Wanted: dozer track

[Max Hedges]

we are in the process of buying a D74T which was built during the war and the running gear on it is pretty sad. Would anyone know where there could be some second hand track in reasonable condition. Or idlers.

Max

[Luke R]

Max, I know next to nothing about dozer tracks but stumbled upon this.
Might be of help, maybe.

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/carli...air/1039959555

[Howard]

G'Day Maxy,
I asked our mechanic today, he suggested
Tilly's at Toowoomba,apparently they dismantle old gear, you might be lucky.
Cheers,
H

[Max Hedges]

well we have bought the dozer, just gotta get her home
thanks for the info on tracks have followed them up
Howard looking foward to having a play when she comes home ... it'l be like playing in the sand pit when I was a boy, a little boy
Max

[Lynn Eades]

Max, Life is a cycle. When the kids are gone from the nest, then there's time to play in the sand pit, if we want.

[Max Hedges]

This is it

[Howard]

Awesome, Max!
I must come down for a drive, then you can come and have a steer of my D10!
Cheers, H

[Ken Smith]

Good day Max
The 4T Caterpillar is fairly unique in the Caterpillar system, the 4T was only made for the US Army during WW2. The 4T model was assembled by Caterpillar from parts outsourced from dozens of foundries, at the end of WW2 Caterpillar were able to completely disown that model. There is hardly any reference to the 4T in any official Caterpillar literature, including, parts books or workshop manuals. If you have a copy of a 4T parts book etc I would like to see a photo of it.

The civilian version of the 4T is the 3T which stayed in production long enough to be fitted with a oil master clutch as opposed to the dry master clutch in the 4T and the early 3T.

I worked on quite a few 4Ts during my apprenticeship and I hated having to replace the fibre links that linked the clutch plates. The new non genuine clutch links are made from nylon. The starting engine crank handle will also give you a good whack if you time the magneto wrong.

When I worked at Tillys Crawler Parts in Toowoomba in the late 80's they had a few 4Ts in there wrecked, one of them was 4T 25 and the serial # was scratched, freehand, deeply in to the engine and the chassis vin plates with a scribe, not stamped in as normal. That was the only one I ever saw marked like that and was also the earliest 4T serial # I have ever seen.
I wish now I had souveniered the plate, as in the nineties all the old chassis' went to scrap metal.
Regards Ken

[Max Hedges]

Ken
the engine No of this dozer is 4T 4823 and the chap we bought it off was told that during the war it was used on air fields in the Northern Territory and then on the snowy scheme. We have some books with it ...servicemens reference book for caterpillar diesel engines, D7 ...caterpillar diesel D7 tractor ..and caterpillar No. 24 cable control front single drum.
The engine starts and runs well and she drives ok its the tracks that are not good, do you remember if the tracks to the 4T are unique or can track of later models fit.

Max

[Ken Smith]

Max,
The 4T tracks are not unique, the tracks from the 3T will fit and the tracks from the later model D7C and D7D both with 17A serial # will fit, although the 17A tracks might have a couple more links, which are easy enough to remove. The 17A was built up to about 1961 and are still being used around here as farm tractors and bull dozers.

The proper Caterpillar 3T was built from 1944 to 1955 and the military/lend lease 4T was built from 1945 until 1948.

According to my 1988 Construction Equipment Appraisers hand book 4T 4823 was one of 3831 4Ts assembled in 1946.

Ken

[Max Hedges]

Ken
we have found track from a D7 E , the seller says they also fit a 17A
from his picture there is 34 links in a track with 3 links that are sitting loose would these tracks be any good to us and they also have 20" plates
Max

[Ken Smith]

Max,
I am almost 100% sure D7E tracks are longer in the pitch and won't engage the sprocket correctly I think they may be wider as well . A free phone call to Tillys in Toowoomba will confirm.I would suggest measuring your link pitch but they are probably worn out to D7E length now anyway.
Cheers Ken

[Max Hedges]

Ken
from what they have told us you are correct and we may have to change the drive sprocket which they have for us and then the dozer should be good to go
thanks for your help
Max

[Ken Smith]

Max ,
I think the D7E track is to wide for your rollers, and the sprocket is totally different and will not fit your final drive. If you are talking about rerimming your sprocket with the D7E rim I think you will find it is too big in diameter and will foul the track frame and/or the back roller.
Ken

[Max Hedges]

Ken
I will look into all that, I think our track is 4"inside and that
d7e is 4 1/4" on the inside
Max

[Max Hedges]

Max at play in Dalton sandpit