When turning with a clutch steer dozer, is it better to: Lock one track and turn on the spot, Or, Pull the clutch lever far enough to apply the brake enough to turn, but still allow the inside track to turn slowly? I figure that a spot turn will save on brake wear but will be harder on the tracks, whereas a smooth curve turn will be wearing the brake bands but would be easier on the tracks. So which is best? The machine in question is a D5C but I suppose it will relate to most dozers or at least mid size dozers.
Yair . . . Plant Fitter . A steering clutch should never be slipped . . . it is either engaged or disengaged and the tighness of the turn is determined with the brake. In the real world you do what you gotta do. Generally speaking spot turns are avoided as they tear up the ground and I suppose (especialy in reverse) would be harder on the tracks. Cheers.
Yes that is what I mean, pull the lever far enough to release the steering clutch, and apply the brake a bit to make a smooth turn. I am wondering if this causes the brake bands to wear too much.
I don't think so, after all, when you go to stop a truck, you don't mash the brake as hard as you can as fast as you can. I think the brake bands are designed for this slippage. just my two cents worth :beatsme
Are not d5c's hystats? All the ones i've seen were but i havent seen them all
I think the first D5C's were clutch brake and in the later series there was a hystat option.
In my opinion, doing the gradual turn is easier on the machine as a whole, and is definitely easier on the ground. That said, I turn however is appropriate for the job at hand, without getting hung up on one way or the other. I have never seen brakes worn because of easy turns helped with the brake. As stated above, never slip the clutch, have it engaged or disengaged, but don't be halfway with it. Brakes, on the other hand, modulate well. The original D-5C's were clutch and brake machines, and the series III was hystat. I think there was optional drives on series II machines, but am not sure about that one.
It is an early D5C, definitely clutch and brake steering. The later ones were hystats but I don't know anything about them. Thanks for the replies, Mitch504 I see your point, but truck brakes are easier to replace than dozer brakes, which is why I was concerned about making them last as long as possible.
That's for sure! But I'd still rather replace them than undercarriage.
I've tried to not post a story on spot turning, but here goes. In the early 50's I would go to work with my Dad in the summer. He was operating an old D8 pulling a can. The left steering brake didn't work so coming out of the cut he had to make a left turn to do so he would stop go to reverse and make right hand stop turn and then go to the fill. They repaired the dozer at the end of the job.
Yair . . . stinkycat. LOL! Done that on a rake to finish a job. Actualy you get used to it and sort of work around it and it's not much bother . . . having a tilt blade helps. Cheers.
Never liked to see someone spin around short on a dozer it makes a mess and fills the rails with dirt or rocks. Wet brakes are so much better than the old dry decks that brake wear, unless abused isn't really an issue