Why aren't they using equalizer bars on the smaller finish dozers? I know there has to be some reasoning as to why they aren't.
That is a good question,I assume that you mean an active or live suspension like the bigger dozers have,right? I have to conclude that it has something to do with cost to build and cost to rebuild as the smaller dozers can wear out an undercarriage pretty fast it seems,depending on how and where it is used of course. It would be interesting to hear from some of the more knowledgeable posters on this.Ron G
Where's Deas? He should be along after he's done restin his ole weary bones. I'm with Ron though. I think its probably economics.
What you need to do is get Deas IP adresses off the server then send an electrical charge down his phone line to kick start his pacemaker. It needs to be between 23.9 Volts and 24.1 Volts DC current on account Deas's Pacemaker is one of old Cat models. The pacemaker sets off a spark to ignite the diesel in his blood stream and the ole fella will be up and about in no time ....thats provided he's not in a real deep sleep dreamin about when he an Noah did the earthworks for the Arks docking cradle:lmao :lmao Ok thats enough humour at DP's expense ( yu you you young..err...whippersnappers you ) And I will look forward to the answer too
Yeah Ron the same system the larger dozers use. Seems like the lack of an equalizer bar and pivot shaft would lead to faster undercarriage wear. Run over something with one side and both sides come off the ground. This usually results in spinning both tracks if you are pushing anything. Then sometimes one side will be in the air while the edge of the other track is digging in. Also it would give them a alot better ride quality. You are probably right that it has something to do with cost.
Cost, less weight, not needed. Small dozers are mostly for fine, small, and finish work. Notice they don't have such things as the boggie system either. Big dozers work in ground and areas that are more demanding, and probably have a bit more weight on top, and the equalizer system helps prevent a roll over if you roll up on a rock or what ever going forward anyway.
Geez, I wish you folks would leave me in peace. LOL. Hi, Folks. Can't you people settle anything in peace? LOL. As I understand it, the chief reason that many small dozers these days don't have equaliser bars is a cross between economics and ease of manufacture. Almost all of the machines in question have PAT blades which are frame-mounted inside the tracks. This brought about a conflict for the space between equaliser bars and blade push points. The blade push points seem to have won. And I'm still not convinced the original Terratrac/Case system of PAT blade wasn't the better system with the blade fitted to a C-frame mounted outside the tracks just like a normal dozer blade. At least you could put a bit more load on the corners of the blade without stressing out the engineers who designed it. It also appears that some design engineers believe that PAT blades need a 'stable platform' and to hell with the operator's comfort or getting the machine's 'grunt' on the ground. For mine, the better a machine is able to conform to the contours of the ground upon which it stands, the more stable it will be and the better able to get its grunt on the ground. And have any of you noticed that rigid-frame machines don't turn as easy on rough ground as those with ocscillating tracks? Squizzy, why'd you have to go giving out that contact information like that? Blabbermouth. And after the help I gave with identifying that machine for you. LOL.
Thanks for that Deas. As for :stirthepot ..I guess thats a Hunter Street thing
When finishing steeper slopes I like the rigid frame. Like finishing a dam. First the top of dam has to be on grade and wide enough. Otherwise the slope might look great, until you have to add some dirt on top to get it to grade. Then there will be a hole in the slope. And if the top is high and you cut it down, there will be a hump in the slope. So if the top of slope is to line and grade, I prefer to pull the slope down so I don't have to regrade the top. Working the slope sideways, the dozer wants to tip to the downhill side. Especially when aimed down the slope a bit and backing up. When doing this work I like the rigid frame because it keep the dozer from nosing down as badly as a dozer with an equalizer does. Kent
Rigid track frames. Hi, ZHKent. I guess you and I won't get into many arguments about who is gonna have what machine - you can have the rigid frames, I'll take the oscillating frames any time. They put their grunt on the ground better, ride better and turn better, or at least I think so. Even the earliest Cats had an equaliser spring or coil springs in them which allowed the tracks to oscillate. If you go back to pre-Cat times, both Holt and Best, along with most other manufacturers, had some sort of equalising/oscillating system. In fact, Holt even had track frames which articulated in the middle (see photos) which was a large part of the reason why most of the Holt designs were scrapped when the two companies merged to form Caterpillar in August, 1925. These articulated track frames were deemed too complicated and maintenance-intensive for continued production. For a long time, Cat had what they called a 'rolling contact' equaliser bar. It didn't have a set pivot in the middle. If one track went up on an object or a mound of dirt, the equaliser spring or bar's contact with the main frame moved across toward the higher track as that end of the spring/bar tilted up. This had the effect of placing more weight on the higher track. That was also why many Cat models from that time had a second, smaller spring under the equaliser spring/bar, to facilitate this rolling contact while still retaining the equaliser in its proper place. Later, this same effect was achieved with rubber blocks that contacted the equaliser bar as it tilted up on whichever side. D9H's for one had this system. The two photos are of a standard 10 ton Holt and 'Western' 10 ton Holt. The 'Western' was built especially to cater to the needs of the prairie farmers.
