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Fabricator/Designer

Cletis

New member
You can't have a snow cat without being some kind of fabricator, designer, etc. I'd say just about everyone on this site has these abilities.

So how many snow cats have you designed in your head? I think I have at least four different snow cat designs in my head! If only I had tons of time and tons of $ (and help!)

Boggie and dds probably have hundreds of designs.


Cletis
 

Snowtrac Nome

member formerly known as dds
GOLD Site Supporter
I have often thought about something like the demag that was posted on craigs list but i'm married with 4 kids maybe some day when i'm old and grey I can realize my dreams.
 

undy

New member
I've currently got an electric wheelchair in my shop that I want to add tracks to. Or maybe just steal the electrics and add them to a tracked chassis. It's for a buddy with MS.

I've also got an old Easy Rider (PasseParTout) with a 2-stroke Sachs, and the hydro motors out of a Dixon ZTR mower that are in need of an introduction to each other. The question is how. I'd like to lower the center of gravity and make it more maneuverable, so it's more usable for hills.

And then maybe a different body on the 252...
 

Snowtrac Nome

member formerly known as dds
GOLD Site Supporter
funny thing I have a raid track 618 I would like to install a john deere gator engine in for the boys to go play around on.
 

Cletis

New member
The first concept I came up with 5 yrs or so ago, I ended up scraping. My boy sent me something off youtube someone had come up with a couple yrs after that that was similar but was used on much larger vehicles than what I had intended.

Still cool to come up with different ideas. Better when they actually work!!!

Cletis
 

300 H and H

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
I love the differential steeing of my Cat rubber tracked ag tractor. Wonder if this design would not work well in a snow cat. After driving a Husky I really like that system as well. No hydro's for me. I want mechanical....

Regards, Kirk
 

jeapadrenaline

New member
i like how responsive the differential steering is on my project, and how simple. the only reason i am leaninng towards maybe going hydro is due to space limitations for the mechanical. and hydro does have one advantage in tight spaces, zero turns.
if anyone else decides to build, i suggest strongly to make sure to have enough room to run two transmssions for the extra low gears. even if you only use a single trans to start, make sure to have enough room just in case, i run 4.10 diff and first gear is 3.56. i cant fit a second trans, and its impossible to find a diff hat has a ratio of 8:1 or even lower. 1.4 liter gas engine does simply not have the torque to get me moving.
 

Cletis

New member
I can't remember what type of steering a challenger used. Never had to work on very many of them. But if it's the same as the D-8 & down differential (optioned) steered Cat dozers. I do remember rebuilding several of those systems. They do work well and are fairly easy to repair. They do allow full power to each track while turning also. It could be done in a snow cat but doubt if it would be cheap.
I agree, I prefer mechanical over hyd.

Jeapadrenaline, is there a reason you can't build smaller drive sprockets for lower gear reduction?


Cletis
 

jeapadrenaline

New member
the drive sprockets are as small as possible right now. because of the brake caliper and rotor i can not go any smaller. i would actualy like to go bigger, as that would give me more clearance for taller wheel guides, since the 2 inch guides seem too short and i keep walking it off the tracks in tighter turns. even wide turns are difficult at this time. i think my track belts may have streched a bit already,with less than a mile of travel on them, and my tightener system needs to be redisined and improved. seems that i have to keep these tracks very, VERY tight.
right now te project is mostly at a stand still due to shop being used for other projects and me waiting on some key parts to be made for me.
any ideas are welcome guys, you seem to be the people in the know. also if anyone has schematics or closeup detailed pics on a j5 suspension and how it works, it would help me in the future. thanks
 

300 H and H

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
Cletis the Challenger diff uses a hydrolic motor standing vertical over the differential. It is my understanding that it is used to turn the outer ring gear of a planitary gear set. It allows a spot turn when the trans is in neutural, and the only power is from this hydrolic motor....

The Husky has the ability to come close to a spot turn, as when selected it will declutch the inside track, so the unit turns around that track. It may even apply a brake to that side as well.. not sure. I do know first hand it works well enough!

Boogie calls it a cross linked hydromechanical or some thing like that...Says big $$$ to fix or purchase

Regards, Kirk
 

J5 Bombardier

Well-known member
I promised myself that my next project after my muskeg, would be a restoration not a fab/design . Seems there is always something you think off or forgot after the paint has dried . A resto is easier on the brain, I have a little case 320 gas dozer lined up next, a straight rebuild and paint, maybe add hydraulic angle and tilt, but it's going to be a keep it simple project !:hammer:
J5 Bombardier
 
I always wanted to convert my Bombi to hydrostatic drive using an old Bobcat but probably dodged a bullet as it would have made the machine heavier and just too much trouble and expense. I personally prefer hydrostatic drive over mechanical because it is a much smoother operation for tight and precise maneuvering and the operator comfort when used all day every day is far superior imo.

I am currently working 7-12s operating primarily excavators but some dozer work and if I had to pull levers all day long I would be wooped. I also contract groom snowmobile trails and am in the cab a minimum of 10 hours and sometimes up to 14 hours. If it were not for the ease of the hydrostatic drive as well as the other creature comforts the Pisten Bully offers I would not be able to continue doing that work. I use to put in the same hours in a Bombi and then a Spryte and at the end of the day I swear my arms were 2 feet longer and the steering was not near as precise.

I agree though for a home designed project probably a mechanical drive is most logical. I always liked the rear end design and performance my old John Deere 440 Industrial Crawler had. Clutches to disengage one side for minor turns and then pulling back farther on the lever engaged brakes for track lock up and sharp turns. It performed very well in deep snow too.
 

JimVT

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
would a longer track have more climbing ability over a wider track that has the same footprint?
jim
 

Snowtrac Nome

member formerly known as dds
GOLD Site Supporter
Cletis the Challenger diff uses a hydrolic motor standing vertical over the differential. It is my understanding that it is used to turn the outer ring gear of a planitary gear set. It allows a spot turn when the trans is in neutural, and the only power is from this hydrolic motor....

The Husky has the ability to come close to a spot turn, as when selected it will declutch the inside track, so the unit turns around that track. It may even apply a brake to that side as well.. not sure. I do know first hand it works well enough!

Boogie calls it a cross linked hydromechanical or some thing like that...Says big $$$ to fix or purchase

Regards, Kirk
do a google search find a mil tech manual called tm-9000 there is a lot of good info in there. best of all they cover the principals of all the cross drive transaxles ,that the military uses. the cool part is the husky uses the same basic principal as as the snow trac except there is a planetary transmission between both output shafts instead of a cvt belt on the m113 family pivot steer is accomplished by braking one axle with a disc brake normal steering is a band pulling on a planetary drum like a bombie.
 

Snowtrac Nome

member formerly known as dds
GOLD Site Supporter
would a longer track have more climbing ability over a wider track that has the same footprint?
jim

a longer track will provide more stability when climbing plus better traction and improved flotation. the reason for mountain snowmachines to have those long tracks the short track even if they are wider will have better agility in tight turns but will pitch and roll more on uneven ground. my choice is always go with the longer track
 

Cletis

New member
Kirk, similar to the dozers only the trans does not have to be in N. I'm sure it was modeled after the dozers.

Cletis
 
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