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DMC 1450 Track Tension and Wheel Guide Question

oldmanscj7

New member
I picked up a DMC 1450 a couple months ago and had it on the snow for the first time this past weekend. At low speeds the wheels guides hit on the square, second from the front, bogie wheel cross member on both sides. Tires are all foam filled. It doesn’t seem to me that I have the track tension set too loose. It runs like a champ, just makes a loud clanking noise when going slow. It’s actually pretty loud all the time but it seems like this would wear out parts pretty fast. Pictures are of it sitting on the trailer. You can see the guides are resting on the cross member. Is this normal? What am I doing wrong?

Thanks in advance.

Jake
 

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PJL

Well-known member
Did you ever figure this out? It looks to me that there is too much arch in the springs which causes the wheels to ride lower.
 

oldmanscj7

New member
Did you ever figure this out? It looks to me that there is too much arch in the springs which causes the wheels to ride lower.
Not completely. I was thinking the same thing as you mention though. That front set of springs has thicker leaves and more arch than the rear. Does anyone have specs on the springs or pictures of what it should look like? I replaced the tires with the Dyna-Trac tires and it’s not as bad although it still hits if I have the track tensioned as everyone says.

Recent pictures:
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Blackfoot Tucker

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
I'm not near my DMC 1450, but will be tonight. I'll try and get some photos and post them which will hopefully be helpful in diagnosing the problem. The wheel guides should not be contacting the square tubes. From the photos, it looks like that's been happening for a while and damaging the both the wheel guides and the square tube.

From what little I know about 1450s, those wheel guides are "unobtanium" and you don't want to risk damaging them further.
 

Wyfler

Member
Sorry to highjack, but this thread causes me to ask what is the correct tightening/loosening method for these 1450? I recently aquired a 1979 1450, need to do some track work. It has the square within a square, with bolt through the big tubing as shown in the pics. Do you stretch it forward, remove the bolt, then relax it rearward? thanks
 

oldmanscj7

New member
Remove the grease fitting to relieve the tension on the track. Replace the fitting and pump in grease to tension.
 

oldmanscj7

New member
I'm not near my DMC 1450, but will be tonight. I'll try and get some photos and post them which will hopefully be helpful in diagnosing the problem. The wheel guides should not be contacting the square tubes. From the photos, it looks like that's been happening for a while and damaging the both the wheel guides and the square tube.

From what little I know about 1450s, those wheel guides are "unobtanium" and you don't want to risk damaging them further.
Thanks. Pictures would help for comparison.
 

Wyfler

Member
Sorry to highjack, but this thread causes me to ask what is the correct tightening/loosening method for these 1450? I recently aquired a 1979 1450, need to do some track work. It has the square within a square, with bolt through the big tubing as shown in the pics. Do you stretch it forward, remove the bolt, then relax it rearward? thanks
I answered my own question today. Took it all apart, figured out the grease piston assembly.
 
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Blackfoot Tucker

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
Thanks. Pictures would help for comparison.
That was the intent....

We have been working feverishly to have the 1450 and the Tucker 1544 fully operational for Sun Valley 2021 in a few days. Yesterday, we took them both out for testing.

Incidentally, from your screen name you might get a kick out of this. While heading up the trail to get to deeper snow we encountered a CJ-7 that was stuck across the trail. My buddy Scott was driving the Tucker, went around it and effortlessly pulled him out. What you don't see in the photo is had the Jeep slid backwards a bit - it would have been ugly. Steep downhill into dense trees with no hope of stopping.

IMG_0633.jpeg


Anyway, here are some pics of the tracks. You can't see it in the photos, but at some point the wheel guides had been too loose and rubbed against the square tube.

IMG_0629.jpeg

IMG_0630.jpeg


I'll add that when I got the machine the left front spindle and square tube assembly were bent and the weld where the spindle penetrates the square tube was broken. We assumed this was due to running the tracks too tight, which puts a lot of stress on the spindle. It took a surprising amount of force to persuade the spindle into the proper position before Scott re welded it.

IMG_0574.jpeg
 

oldmanscj7

New member
That was the intent....

We have been working feverishly to have the 1450 and the Tucker 1544 fully operational for Sun Valley 2021 in a few days. Yesterday, we took them both out for testing.

Incidentally, from your screen name you might get a kick out of this. While heading up the trail to get to deeper snow we encountered a CJ-7 that was stuck across the trail. My buddy Scott was driving the Tucker, went around it and effortlessly pulled him out. What you don't see in the photo is had the Jeep slid backwards a bit - it would have been ugly. Steep downhill into dense trees with no hope of stopping.



Anyway, here are some pics of the tracks. You can't see it in the photos, but at some point the wheel guides had been too loose and rubbed against the square tube.



I'll add that when I got the machine the left front spindle and square tube assembly were bent and the weld where the spindle penetrates the square tube was broken. We assumed this was due to running the tracks too tight, which puts a lot of stress on the spindle. It took a surprising amount of force to persuade the spindle into the proper position before Scott re welded it.
Thanks for the pictures. That helps. My front springs have quite a bit more arch than yours which is probably why I'm having the issues. The rear set look similar to yours.
I had the same issues with the adjuster. Maybe from running the track too tight. The tube was standard material so it was easier for me to just pull the spindle and use new tubing than try to straighten it out.
IMG_4483 small.jpg


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That guy in the Jeep needs more rubber. LOL. Not sure what happened, but SAR rescues people in 4x4s all the time that set out in the morning when the snow was nice and hard. By afternoon, once things loosen up, they're a few miles from pavement buried up to the frame or slid off the trail.
My CJ:

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oldmanscj7

New member
Finally getting back to snowcat projects and trying to figure out the spring issues on this machine. I’m about ready to take everything apart and have the springs re-arched/rebuilt. I’ve been taking a bunch of measurements and this is what I’m seeing. The “middle” set of springs have more arch and are of thicker material than the rear. The excessive arch is what is causing the clearance issues with the wheel guides and the cross member. The front quarter elliptical spring leaves are made of the same “thicker” material as the middle. The springs in the rear position seem to match closely to the drawings posted above by MNoutdoors. Below are pictures of the springs with a tape for rough comparison of dimensions.

Few questions:

Were all the springs originally the same? Anyone else have different springs in the front, middle, and rear positions? I can potentially see the benefit of having the rear springs a little stiffer since it tends to “squat” in the rear under power. Anyone have measurements of: overall spring pack thickness, loaded arch, and free arch?

My initial thoughts are to have the thinner (possibly stock) springs re-arched (maybe replace the main leaf) to match the drawing posted above and run them in the middle position. Have the thicker springs (currently in the middle position) re-arched to match the free arch measurement in the drawing and run in the rear position. Leave the front alone for now and see how it sits.

Thoughts?
Middle Spring
Middle spring thickness.JPG


Middle spring with tape.JPG

Rear Spring
Rear spring thickness.JPG

Rear Spring with tape.JPG
 
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