Caterpillar D2

[@chrishanes4310]

The amount of engineering that went into the tracks is eye opening. Thanks for the in-depth explanation.

[@iainking4256]

Toby let’s face it you look like a little boy jumping up and down clapping your hands together, but I fully understand I too , I had a three inch gun from a Matilda Tank given to me, it took about 18months to restore it to full order, including building a new front half of the barrel. You have always been a leader in vehicle restoration as is you awesome Dad. Be safe take care and keep them coming. From the land of crocodiles and venomous snake.

[@bishopcorva]

I'm enjoying watching some of these past clips because each time I do I get reminded of things from the past. Much like how this tractor is going to be a drawbar machine instead of a dozer. That's pretty neat, and as I said, reminds me of an old d4 a friend had and caged up with an added on bench to the back to carry two or three people if you didn't mind being very cozy. As well as some deer stands or a few deer or hogs. He'd use it as a woods cart and just drive it through the under brush and briars, knock over small trees and scrub palms. Wade it through a creek or wet areas to collect hunters and whatnot. It had a full home built dage and large bull bar on the front, a pto winch off the back with a few snatch blocks to redirect the cable forward if needed. As I said, a bench on the back for extra seating, a short mesh footboard for cargo, snorkel and extra lighting. He loved that crawler and kept it in fantastic mechanical shape, looks though were another story. I just st got to thinking about it when you said that this one would not be a dozer.

[@andrewyoung900]

Man, this is the kind of stuff the Internet is good for. Thanks.

[@raycollington4310]

Wow Squatch, this is not entertainment, this is education and fascinating. Learned a lot on this one. You should be teaching young technicians. Boy would you inspire the youngsters. Thank you.

[@BikerBloke600]

Totally agree. 👍🍻

[@albertthorne2872]

I wish I had this info back in 1980 when I ran D2’s in my small business doing weed abatement. I moved on to D4E and 650H. But we still have three D2’s to play with. All 5u’s

[@texasjetman]

Absolutely agree Ray, 100%, I hope they are showing some of his clips in Vo_Tec FFA shop classes nationwide if not tech. schools.

[@beginlivinglikeaboss]

Cat did a great job on engineering these early machines. Where they failed was in operator comfort. Plowing all day on D2 and D4 tractors is a brutal workout.

[@Pamudder]

I don't think anyone was really interested in operator comfort at the time. Look at contemporaneous over-the-road trucks or steam locomotives for comparison. Steel machines and iron men.

[@dreadrechsler8278]

@@Pamudder But in truth, I think they also spent less time actually operating the machines because they had to spend so much time maintaining them. That is, of course, if they wanted them to work at all.

[@acprimus631C]

Sometimes you have to make your own comfort. My friend just acquired a 9U on which the PO placed 3 or 4" channel iron under the seat and fuel tank assembly and gave himself substantial legroom.

[@roberthammond2637]

Squatch, Excellent instruction on track "works and wears"...! You are teaching right out of the "Earthworm Tractor Co Handbook"...! Congratulations...! (18 years at Dealership, 6 years servicing undercarriage and teaching customers; Even previous time on a D8, 2U10000 ..........actual machine with 14A U/C). Great Job...!

[@keithwarkentin]

Oops sorry about my last comment but I just wanted to say Cat really gave a lot of information on their machines I am completely impressed and amazed! I have run cranes that basically tell you how to grease and oil it and the rest of the schooling is seat time and as you well know there is very little room for error in the seat!! I can’t get over the detail like who figures out all the different scenarios of trac size and reaction I love detail that’s really cool!!

[@Ihbinder14]

You do such a great job describing how everything works! Thanks

[@michaelwest4325]

Well I do believe this will be one of the best examples of how a draw bar tractor might have looked in its era, well working but working, optioned and set up for the farmer on the move! A pin up for the boys on the farm!

[@mikes1345]

This reminds me of the now vintage metal toys we played with as a kid. Some kids never grow up but get bigger and badder toys. Gotta love a big kid who teaches with his big toys so more old kids can enjoy! Thanks.

