This site is not affiliated with AGCO Inc., Duluth GA., Allis-Chalmers Co., Milwaukee, WI., or any surviving or related corporate entity. All trademarks remain the property of their respective owners. All information presented herein should be considered the result of an un-moderated public forum with no responsibility for its accuracy or usability assumed by the users and sponsors of this site or any corporate entity.
The Forum Parts and Services Unofficial Allis Store Tractor Shows Serial Numbers History
Forum Home Forum Home > Allis Chalmers > Construction and other equipment
  New Posts New Posts
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login


Track Sprocket tooth differences

 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
Message
GreenOrange View Drop Down
Orange Level
Orange Level
Avatar

Joined: 11 Sep 2009
Location: Wisconsin
Points: 827
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote GreenOrange Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Track Sprocket tooth differences
    Posted: 21 May 2023 at 8:19am
I need a little education… I see in my M crawler manuals there are two different sprocket types - flat tooth base and skeleton tooth base, and hitch have reliefs at the bottom. What is the advantage to one versus the other? Is it application based? I’m thinking it could be based on soil types. Thanks all!

Edited by GreenOrange - 21 May 2023 at 8:23am
Back to Top
Sponsored Links


Back to Top
orangeman View Drop Down
Orange Level
Orange Level


Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Points: 1665
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote orangeman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 May 2023 at 7:26am
GreenOrange- You pose an excellent question - I see the M Crawler Manual of 1948, page 86 shows both the skeleton and flat tooth sprockets but offers no explanation for their use. That said, years later after the H-3 and HD-3 and H-4 and HD-4 Chalmers arrived AC did clarify their use in promotional materials as follows:

Quote - The sprockets hunting tooth design with an odd number of teeth lengthens the life of the sprocket teeth and track pins. This is in reference to the flat tooth sprocket. 

A second choice in drive sprockets available is the skeleton sprocket for operations where track packing conditions exist. The skeleton with the cut out track shoe, (note: later AC manuals refer to these as grousers) will allow material to escape the track chain.  

Regarding the second choice, (i.e. skeleton sprocket) have seen many of those used where the crawler was used for opening roads in the winter to get access to the maple sugar lot. We referred to them as snow chain and sprockets.  The open in the shoe would allow snow to fall through the track. 

The grouser shoe or plate selected was typically specific to the intended application of the dozer.  For the M, H-3/HD-3 and 650 series there were a total of 7 optional grousers as follows:

Full Grouser Cut-Out
Semi Grouser Cut - Out
Snow and Ice Cut - Out
Full Grouser
Semi Grouser 
Street Plate, and 
Rubber Faced  Grouser

In closing, I will say that AC editors /tech writers that prepared the manuals did have some slips and misses on describing things or illustrating certain parts and pieces that were part of the overall machine.   As you have found, the Sprockets offered for the M is one of those cases where there could have been better QA/QC on descriptions and importantly their application. 

HTH's ~ Orangeman


Edited by orangeman - 22 May 2023 at 7:37am
Back to Top
Codger View Drop Down
Orange Level
Orange Level
Avatar

Joined: 23 Dec 2020
Location: Illinois
Points: 1755
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Codger Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 May 2023 at 7:43am
I have seen the "snow shoes" used on the smaller tractors but never heard them being referred to as "skeleton". Snow Cat machines use a similar shoe or track pad in many of their designs for the purpose of not allowing snow to pack into the tracks.
A career built on repairing and improving engineering design deficiencies, shortcomings, and failures over 50 years now.
Back to Top
Mike K View Drop Down
Silver Level
Silver Level
Avatar

Joined: 27 Sep 2009
Location: Edgar, WI
Points: 214
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mike K Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 May 2023 at 9:51pm
J&H Welding has loads of dozer parts
 They were an Allis Chalmers dealer
 Phone  906 353 6119  Contact Mike. Very knowledgable on Allis Dozer
Back to Top
orangeman View Drop Down
Orange Level
Orange Level


Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Points: 1665
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote orangeman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 May 2023 at 2:30pm
Codger: Just a clarification to the above, skeleton as AC used the term is in reference to the sprocket type and not the track grousers or shoes.  It seems that whomever composed AC manuals for the AC 3 and 4 ton crawler used the terms shoes and grousers interchangeable sometimes even within the same manual.  

HTH's ~  Orangeman
Back to Top
GreenOrange View Drop Down
Orange Level
Orange Level
Avatar

Joined: 11 Sep 2009
Location: Wisconsin
Points: 827
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote GreenOrange Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 May 2023 at 3:56pm
Thank you for the responses - I appreciate the education. That makes a lot of sense regarding the different applications and wearability.
Back to Top
Coke-in-MN View Drop Down
Orange Level Access
Orange Level Access
Avatar

Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Location: Afton MN
Points: 41160
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Coke-in-MN Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Jun 2023 at 11:54pm
Snow was one thing but clay and sticky material that could build up in deep part of sprocket causing the bushing to ride high on the sprocket tooth . Had problems with that buildup also in freezing conditions when one did digging basements or excavations when below zero , track would build up between links and tension would change on track . 
  I found then running machine back and forth out of area of soft material would clear much of that buildup from track as well as from sprocket . 
Faith isn't a jump in the dark. It is a walk in the light. Faith is not guessing; it is knowing something.
"Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful."
Back to Top
Codger View Drop Down
Orange Level
Orange Level
Avatar

Joined: 23 Dec 2020
Location: Illinois
Points: 1755
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Codger Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Jun 2023 at 6:59am
[QUOTE=Coke-in-MN]Snow was one thing but clay and sticky material that could build up in deep part of sprocket causing the bushing to ride high on the sprocket tooth . Had problems with that buildup also in freezing conditions when one did digging basements or excavations when below zero , track would build up between links and tension would change on track . 
  I found then running machine back and forth out of area of soft material would clear much of that buildup from track as well as from sprocket . [/QUOTE

That is where proper tension on the tracks is paramount. Just enough "give" in the track release mechanism to allow for this buildup and not bind anything. Dry tracks get quite warm through normal operation due to the friction of the pin and bushing interior rubbings. This heat is in turn radiated through the buildup and aids is softening the same helping with squeeze out, or ejection of the same.
A career built on repairing and improving engineering design deficiencies, shortcomings, and failures over 50 years now.
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 11.10
Copyright ©2001-2017 Web Wiz Ltd.

This page was generated in 0.049 seconds.


Help Support the
Unofficial Allis Forum