different idea !

[the old trucker]

  TOT here with another different idea. I've been talking to a few people here about bombers & the idea came up about putting a newer v-6 or similar "engine & trans" combo into a bomber. That way the original trans, drive shaft & differential could be taken out. You could build a channel or track 2" wide on each side inside the tub to house the chain.
  Then you could put in two short axles, mounted onto pillow block bearings with a chain sprocket & disc brake mounted to each side. All this is inside, your track sprockets would still be in the stock location outside. Maybe this can not even work, but it's just an idea !!
  Anyone got any pros or cons about this idea ? I realize there would be some measuring to be done before hand.   
 

[Swamp Dawg]

I'm really not sure what your going after here?  Is this so that you can use separate disc brakes? 

If so, I would think your sacrificing a lot to have separate braking. 
Here are a few things that come to mind.

-I'm not a fan of anything chain drive, it would be a long way from the engine to the drive sprockets, you would need a chain about 9' long. 
-It would possibly be noisy since the chain is dragging in a channel. 
-Bombardiers need to be able to handle a lot of torque and snap, if your pulling a sleigh and stop for a whiz, when you get back in you need to back up a couple inches and snap it    forward as hard as you can to break the ice loose from the ski's. 

I wouldn't think a chain could handle that kind of abuse better than a hypoid gear rearend.  But your idea is unique and maybe it could work, I'm just not seeing the benefits.

[grfishmaker]

Swamp Dawg, I agrre with you 100% on the chain idea.
Bombarier tried various methods with locking the tracks (back in the early years) to assist in sterring and finally gave up as it caused nothing but grief.

[the old trucker]

It was just a thought.

[Swamp Dawg]

Yep I realize it was a thought. I hope you didn't take my comment to hard.  The one thing I thought of before was using a trans axle setup like you mentioned but actually using the axles outputs as the drive sprockets.  So your main track sprockets would be in the rear.  Not really much benefit either for this application, but I've seen it done in the desert racing trucks.

[the old trucker]

  No hard feelings about this. It was just a thought. I didn't plan to use it for steer brakes. I was thinking of all the torque coming from one side, there would be excessive strain on everything. That's the reasoning for two. Sort of equal everything out.
  What is wrong with having the drive track sprockets at the rear ? One thing about it, your track could be tapered at the rear, making it easier to reverse over some obstacles. As for the chain, there is lots of it out there with various ratings & strengths. I was thinking about using a Teflon lining in & around the track channel aided by a couple of idler sprockets. Of course everything would be well lubricated also. 
  Remember I'm the one here that hasn't been around these machines before. But I have been around a lot of places that use different, but simple ideas.
  I have learned a lot from the short while I've been here, & hope to learn a lot more.

Oh, Swamp Dawg, One major thing that you'd gain from all this is a little more head room in the back by having the floor a little lower!!! Ha Ha Ha.

TOT;;  Laid back & taking it all in.