[@markhilton1360]

Funny how everyone tells up what to do with your toys. I like to watch for all the information you provide. Keep up the good work!👍👍

[@timvolkmer1121]

Thats one of the most interesting Videos ive ever seen and there are a lot of them on your channel. Allthough i did a 3 year apprenticeship as a heavy equipment operator we didnt learn a lot about the undercarriage of tracked machines. we loosely handeld the components, how the pads generate tracktion and lower ground pressure and how to determine when the parts are shot. Its very interesting to see how each part of the undercarriage works together. Keep up the good work with these Videos! Greetings from Germany

[@Buck1954]

I wasn't sure how I was gonna feel about the "as is" patina, but I like it now.

[@jamesburns8247]

I had never understood so well the wisdom behind the track design, it gives great insite to the engineering.

[@horstszibulski19]

Great new lesson in track physics from Prof. Squatch! Thx a lot! :-D

[@denistaramasso9724]

Part of the operating a crawler is the track noise .I don't like rubber tracks. When I was younger up to middle the crawler track noise brings me back in time.

[@TexSavage]

You clearly know your stuff. Still surprised when I see videos like this. Keep the faith.

[@denistaramasso9724]

Keep up the excellent videos and love that old iron. That's what built and feed America.

[@allanrichards3752]

Fascinating stuff and things most people would never think about. Clearly track and undercarriage wear is the weakest area with these machines but then track systems are complicated with lots of moving parts. For a hobby machine seeing a few hours a year I would be reluctant to spend loads of money and overdo the restoration to get everything back to factory fresh. Here in the UK engine work and general engineering work is quite expensive and its not easy to find people prepared to do the work. On one of my stationary engines the crank pin was 20thou out of round. I couldn't find anyone prepared to grind it so I sat with a file and micrometer and re-filed the pin round. It sounds horrendous but the engine runs well and has done for over 10 seasons now. Its not under much load though.

[@christophereaves862]

I use to work in the coal mine in Kentucky. In some places in those tracks the dirt will wear against dirt 👍🏻 I have really enjoyed these videos 👍🏻👍🏻

[@2011joser]

My father drove D2’s in apricot orchards when I was a kid. They all had the wide tracks and it is definitely a better look. The whole tractor looks more substantial and they were the ones I really wanted to pilot but I was only allowed the D6’s in open field work.

[@dans_Learning_Curve]

I am now smarter about CAT D2 under carriages! Questions were answered that I never thought to ask! Keep up the good work! 👍

[@johnbarham7718]

Thank you again for a VERY informative film. I had no idea so much design was incorporated into the tracks.

[@Rm-bx9qc]

Just a few months ago I would have never given a crawler a second look, but thanks to you with your videos I’m gonna be spending a lot more time looking them over at the shows this summer. Great job as always.

[@markgreen7701]

I feel like if there was a D-2 final exam I'd do petty well on it, despite never having used (or touched) one! Very informative!

[@texasjetman]

Me too sir.

[@teddill4893]

Always an education. Thank you professor Squatch.

[@dougwood6186]

Thanks for the Video excellent content . I have owned and operated bulldozers over many years and while i already had an understanding of how track design worked ive never heard it explained so well . I believe Caterpillar say theres 5 times more wear on the pins and bushings in reverse than in forward . I worked for a contractor that had done his time on D2s and D4s and was very strict on keeping tracks clean and adjusted correctly plus good driving habits like not backing over dirt spill from blade and driving forward when travelling from site to site . Because he was bought up on dry back end he was very strict about not using the brakes . When he had D6s and D 7s and we would paint them up in the off season he would say he wanted to see the paint wear off the floor boards before the brake pedals . It was good advice and a good habit to form . Thanks again enjoyed your video

[@jamesbuttleman3130]

Absolutely fantastic,the camera shots were awesome,a very enjoyable presentation. Thank you for sharing and making them. Stay safe and well.

[@MCP53]

You know, I love to learn something every day, and I love engineering! I have liked and subscribed as this is, indeed, my cup of tea (yes, I'm a Brit). To see so much R&D go into the initial product so long ago, not just huge muscle and metal, is an inspiration!

[@geraldsundberg3610]

Good explanations Squatch.

[@bitsnpieces11]

Oil/grease on equipment running in dirt makes one of the BEST GRINDING compounds you can get.

