Construction and other equipment - Track Sprocket tooth differences

Print Page | Close Window

Track Sprocket tooth differences

Printed From: Unofficial Allis
Category: Allis Chalmers
Forum Name: Construction and other equipment
Forum Description: everything else with orange (or yellow) paint
URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=195284
Printed Date: 28 Apr 2024 at 10:49pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.10 - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: Track Sprocket tooth differences

Posted By: GreenOrange
Subject: Track Sprocket tooth differences
Date 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!

Replies:

Posted By: orangeman
Date 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

Posted By: Codger
Date 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.

Posted By: Mike K
Date 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

Posted By: orangeman
Date 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

Posted By: GreenOrange
Date 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.

Posted By: Coke-in-MN
Date 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."

Posted By: Codger
Date 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.