track

Track is a measurement of wheel placement, similar to wheelbase but rather than measuring the distance between front and rear axles, track is a measurement of the distance between the two outermost points of contact between a vehicle and the ground.

For most of us this means the outer edge of the contact patch on the two rear tyres on your car.

Two wheeled vehicles like motorcycles do not have a 'track' measurement as such, but if they did it would be the width of the contact patch of a single tyre.

As with wheelbase, more track provides greater stability at the expense of turn-in ability.

The simplest way to increase the track of a vehicle is to fit wider tyres, but only a small increase can be made without changing wheels.

Other methods include fitting wheel spacers (unsafe) or to fit wheels with a different offset to standard (also unsafe, but much better than using spacers).

All of the above can cause problems with clearance between your tyres/wheels and the vehicle's wheel wells, which would in turn make the vehicle unsafe.

TO TRACK

To go. Track up the dancers; go up stairs. CANT.

The 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue.

Track (?), n. [OF.trac track of horses, mules, trace of animals; of Teutonic origin; cf.D.trek a drawing, trekken to draw, travel, march, MHG. trechen, pret. trach. Cf. Trick.]

1.

A mark left by something that has passed along; as, the track, or wake, of a ship; the track of a meteor; the track of a sled or a wheel.

The bright track of his fiery car. Shak.

2.

A mark or impression left by the foot, either of man or beast; trace; vestige; footprint.

Far from track of men. Milton.

3. Zool.

The entire lower surface of the foot;-said of birds, ect.

4.

A road; a beaten path.

Behold Torquatus the same track pursue. Dryden.

5.

Course; way; as, the track of a comet.

6.

A path or course laid out for a race, for exercise, ect.

7. Raolroad

The permanent way; the rails.

8. [Perhaps a mistake for tract.]

A tract or area, as of land.

Fuller.

Track scale, a railway scale. See under Railway.

© Webster 1913.

Track, v. t. [imp. & p. p. tracked (?); p. pr. & vb. n. tracking.]

To follow the tracks or traces of; to pursue by following the marks of the feet; to trace; to trail; as, to track a deer in the snow.

It was often found impossible to track the robbers to their retreats among the hills and morasses. Macaulay.

2. Naut.

To draw along continuously, as a vessel, by a line, men or animals on shore being the motive power; to tow.

© Webster 1913.