Track assembly for an off-road vehicle

A track assembly for traction of a tracked vehicle, the track assembly comprising:

• a plurality of wheels which comprises a drive wheel and a plurality of roller wheels;
• and
• an elastomeric endless track disposed around the plurality of wheels for engaging the ground, the elastomeric endless track comprising an inner side for facing the plurality of wheels and a ground-engaging outer side for engaging the ground, the inner side of the elastomeric endless track comprising a plurality of drive/guide lugs, the drive wheel being rotatable to drive the elastomeric endless track, the roller wheels being mounted to roll on a bottom run of the elastomeric endless track,
• wherein a wheel of the plurality of wheels comprises:
• a wheel body comprising a hub portion, a rim portion, and a radially-extending portion between the hub portion and the rim portion, the wheel body having a first lateral side and a second lateral side opposite one another and a peripheral side between the first lateral side and the second lateral side;
• and
• a covering on the wheel body for contacting the inner side of the elastomeric endless track, a material of the covering being different from a material of the wheel body, the covering comprising a peripheral portion covering at least part of the peripheral side of the wheel body and a lateral portion covering at least part of the first lateral side of the wheel body, the lateral portion of the covering being dimensioned to contact a drive/guide lug of the plurality of drive/guide lugs when the wheel contacts the drive/guide lug.

A method of manufacturing a wheel for a track assembly of a tracked vehicle, the wheel in use being one of a plurality of wheels of the track assembly, the plurality of wheels comprising a drive wheel and a plurality of roller wheels, the track assembly comprising an elastomeric endless track disposed around the plurality of wheels for engaging the ground, the elastomeric endless track comprising an inner side for facing the plurality of wheels and a ground-engaging outer side for engaging the ground, the inner side of the elastomeric endless track comprising a plurality of drive/guide lugs, the drive wheel being rotatable to drive the elastomeric endless track, the roller wheels being mounted to roll on a bottom run of the elastomeric endless track, the method comprising:

• providing a wheel body comprising a hub portion, a rim portion, and a radially-extending portion between the hub portion and the rim portion, the wheel body having a first lateral side and a second lateral side opposite one another and a peripheral side between the first lateral side and the second lateral side;
• and
• putting a covering on the wheel body for contacting the inner side of the elastomeric endless track, a material of the covering being different from a material of the wheel body, the covering comprising a peripheral portion covering at least part of the peripheral side of the wheel body and a lateral portion covering at least part of the first lateral side of the wheel body, the lateral portion of the covering being dimensioned to contact a drive/guide lug of the plurality of drive/guide lugs when the wheel contacts the drive/guide lug.