Iron Profile: Caterpillar D9L

The D9 series of track-type tractors has been a hugely successful product line of Caterpillar for several decades running. From the prototype D9X in the mid-1950s all the way up to present day, various iterations of the D9 have been seen dominating innumerable landscapes all around the globe.
 
The D9L (first introduced in 1980, eventually replaced by the D10N in 1987) was a crawler tractor that kept the line of bulldozers going strong, and had considerably more horsepower than the T, R, and N versions. It was equipped with a Cat 3412 direct injection engine.  This unit was turbocharged with 12-cylinders which produced 460 flywheel hp. The standard edition had oil-cooled disc brakes and clutches.

 
Of particular note on this legendary machine was the raised undercarriage that lessened the strain and shock loads to the drive sprocket as it no longer sat near the ground, the first of the D9 series to feature this adaptation. Manufactured exclusively in the United States, there were multiple modifications during its brief history including a crank driven radiator fan, higher engine side guards, and pressure applied steering clutches to name a few.

The dozer blade came initially in a P version, but straight (S) and universal (U) options were made available as part of the 1985 reconfiguration.

Although the D9L was never the largest tractor at any point it was a substantial upgrade from the earlier models of the D9 series.

SPECIFICATIONS:
Cat 3412 turbocharged V-12 diesel engine (flywheel power) — 460 HP (343 kW)
Engine displacement — 1,649 cu in (27 liters)
Fuel tank —255 gal (965 liters)
Operating weight (9S Bulldozer) — 111,910 lb. (50,762 kg)