USAF Thiokol 4T10

[RangerBob]

What the heck, over? Still no military snowcat forum?!?! Well, here's yet another thread of a military snowcat!!!

I hope this poor girl is soon to be mine. She was spotted about 6yrs ago (200, but I couldn't find anyone to ask about her. About a year later, a co-worker happened by the same spot and got some contact info, and I was finally able to seal the deal and make the recovery. And there is Strata Blue under that 'utility orange'.

The history as related to me by the owners wife is as follows:
They have had it sitting in their yard for a few years hoping to eventually repair it. They recovered it from the ranch of a friend where it had sat on a hillside for many, many years. That owner had acquired it from either a govt agency or utility company. They used it to reach the ranch in the winter and to carry family and friends on ski outings. At some point it broke down enroute and there it sat for the aforementioned many, many years. It's first career was obviously in the service of the USAF.

Here she is where found...





The info from that hard to read dataplate picture:

Model=4T10
Capacity=2800lb
Serial Number=178
Year of Manufacture=1962
Engine Serial Number=4935-T11KG
USAF Registration Number=61B2760
Inspected By=
FSN=2320-856-2153
Contract Number=40-604-11615
Shipping Weight=5060lb
Gross Vehicle Weight=5060lb
Overall Height=89
Width=93.5
Length=151in
Warranty=3 Months
Ship Date=05Jan1962


For some reason, the 4T-series dataplates never added the capacity to the shipping weight, which should then show a gross of 7860.

 

[RangerBob]

The recovery in 2009...




A couple of stops on the way...



And delivery to the new owner...at the time! I had delivered it to someone who has since decided that he just isn't going to have the time to priss her up.



She may be on the move again soon.

 

[RangerBob]

Some historical pictures...

 

[RangerBob]

The 4T10 is the predecessor to the 601. At some point the USAF decided that the 4T10 drivetrain wasn't sufficient to the task. I'm not sure if it was the twin Danas or the mystifying power divider that was the weak point, but Thiokol replaced it all with a tractor differential in the 601.

 

[Warthog]

Great writeup. Thanks for sharing!!!

 

[davo727]

Very interesting. Thank you.

 

[Another Ahab]

Lovin' the Snow Cats. Thank you for the post.

Guessing it's not NM, but which of your various locales are you stabling the Cats?

 

[RangerBob]

That one is currently in AZ, but is not yet mine. I have one non-mil cat in Area 52 of NV, plus four more non-mils in my secret desert location in NM. And high on a mountainside in NH there are 3 more non-mils and 2 ex-mil cats. Actually, one of those last two is but a rolling chassis. Maybe I'll put a deuce cab on it... I hope to acquire an ex-mil unit in AK this spring/summer, but don't have anywhere to store it yet.

 

[Another Ahab]

That one is currently in AZ, but is not yet mine. I have one non-mil cat in Area 52 of NV, plus four more non-mils in my secret desert location in NM. And high on a mountainside in NH there are 3 more non-mils and 2 ex-mil cats. Actually, one of those last two is but a rolling chassis. Maybe I'll put a deuce cab on it... I hope to acquire an ex-mil unit in AK this spring/summer, but don't have anywhere to store it yet.

Is that high desert; like do you get snow enough to run in out there?

 

[RangerBob]

Over 4500ft, but all of my cats are more all-terrain than strictly 'snow' cats. Here's one of my antique non-mils clearing some brush...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVAIXS22KYA

 

[m1010plowboy]

but don't have anywhere to store it yet.

I have the perfect place to store it....and test it...and wash it. Might be all painted up like the 601 when you come pick it up though.

Can't get enough of the history and pics so thanks for sharing. Must have Thiokol, must have Thiokol.

 

[RangerBob]

Man, a tempting offer to get a free paint job....but just too far.

 

[RangerBob]

Some eye candy from a partial teardown in 2010...

 

[RangerBob]

One posterior and a few interior...

 

[RangerBob]

It just chafes my hide when the natural beauty of strata blue gets covered in garish orange, white ...or olive drab.

 

[Another Ahab]

The Cats are a gas. Thanks for the pics.

What exactly are we looking at here, these the transmissions?

 

[RangerBob]

It's called a Power Divider or Selector. It takes the power from the transmission and divides/splits it to two drive shafts, one for powering each track. One of the problems with a braking differential (like those on most non-hydraulic snowcats, old tractor crawlers, dozers, etc) is that when you brake one side, you lose a buttload of power. You need to rump on the gas as you make your turn to maintain decent speed, execute the turn, and not stall. This arrangement executed a turn by reducing the power/speed to one track while adding it to the other. Efficient, but more complicated to adjust and lots of extra parts to break. I'll see if I can dig up details of the inner workings later.

 

[Another Ahab]

It's called a Power Divider or Selector. It takes the power from the transmission and divides/splits it to two drive shafts, one for powering each track. One of the problems with a braking differential (like those on most non-hydraulic snowcats, old tractor crawlers, dozers, etc) is that when you brake one side, you lose a buttload of power. You need to rump on the gas as you make your turn to maintain decent speed, execute the turn, and not stall. This arrangement executed a turn by reducing the power/speed to one track while adding it to the other. Efficient, but more complicated to adjust and lots of extra parts to break. I'll see if I can dig up details of the inner workings later.

So that would have applied to older armor also, like the m4 Sherman?

 

[peashooter]

Thanks for sharing this! I had no idea Thikol made these things.... I've only known Thikol for making rocket boosters from a previous company I was at. I had to wikipedia it to see if it was the same company and then found it even more interesting that John Delorean bought this division. Pretty cool vehicle and history behind them! Of course most things with tracks I consider "pretty cool"

 

[Karl kostman]

Ranger Bob I am very glad that your out there to save these beautiful old beauties, in ND they would come in handy but like most things like this unless you have a direct NEED to use it they wont get used and every time you want to the batteries are dear or you need to fix something before you can use it. Like I said I am glad your interest is in these units, and thanks for posting, looks like a very interesting project!
KK