Drift Buster Stories
Found this BEARCAT in the sticks October 09 This one has boogie wheels. This is first BEARCAT I have seen ever with rubber wheel suspension. Just needs a wash and wax job - LOL - Todd
The Merit Gear Bear Cat
By Todd Koehn
In 1960, a change in production took place, Merit Gear a small machine shop at Antigo, Wisconsin started manufacturing snowmobiles. This sled is known as the Bear Cat was decades ahead of Arctic Cat's model of the same name.
Merit Gear started as a small machine shop founded by Frank Cerny in 1951, employed 20 workers. From 1960 to 1965 they manufactured approximately 15 of these sleds.
The Bear Cat was a unique snowmobile in that it was intended as a work horse. It was utilized by several Christmas tree plantations for skidding trees. In northern Wisconsin a resort used a Bear Cat as a vehicle for performing many winter maintenance duties.
Merit Gear manufactured gears, sprockets and spline shafts. Their primary market was in logging and farm industries. This snowmobile of truly a special purpose sled with a two speeds forward and one reverse. This transmission was totally manufactured by Merit Gear. This gear box was state of the art when considering transmission engineering of this time period.
When operating the Bear Cat the driver sat with his legs straddling the 8hp 4 cycle Kohler engine. Controls consist of a light switch, ignition switch, choke knob, shifting handle, steering wheel and foot operated gas petal. Operation of this machine was much like a small tractor. The Kohlers centrifugal clutch and secondary were similar to other snowmobiles of that era.
Top speed was a eye watering 20 mph! The automotive style steering wheel does a good job with directing the large skis.
Two separate leaf springs were used to stabilize the 12 inch wide skis. The 23 inch wide track was made from a heavy roller chain and sections of snow fence post. These sections of post were then weld to the drive chain as cleats. These cleats provided a great deal of traction when considering the 585 lb. weight of this sled. Added flotation was provided by a 14 inch wide rubberized canvas acting as a web or apron attached to the cleats.
On each side of the rear axle there was a coil spring mounted in a pipe which acted as a track tension design. The track drive was a pair of large chain sprockets mounted on a two pillar ball bearings. Drive to the axle was directly from the exit shaft of the gear box.
The suspension or track guiding was provided by either a slide rail or a large boggie wheels rigid mount design. This was unique for a snowmobile company in those days. Two models for both dry ground or for snow. (Image of restored Bear Cat has a modern green AC Panther slide mounted on a piece of hardwood.)
The Bear Cat has a permanently mounted fiberglass hood with headlight. At the rear of the machine was a large platform. This provided cargo area surrounded by a railing for strapping down supplies, tools etc.,.
In 1965 a company from Chetek, Wisconsin purchase the design to for building the Bear Cat.
Merit Gear worked with Fox Trac for a number of years helping them with the engineering of their sleds. Today Merit Gear manufactures heavy off road transmission components. They perform custom gear grinding and heat treating. Their staff of workers has grown to more than 100 employees.
Image displays engine mount and transmission secondary clutch.
This is the foreman from Merit Gear test riding a sled.
