• Please be sure to read the rules and adhere to them. Some banned members have complained that they are not spammers. But they spammed us. Some even tried to redirect our members to other forums. Duh. Be smart. Read the rules and adhere to them and we will all get along just fine. Cheers. :beer: Link to the rules: https://www.forumsforums.com/threads/forum-rules-info.2974/

BR100 Buying Question ~ any issues to consider?

greenhornet

greenhornet

New member
Hi all,
I am looking at buying a 1980's br100 which appears to be in pretty good condition. Just wondering if there are any problems specific to these units that I should be looking for aside from common sense things. Also wondering if $2000.00 is a fair price for a unit in working condition.

Thanks for any suggestions you may have
 
It would probably help a lot to see some photos posted. A view or two of the tracks, sprockets, engine compartment, etc. Some things are less obvious than others and its hard to judge without seeing the unit.
 
Sorry no pics yet but engine and engine compartment are nice and clean. Tracks have steel grousers that are rusted of course but not broken. The track, tires and drive cogs seem to be in good shape and not badly weather checked. I was more wondering about what I should be looking, listening,feeling for when test driving it. I am mechanically proficient but I have zero experience with this type of unit.

Thanks again
 
2 thousand? That's a steal! I normally see these sell anywhere from $12,000-$24,000. I had a couple of Bombies years ago that are slightly narrower and shorter than than BR100 but have all the same drivetrain components. I would say there are no real major issues or flaws in this model and are very reliable when kept in good mechanical shape.

The one modification I did to mine and would recommend to anyone who owns one is to replace the three small seats with a bench seat out of a small pickup truck as they are much easier to get in and out of that way. I used one out of a Ford Ranger and it fit perfect.

If you buy it hopefully you get a set of manuals as they spell out just about all the adjustments and service items you need to know. As with all snowcats, track and steering adjustments are critical to good performance. It sounds like this one has the narrow " all season" tracks so keep in mind the wider aluminum winter tracks are much better performing in the deep snow.
 
the only problems i see is comfort and the suspension sucks i used one similar to the one you are describing to tow my snow trac back when it swallowed a valve this rig was in bad cosmtic condition but had new tracks and suspension the heater didn't keep up with air leaks and it rode like it had no suspension i found even though it had larger motor than my snow trac and was heavyr it didn't pull as wel up a hill and would dig in steering on a side hill keep in mind i'm biased because i own a snow trac and some of the preformance problems could be resolved by modifing operating practices on the plus side they are built like a brick out house. with proven powertrain components track adjustment is also simple.
 
Thanks Guys,
I'm going to take it for a rip and probably buy it. I'll post pics when I get it.
About the all season track vs the snow track, what is the difference in width? And are new winter tracks still available to be purchased? They look like you could make them if you had the rubber.
 
The wide aluminum cleated tracks are 32" wide and according to my BR100 parts manual they had a 28" wide version too. The manual doesn't show the steel cleats but I have seen several BR100s over the years that had them so it must of been an option. Also the aluminum cleats are quite a bit taller than the steel ones and give better traction in deep snow, so depending on your use one may be better than the other. New tracks I'm guessing are not available but you can check with a Prinoth or Camoplast dealer as they now deal in the Bombardier snow cat parts. Finding used ones should be fairly easy and there are a few dealers who are members of this forum.

FYI, the BR100+ upgraded to a 2.3L motor with a automatic transmission which made them more pleasurable to drive. It takes a little practice to shift the manual transmission as you loose a lot of momentum quickly during the shift and fall out of the power curve. Don't worry, this is a common trait with other brands of snow cats too.:shifty:
 
I was anticipating the manual trans to be tricky to shift properly. I was going to look at possibly changing the engine and trans to something automatic and maybe a bit higher cc.
Any sugestions?
 
greenhornet said:
I was anticipating the manual trans to be tricky to shift properly. I was going to look at possibly changing the engine and trans to something automatic and maybe a bit higher cc.
Any sugestions?
Click to expand...
if you got a 90's vintage 2.3 with efi you should have all the power you need other wise the carb 2.3 seems to move it well until you have to steer than the auto has to kick down i don't think any thing larger is going to fit with out a lot of modification it's pretty crampt in there and any brake steer track vehicle is going to drag hard when steering.
 
