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Updated Oct,2008
ALLIS CHALMERS M7 SNOW TRACTOR
These pages are dedicated to the Allis Chalmers M7 Snow Tractor .The M7 was conceived as an Army Airforce rescue / utility vehicle. It was found that most crashes occured on the climb out of or approach to an airport. With the large number of northern bases, in remote locations , getting to these aircraft was difficult at best impossible at worse. With this in mind the Airforce put out a tender for a multi use snow vehicle .The Tucker company ,of The Tucker Snow Cat fame, took on to design such a vehicle out of which came the M7. The Allis Chalmers Company also had a hand in the later stages of development but how much and where is unknown. With obvious Allis Chalmers tractor and Willys Jeep characteristics / parts, the M7 has a mixed heritage.
ALLIS CHALMERS T26E4 WITH M19 TRAILER
The M7 is a half-tracked vehicle with interchangeable wheels and skis for the front steering axle. The power is from a Willys L-head four cylinder engine. The power is transmitted to the track through  a standard Willys gear box, transfer case and a narrowed Willys driving axle. The track is driven off the rear axle indirectly by a chain driving the front drive sprocket on the track carrier.
  Only 291 M7's were ever built and all of them were manufactured in 1944. It appears that the first 100 or so were manufactured with a cast rear axle housing when production switched to brass rear axle housings. Like most vehicles manufactured during the war there are probably minor changes that took place from the start of production to the conclusion of the contract. This being said, there was likely little variation due to the short production run
   According to the TM 9-774 the track exerts only 3/4 of a pound of pressure per square inch , making it light footed indeed.The track is of the same type as found on the Studebaker Weasel. It has track shoes rivetted on to a rubber vulcanised steel cable carrier which is endless. This means that shoes cannot be removed to shorten the track and when it reaches its maximum length it must be replaced by a new one. The track also has a layer of rubber bonded on to it to prevent ice and slush from freezing to it .  The M7's seating is for two people in a tandem arrangement and there is a rudimentary system for heating the passenger compartment.  The exhaust manifold is boxed in and has openings at the front so the engine fan can force air over the hot manifold and through the rear and in to the passenger compartment. One report from a private owner says it is more than adequate. With the addition of an engine blanket , the engine compartment would be almost sealed and the bulk of excess heat would be forced in to the occupants compartment. This, of course, would necessitate that there were no exhaust leaks or it too would find its way to the riders. The The driver sits above the fuel tank and has all the controls and gauges in front of him. He is able to steer using a standard steering wheel but can assist that by braking either track independantly like a tractor.There is a foot pedal throttle and also a steering column throttle, again like a tractor.
    For cold weather starting the M7 has several devices. The most simple being a hand choke , primer pump and throttle lever. Under the hood there is a Superfex gasoline engine pre-heater that can be fired to warm up the coolant before starting. The exhaust stack extending out of the hood is, in fact, a flue for the furnace not an exhaust for the engine. The engine exhaust exits through the bottom of the engine compartment.
Page Guide
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M7 DEVELOPMENT
M7 SURVIVORS
M7 DEVELOPMENT PAGE 2
RALPH DOUBEK'S M7
TECHNICAL MANUAL CONFIGS
DAVE KLINK'S M7
TECHNICAL MANUAL CONFIGS PAGE 2
RON PONIATOWSKI'S M7
M7 VARIANTS
KEN ROGGOW'S M7
Ken Roggow's M7
M7 OTHER VARIANTS
AUTHOR'S  M7
M7 OTHER VARIANTS PAGE 2
PHOTO GALLERY
M19 CONFIGURATIONS PHOTO GALLERY PAGE 2
PHOTO GALLERY PAGE 3
M7 & M19 SPECIFICATIONS
PHOTO GALLERY PAGE 4
picture gallery page 4
TOOLS & EQUIPMENT
SPARE PARTS
Spare parts
TRACKS
Tracks page
LINKS
M19 trailer photos page two
M19 TRAILER PICS PAGE
Email Sean
LOOK IN SPARE PARTS FOR AN EXCITING RARE NEW OFFERING, FIRST COME FIRST SERVED
Soon to come , new pics of M7's rebuilt by  Kevin Kronlund, Richard Liekweg, The Marshall Museum. Also some more pics of M7's in action from Dave and many others.. Any person that has info, manuals, parts or pics of M7's and would like to contribute to the overall knowledge of this vehicle , please e-mail me. Also , I have run out of space on this site and am looking for a larger forum, if you have any info on that I would appreciate a heads up so I can get some more good stuff on the site.
Thanks all
Sean
M7 PAGES