[@michaelbrash8843]

East central illinois here. I sure like the engineering side also. Thanks

[@DohosanV]

Thanks teach. I have learned so much from watching your videos.

[@robertdraper7258]

Very Good explanation of Track Design. Thank You for educating those of us that are unfamiliar with Tracked Machines!

[@jondavidmcnabb]

Wow your explanation is incredible. I learned a significant amount from this episode. I hope you have an equally impressive draw bar piece of equipment to showcase this machine!!!

[@BikerBloke600]

Hi Squatch what an excellent explanation, will never think about tracks the same way again. Mick 👍👌🍻

[@michaelbaumgardner2530]

The D2 looks so simple but yet it's an engineering marvel with slide rules instead of computers excellent video...👍👍

[@shaneharrison4775]

Awesome as always and worth the time to make clear the true works and ware on the tracks and pads pins and bushings

[@billyoleary8291]

Awesome.Great lesson in staying on track.Logic rules in everything here.Thanks.

[@jbj27406]

Pun intended?

[@cassiuspuckett8789]

Informative as always Squach! I've never thought about how much technology went on for development of the undercarriage. Thanks for the info, and thanks for sharing.....

[@patrickkelly4570]

Again great knowledge,I particularly like the comment about not lubricating the undercarriage,I can remember countless arguments I had in Africa where it was common practice to smother the turning circle of the moldboard of a grader with grease in hot dusty environments grease is grinding paste in a very short time.

[@aserta]

17:10 an old man taught me this logic, many years ago. Old sea salt who ran four boats between two teams on rotation. It costed him a bit more on fees and taxes, but his ships looked the cleanest, the best kept and he never, not once came back to port with major malfunctions or problems for 45 years of operation. Low hours on many machines can really pay back in time.

[@hanshardt6122]

When I was much younger I use to run a D2 in marsh ground plowing. Don't know why people want to put a blade in this D2, you already have a D2 with a blade on it. The 5J will enjoy life pulling a plow down on your low ground as needed

[@roycspary8923]

wow,thank you. I have fond memories of driving aD2 a little in my youth I have an engineering background and have always been an amateur mechanic so this was wonderful. I always realized that there was a whole lot going in in the track system but it used to be a mystery I see a lot of product development over a long time here. thank you for such an elegant explaination Roy😃

[@boe4448]

Well explained . Thank you Squatch

[@beginlivinglikeaboss]

Also to mention is the sprockets are odd numbers of teeth. I believe it takes two turns of the sprocket to encounter all the teeth of the sprocket to minimize wear.

[@jefffoggymountainworkshop5021]

Great video on the technicalities of track design! My grandad worked in AC crawler tractors back in the 50s. I really love those old machines. Wish I had a place and space to get one. Great series on your D2!

[@mikemcginley6309]

Got to say I learned a lot about dozer track. Cat engineers thought everything through didn't they? That little dozer will look awesome when you get all your goodies put on. Like a Rat Rod of the crawler world.

[@texasjetman]

and jus think, NOT ONE COMPUTER was used when they designed, poured the steel, built the machines, not even a calculator other than slide rules and abaccusssusssss

[@RustyCarnahan]

My sweet lord it does my soul good to see #1113 standing on her own again!

[@jainva4329]

I don't work on Cats but rather JD crawlers and have for over 50 years. I have read up on Cats track recommendations and this guy knows his Shi#! Good info.

[@texasjetman]

Well done, another great video, thank you again for your great details and even explaining the charts and process of determining the tracks that best fit your operation's needs, and or wear and tear factors.

[@ivopeleh4273]

Thank you Professor!

[@beboboymann3823]

This is some awesome stuff. You never fail to amaze. Way to go.

[@kdw75]

I used to have a D4 7u made in 1952. An older gentleman bought it from me 20 years ago and since it was in very good shape, said he was going to turn it into a show tractor. I often wonder where it is today.

[@machinistbytrade]

Great information video! That tractor is sure coming together great. Awesome series to watch. Can't wait to see it finished and turning some ground...if only for entertainment value!

[@wrodgers21]

I have to admit that I'm a little disappointed there won't be a blade put on this machine, but this whole series makes up for it!

