the rear left drive axle and the rear right drive axle,
• at least one of the front track assembly and the rear track assembly including:
• a frame having a front, a rear, a bottom, a left side, and a right side, a longitudinally-extending left slide rail positioned at the bottom of the frame on the left side of the frame, and a longitudinally-extending right slide rail positioned at the bottom of the frame on the right side of the frame;
• a drive wheel rotationally mounted to the frame for rotation about a drive wheel axis, the drive wheel having a peripheral surface, the drive wheel being structured to be operatively connected to the one of the front or rear left drive axles and the front or rear right drive axles of the vehicle to be driven, respectively, by the one of the front or rear left drive axles and the front or rear right drive axles and to support a part of the vehicle's weight on terrain;
• a front idler wheel assembly mounted at the front of the frame for rotation about a front idler wheel assembly axis parallel to the drive wheel axis, the front idler wheel assembly having a peripheral surface;
• a rear idler wheel assembly mounted at the rear of the frame for rotation about a rear idler wheel assembly axis parallel to the drive wheel axis, the rear idler wheel assembly having a peripheral surface;
• and
• an endless track having an inner surface facing the drive wheel, and an outer surface having a plurality of traction lugs distributed thereon;
• the left and right slide rails, the drive wheel, the front idler wheel assembly and the rear idler wheel assembly being positioned relative to the frame to support the endless track around the left and right slide rails, the drive wheel peripheral surface, the front idler wheel assembly peripheral surface, and the rear idler wheel assembly peripheral surface,
• a bottom surface of each of the left and right slide rails supporting the endless track against flat horizontal terrain when the track assembly is mounted on the one of the front or rear left drive axles and the front or rear right drive axles of the vehicle and the vehicle is stationary on the flat horizontal terrain,
• the endless track being in driving engagement with the drive wheel and being supported by the left and right slide rails for sliding on the bottom surfaces of the left and right slide rails;
• the left slide rail having,
• a first central portion, the first central portion having a central portion length,
• a first forward-facing portion extending forward from a front end of the first central portion by a forward horizontal projection and being angled upward from the first central portion, and
• a first rearward-facing portion extending rearward from a rear end of the first central portion by a rearward horizontal projection and being angled upward from the first central portion, the right slide rail having,
• a second central portion, the second central portion having the central portion length,
• a second forward-facing portion extending forward from a front end of the second central portion by the forward horizontal projection and being angled upward from the second central portion, and
• a second rearward-facing portion extending rearward from a rear end of the second central portion by the rearward horizontal projection, and being angled upward from the second central portion, wherein the forward horizontal projection is greater than the central portion length.