Nice pictures, Deas. Just imagine a modern day union operator sitting in that seat on that Holt for 12 hours a day...You'd be hearing from the steward in no time about a seat change I'd bet...
Nice pictures Deas. Don't want to highjack this thread, but I have a question. In the first picture is that you? If it is would you mind moving so I can get a better look at that grader? Lol
Not this little black duck. Hi, LowBoy. Yeah! I dunno about the fronts of operators but the backs of 'em have definitely gone soft. Hi, Grader4me. Not me, Mate. I'm better looking than that.
At least he's humble,Grader4...
Yeah... If the truth was known...he probably has a pointy head and coke bottle glasses or something ointhead :yup
Not to mention a pocket protector jammed with pens and pencils and continuity testers...:laugh :falldownlaugh
Show Me. Hi, LowBoy and Grader4me. Please gentlemen, show me the pointy head, coke bottle glasses and pocket protector.
Do you always pose upside down?
C'mon! You know perfectly well that that's the direction everybody in Oz is pointing. On edit: Although, I've always wondered how they keep the change from falling out of their pockets...
Change in Pockets Hi, Digger242j. It's good to see that somebody topside is on the ball. As for the change falling out of the pockets - we don't have change down here any more. Every transation you make, whatever is left over out of the last even $5.00 goes to the Government as tax - or at least that's the way it seems. But there's anther reason why change wouldn't fall out of our pockets too. You might think it's gravity but there's no such thing as gravity - the Earth SUCKS. And for the real story - BUT only if you can handle the truth, go here: http://flourish.org/upsidedownmap/
Thanks to Google Earth, and the bit of flying that I've done, this isn't a new concept for me. It does take a bit of mental flexibility though, to realize that the geography is where it is, regardless of which direction you're looking from.
On Geography being the same. Hi, Digger242j. What you have just mentioned about the direction you are looking at it from has been the cause of a good many people getting lost. They have trouble recognising landmarks or landscape when they are looking at it from the other side as they try to make their way back again. For this reason, it is a good idea when bushwalking, especially in unfamiliar territory, and even more so if you plan on coming out the way you went in, to regularly look behind you so that you gain an idea fo what it will look like on the return journey. Now will somebody please explain to me how we got from a 'Simple Question' to talking about bushwalking? Several years ago on either ACMOC or ACME, there were a series of posts with photos posted by a member known as Mike Mc. In these posts, he detailed his conversion of a Cat D4 7U series orchard crawler to a rigid frame rig with an inside-mounted PAT blade. He did a great job of it and took it to Tulare that year. Here are some of those photos, with thanks to Mike Mc.. He had to remove the equaliser spring and replace it with a solid cross member to give him something on which to mount the push points and blade lift ram mounts for the inside-mounted PAT blade.
Nice pics, Thats pretty cool!
More pics. Hi, Folks. Here are some more photos, 1 of the completed job and 2 of the original Cat D4 7U orchard crawler that was the starting point. As you can see, the original machine only had a 4-roller track frame which was extended to 5 rollers in the modified machine. The original rear seat was removed and replaced with a normal tank seat and the original fuel tank behind the engine bay was removed and replaced with the firewall and air cleaner from a standard D4 7U. The original orchard control deck was replaced with the standard control deck and fenders. The original pilot motor was removed and replaced with batteries and direct electric start. Then there are all the modifications that were done to the frame, the building of the blade and the installation of hydraulics. Some job.
That 6 way blade is awesome. Do you know where you could purchase the parts to put a 6 way on an old D4?
Parts to mount 6-way blade on old D4. Hi, Iceberg210. I don't know of any kits or after-market suppliers that do what you are asking. The machine in these photos was remodelled from what you see being unloaded off the truck to what you see grading the parade track at Tulare. It was all done by hand, piece by piece, by the owner, over many months. I seem to remember that he had the seat made by a specialist seat manufacturer because the original orchard crawler seat was totally different from the standard D4 7U seat. I can't remember if he built the actual blade himself or if he 'acquired' it somewhere but I'm pretty sure that he built just about everything else himself. Quite a project and a truly remarkable end result.