[@jeffcraft3980]

For steel, memory trick is 283 Chevy V8. Steel density is .283 pounds per cubic inch.

[@duanequam7709]

Well there is another explanation well put. Don't even discount the old masters ability to figure things out. Well explained Toby.

[@coniow]

Hey, Squatch, I know you like those odd-ball stories, this one might interest you 🙂 Guy I used to work with was Ex military (REME - Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers) if memory serves. He had been on winter exercises in Europe with a NATO Tank force, with units from the US, UK, Germany Etc. One really slippery hill stopped them all. No body got more than half way up. There was a really smug know-it-all in his unit that nobody liked. This guy said: Reverse the tracks, and they will go up, no problem. It did not get a good reception. BUT. Eventually, they gave it a try on one of the tanks. And. . . . Up she went. NO problem. Once all the UK tanks got to the top, Then they let out the secret. Your explanation at 07:00 would explain why that worked. I always wondered exactly how that worked.

[@billkahl1147]

I'll never own a crawler, but it sure is fun learning about them.

[@budl1840]

Liked the video thanks the d2 is going to be a fun tractor

[@kenore4003]

Another channel was replacing tracks and there was a lot of discussion about which way was right. Ended putting on backwards to start out. There was no discussion of why tracks are unidirectional. This show has been really eye-opening.

[@darploin5071]

I remember that episode you also used your D6 you titled it Pulling weeds

[@rickyjessome4359]

Cat done a damn good job at figuring out there tracked machines. The 20 inch wide tracks are super cool and totally worth the little extra wear! Cheers squatch253

[@Bushguyrocks]

They did a good job of figuring out "their" track machines too! Good thing "there" engineers weren't as careless as people who post comments! Lol. Smash that "like" button, folks!

[@rickyjessome4359]

@@Bushguyrocks don't care about grammar bud! Sorry

[@stevewooten984]

Great demonstration and clarification

[@imtimrich]

You have a wealth on knowledge and explain the workings exceptional 💪🇺🇸

[@freeradical431]

Thanks for spittin the knowledge brotha! I did see that the grousers were beveled, cool feature for stock parts. Its gonna be fun to see how hard she can pull. I like all your decisions and where your taking it. Theres an old D2 rotting away down the street from me, I looked at it to maybe restore-recondition, but it was harder to find a place that wasnt welded up than was. It has a loader and backhoe on it. Then I got a friend down the way that has at least two just sitting. Id love to see a vid detailing how you get the undercarriage aligned. My JD420c is offset so it makes for fun aligning.

[@markphillips6154]

This isn’t my first rodeo. Love it. Hope you don’t bulldoze all the trees on your property

[@theshadow4292]

Thank you for the update, waiting for the next one, love them all.

[@kevinknight470]

Thanx for the insight to Cat engineering, fantastic.

[@dennishutchinson]

Very good track explanation of track action! Never gave it much thought before. 👍

[@thomasbailey8306]

These machines were built to help build the American Dream. Farming, light construction. And the likes. They were built for Real Men for Sure...They helped build this Once Great Country...Not like the JUNK they build now ..I guarantee in 80 years no one will be rebuilding any of the New junk Built today. There wont be enough left of them too rebuild..Throw Aways..Great Video Squatch253 On explaining about the tracks..

[@michellehoefer5922]

Thank you for the video. "lookn cool and keepn the soil fluffy!!!"

[@pnwRC.]

AWESOME vidja! I knew a lot of what was explained, but DID learn a lot from this vidja.

[@thirzapeevey2395]

It took about ten times of you saying it for me to realize you were saying "ag machine" and not "egg machine." I kept wondering what the heck an "egg machine" was. :) Great job on your explanations, as usual. I learn so much with every video. I always figure no knowledge is wasted, even if I don't ever plan on building a bulldozer.

[@lewispond9876]

I was thinking, "Egg machine? Hmm..."

[@jankotze1959]

Excellent explanation

[@mitchs323]

Thanks foe the lesson, it answered a lot of questions that I had. This is a great series, but I'm looking forward to seeing more on the X series rebuild.

[@anibalbabilonia1867]

Boy that sure makes a lot of sense when thinking of reversing the tracks! I see your point of view! It would definitely destroy them tracks!