The controlled differential that is used in most Bombardiers and Thiokols doesn't drag the machine down very much if it is driven properly. That is the whole idea behind the design which slows the side you brake and then transmits the lost power to the opposite side at the same time. Different snow conditions require different techniques but in both my Bombies and the Thiokol Spryte I had, there was never a lack of power. Also proper maintenance and suspension/track set up are more critical than in other types of vehicles.

The 2.3 with an auto would be my choice for a conversion but the 1.6 and 4 speed that comes in the BR100 is very good also.
 
Alaska Snow Cat said:
The controlled differential that is used in most Bombardiers and Thiokols doesn't drag the machine down very much if it is driven properly. That is the whole idea behind the design which slows the side you brake and then transmits the lost power to the opposite side at the same time. Different snow conditions require different techniques but in both my Bombies and the Thiokol Spryte I had, there was never a lack of power. Also proper maintenance and suspension/track set up are more critical than in other types of vehicles.

The 2.3 with an auto would be my choice for a conversion but the 1.6 and 4 speed that comes in the BR100 is very good also.
Click to expand...
i had some idea that some of the problems i witnessed in the br 100 were operator head space and timing i am going to do ssome work on it and see if i can get it running better i have used differential steering in the m113 series vehicles and they don't drag down as bad but i wasn't driving. i will say they are well built
 
One thing that guys I let drive my cats had a problem with was they tended to let off the gas when they were turning like you would in a car. The best technique is to accelerate when turning as there is a loss in power that needs to be overcome. This also helps the magic motion happen inside the differential which I barley understand myself and wouldn't even try to explain to anyone else. Then the type of snow, or tundra, hard or soft has a big impact on how well they turn. I am usually towing a drag or trailer which also is a big factor. Myself, I like a hydrostatic snowcat but the controlled differential certainly gets the job done and in the right hands is done very well.

The best brake steer system I ever used was in my old John Deere 440 Dozer. When you pulled the brake lever a little it would disengage a clutch pack on that side and when you pulled the lever a little farther it would engage the brake. You could turn that cat in all conditions with no problem and when you gave it steering input it obeyed. I could never understand why the snowcat industry didn't use that type of system?
 
i like the clutch brake idea better too i'm working on a raid trac 618 as a father son project with my oldest son and it does have a clutch brake steering system for steering. the othr plus for clutch brake steering is both tracks are driven.
 
Here are a few pics:

16gjx5i.jpg

xoocpf.jpg


I've made my deal and should have it shortly.

I will be looking for the bigger snow tracks if anybody has a line on a set
 
That is the Bombi model not the BR100, still a good rig. Do a search on this Forum as I recall someone was making the aluminum cleats for the Bombi. You can use your existing tire guides and make additional backer plates as needed. Of course check with the used cat dealers too.

Congratulations, let the fun begin.
 
I'm pretty sure its a Br-100 (not the br-100+).
Isn't the bombi really narrow and has only room for one passenger?

About the tracks, are you suggesting that I can rebuild these tracks into the wider ones? If so that would be great.

Thanks
 
the 18" tracks work very well, you would be surprised at how good they work in alot of different snow conditions, the 24 alum tracks are great in deep snow but will wear faster in hard pack snow, you will probally pay the same amount for good alum tracks as you paid for whole machine, good luck on your new project,
 
Nope, the Bombi, Br100 and Br100+ are all basically the same machine. The difference between the Bombi and BR100 is the doors and windows are all larger on the BR100, The undercarriage is longer with about 8-10" space between the wheels and also a wider wheel stance. The drive train is the same as is the seating arrangement.

The BR100+ has the same dimensions as the BR100 but has a larger engine and automatic transmission.

Brianf is right about the cost of the aluminum so you may have better luck with getting a used set of winter tracks. I've seen them for sale over the years as they made A LOT of Bombis.
 
Good to know. As I live in Ontario, the most snow this thing will see is 2' (other than drifts) and the tracks that are on it are in pretty good shape, maybe there is no point changing them out.
I was also planning on replacing all the fluids and hoses on it when I get it. What kind of lube should I put in the steering/differential unit?
 
I found the John Deere HyGaurd was a good quality at a reasonable price. I used to use TRC brand as that is what the Bombardier dealer used in all the rigs they sent to the Noerth Slope but it was very expensive.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top