Hi, CTS.
Another quote from a poster of long ago:

"Safety is an ATTITUDE, NOT just a set of rules or circumstances."

I have personally had a Cat D9N 'dozer on a measured slope of 43 degrees, not once but TWICE, in two different situations.

Did I get away with it? Yes.

Would I recommend it? NO!!!!!!

Would I advise others to do it? NO!!!!!!!!

Mind you, I didn't know in either case that the slope was 43 degrees until we checked it later.

That said though, it does go some way toward proving that Caterpillar met the military requirement that these machines be able to stand on a 45 degree slope.

Most everybody recovers from close shaves. Not many people recover from DEAD.

Stay Safe.

Just my 0.02.

Sorry to not remember the details since it has been 40 years, but the final drive and sprocket can be pulled as a unit. That is how the old guy took my D6 9u sprockets off. Loaded the whole final and took it to the press. I am remembering him talking needing 80 ton. The most unconventional part was installing the sprocket. I pulled on 6 or 8 feet of pipe on the nut and he beat on the sprocket with really big hammer. It has worked because they have not come lose and wallowed the splines.

It's amazing how the smallest shortcut ends up costing injuries'/lives. We have all done it one way or another when i was younger i remember starting to hook up a PTO with the tractor still running. Clicking it on and then going oh my what did i just do....

That's interesting Ray54 i will definitely look into that my local Cat dealership is around 1hour half away and do have them come out to do the work is very spendy. However after talking with them they did point me to a company that rents them. So fingers crossed!

you say the dealer is a long distance away well maybe there is a mobile heavy equipment mechanic who is closer. the basics are the same for all tracked machines. and if you have the service manual to guide them they should be able to do the work. its worth the ask anyway.