[@clydeschwartz2167]

That was a very informative video the wide track pads work just like wide rubber tires they provide more surface grip but at the same time Rob power away it will be very handy for plowing the engine horsepower is the limiting factor. It will last a lot of years the amount of hours you put on it if you were going to plow a 1000 acres a year with it then it is a totally different scenario. I have always been told that snow is murder on a crawler undercarriage and that dirt is like lubrication for the undercarriage

[@dreadrechsler8278]

If you're interested, DirtPerfect has a channel with some vid's where he's equipping his 850J with wide tracks pads. He goes through a thorough explanation of why and how they will work for what he wants the machine to do which is pull a tile plow. I should think all the principles apply in both cases.

[@Echapm40]

Thanks for putting this out. I have no knowledge on any crawler tractors other than what you have posted in these videos. I didn't even know the tracks only went one way. Very interesting stuff for sure. Unfortunately , I have decided that I want an old D2 even though I really have no use for it. Like you said a novelty toy lol. Thanks for all your content, one of my fav channels.

[@4051a]

I agree with that those pads look cool. I would have them on my D2 if I didn't have a blade. I have put about 600 on my D2 in the 22 years that I have owned it.

[@gregoryschmitz2131]

This is a completly new look at how a track works (or this era track?) I can see he aspect of it as a drawbar unit (aka Farm Field work mostly though grader or dump pull) but as a dozer, you are pretty much even with forward and reverse (as well as a loader). It would seem that for that intent a compromise track would work better (no idea if there is such a thing). Overall there would be more forward than reverse but it would be a lot closer to a 60/40 split at a guess. I worked around a JD350B as well as operated it some, we tended to dozer and loader work (Drott 4 in 1 bucket) so that would have had a 55/45 split at a guess. Still a bias forward as we had a backhoe setup on it and that was mostly forward with a bit of backing up.

[@Dudleymiddleton]

I was guessing about a hundredweight (cwt - 112lb) for the shaft - not a million miles out! There is a lot more than meets the eye on tracked machinery! Very interesting, Thank you for sharing.

[@jbj27406]

I'm guessing you could rotate the tracks side to side if you had to balance some kind of asymmetric wear. Everything would still be turning the same direction. Maybe?

[@culturaldivide6817]

usually an operator who spends a lot of hours will wear one side more due to his operator preference or what side they tend to work the machine on

[@noelstractors-firewood57]

Great explanation on the track system. Thanks.

[@ryan_etzel]

12:53 "We got off track there" -- we see what you did there :-)

[@josephperkins4163]

From this day forward you will be called the “Professor of Catlogy”.

[@andyhuckle]

Brilliant ! D2 Undercarriage 101

[@jerrystarner1517]

I really enjoy your explanation of stuff

[@dougkubash8673]

Great video Squatch!! I almost always pick up some good information!

[@ruaraidhmcdonald-walker9524]

Fascinating!!!

[@mikehughes3533]

Very good information video! Thanks

[@coryboettcher9702]

12:50- “We got off track”🤣🤣🤣

[@ivoryjohnson4662]

Squatch isn’t gonna be grinding these tractors into to dirt. These are basically operating museum pieces.

[@tutekohe1361]

Hi Toby, informative video. A point you did not address in this video, and probably was not in the remit, was the ‘Sprockets in front versus Sprockets at the rear’ argument and how that relates to track ‘power’ and wear. I operate a 32t Excavator set up as a ‘Shovel Logger’. Driving up a hill ‘backwards’ draws noticeably more power than going ‘forwards’. The machine really struggles to move in reverse uphill. Tank design in WW2 explored this argument with some manufacturers going for rear sprockets, while others went for sprockets at the front. Although Tanks are a different thing to tracked tractors, the results of the argument were not conclusive.

[@farmerbob728]

Oh wow.. fantastic video

[@digitalrailroader]

To put it in actual tire terms, the tracks behave exactly like high performance asymmetrical tires; if you mount them backwards, you will wear those tires out extremely quickly.

[@culturaldivide6817]

Great job on the undercarriage explanation

[@Thecowboy1950]

Awesome explaining the track where on a D2