Side hill angle

If you guesstimate the center of gravity as equal with the crankshaft, then figure the angle from that to outside of your track shoe and that's your do-not-exceed with no leeway. (only way to know for sure what the COG under controlled circumstances is, is to test for it, since it can vary with fuel tank fill, operator weight, attachments, etc.). Given these units don't come with ROPS or seatbelts and padding, I'd want to go even more conservatively. But you can workaround it by traveling in a more up-and-down fashion than directly sideways - just make sure your equalizer spring mounts are secure so that to tip fore-and-aft, it would also need to pick up the tracks. My great-uncle was killed in a sidehill rollover that was, like most incidents, avoidable.

Like Clint Eastwood said "Mans got to know his limitations"

The scientific approach won't help you if something unexpected happens, like the upper track grosser turns up a rock and pulls it under the track. Your reaction time in reaching for the clutch will probably be too late. With erosion issues I am sure going strait up and down is not what you would want to do. My suggestion would be to take it slow to start with while keeping your hand on the clutch and paying attention to the bubble in your butt.

if it has a fender tank keep that on the uphill side--ballast there will help too---whatever slope you were on where you slid would be my personal limitation on steepness

It has been my experience a disc will work better when going up or down a hill, rather than sideways.

Maybe you can't always do that. I would think there is less wear on the rails and rollers going up and down rather than sideways - but I have no data to back that up.

Hi, Silverstreak.
I think that while Neil's CoG formula may be technically correct, it is not one that I would be happy with 'cos it ignores the weight of the top part of the engine, radiator and firewall and a fender-mounted fuel tank if that is what you have. My own personal formula would be if the top of the hood got near to over the center of the lower track, it would be time to wonder if my life insurance was paid up to date.

I have personally had a Cat D9N dozer with semi-U blade and rear ripper on a measured 43 degree slope and it was still driving on the high track 'cos I could turn downhill still going forward from that position. And not once but twice. It is not something that I recommend doing for either great peace of mind or longevity but, to my mind at least, it put to rest the belief held by a lot of operators that the high-sprocket drive dozers are less stable than the oval tracked machines.

I was told back in early 1965 by the man who gave me the only little formal training that I ever had on dozers that most tracked machines, dozer and loaders, will slide before they will roll. BUTTT, that in itself poses a hazard if the lower track digs in and stops the slide. See attached photo.

[attachment=48766]Cat D9R dozer onna lean_1_PI.jpg[/attachment]

What size do you the 'twist-top' shaped mark on that seat would have been?

Just my 0.02.

if your on your side...that's too far lol.....back in my youngers years when I was runnin cat in the woods skiddin logs...I laid a couple over.....also laid a Delimber over....but that's a different story....unless you have some kind of ROPS....I wouldn't even attempt to side hill....

Hi, Silverstreak.
I think that while Neil's CoG formula may be technically correct, it is not one that I would be happy with 'cos it ignores the weight of the top part of the engine, radiator and firewall and a fender-mounted fuel tank if that is what you have. My own personal formula would be if the top of the hood got near to over the center of the lower track, it would be time to wonder if my life insurance was paid up to date.

I have personally had a Cat D9N dozer with semi-U blade and rear ripper on a measured 43 degree slope and it was still driving on the high track 'cos I could turn downhill still going forward from that position. And not once but twice. It is not something that I recommend doing for either great peace of mind or longevity but, to my mind at least, it put to rest the belief held by a lot of operators that the high-sprocket drive dozers are less stable than the oval tracked machines.

I was told back in early 1965 by the man who gave me the only little formal training that I ever had on dozers that most tracked machines, dozer and loaders, will slide before they will roll. BUTTT, that in itself poses a hazard if the lower track digs in and stops the slide. See attached photo.

[attachment=48766]Cat D9R dozer onna lean_1_PI.jpg[/attachment]

What size do you the 'twist-top' shaped mark on that seat would have been?

Just my 0.02.