I got the dozer back from case, they did me right. I have been cutting out a drive in the woods, and forgot how hard this thing steers. You really have to pull those levers to make it think about turning. I have mineral gear oil in it now, and the bands looked healthy. Would a different band material make a difference, or is that the nature of the beast?
I had a 350 loader and it was really tough to steer and very frustrating to load trucks etc. Having the bands and levers adjusted just before the point where they start sticking on is where I got the best performance out of them. The brakes and steering the Case was the thing I most disliked about it. Apart from that it was a great little machine and the steering was awesome for pushing around corners. I sold it and got a brand new 455c in 1986 and still have it.