The Caterpillar 980M and 982M wheel loaders have U.S. EPA final Tier 4 ACERT engines equipped with a combination of electronic, fuel, air, and after-treatment components. 

The new all-purpose 982M medium wheel loader is a 2-pass match for larger on-highway trucks common in North America, but it is not restricted to aggregates and loose material re-handling. Design changes in the frames, linkage, hydraulics, horsepower, and powertrain extend the application range of the 982M to sand and gravel and earth bank excavation, and even face loading in shot rock applications. The 982M has longer standard lift arms than the 980M, making it a great rail car loader due to the higher hinge pin height.

The 980M and 982M powertrains both have lock-up clutch torque converters standard, have been matched with the engine power and hydraulics to improve performance and fuel efficiency. These planetary transmissions have a new split-flow oil system and use new multi-viscosity oil to improve fuel economy. The 982M comes standard with the heavy-duty 17-inch planetary transmission. Deep system integration of the new features and further axle and hydraulic improvements result in 10% lower fuel consumption on average compared to the 980K and 980K 12-ton configuration.

Changes to the axles contribute to lower fuel consumption due to lower oil levels and bevel gear shrouds, which reduce churning losses from rotating components. They also have new external caliper disc parking brakes mounted to the input shaft of the front axles. Caliper parking brakes have higher capacity than the drum brakes used on the 980K. Since they are external, they do not have the inefficiencies of enclosed wet parking brakes due to brake discs running in oil, nor is there any oil to change. The results are reduced fuel and maintenance costs. External caliper parking brakes are easily accessible for inspection and service.

The 980M and 982M hydraulic systems also have significant design changes. The main hydraulic valve is now a mono-block with an integrated ride control section. The mono-block design reduces weight, has 40 percent fewer leak points and is common across all M Series models. The new ride control system now has two accumulators, which enables it to be more effective over a greater payload range, increasing productivity and operator efficiency. An auxiliary third hydraulic function can be easily added at the factory or in the field with the addition of a second remote valve.

The 982M has larger lift and tilt cylinders than the 980M due to the new longer lift arms for the larger payloads it is designed to handle.

The hydraulic service center for the 980M and 982M is now virtually identical to the rest of the M Series product line. This new consistent layout makes it easier for service technicians who work on a variety of M Series models. Fuel tanks on the 980M and 982M have been relocated under the engine similar to the other M Series models. This enabled the electronic service centers on the 980M and 982M to be the same layout and location as the other M Series models. It also enabled the left-hand steps to be angled more for easier ingress and egress.

Hydraulic system components on the 980M and 982M are protected by full flow and kidney-loop filtration. A filter in the hydraulic tank return line filters all of the oil returning to the tank. There is also a case drain screen for additional protection and finally, a separate kidney-loop filter with a finer micron rating continuously filters smaller particles out of the system. This multilevel design ensures the hydraulic oil is clean and thoroughly protects the rest of the hydraulic system from contamination. A new thermal bypass valve has been added to improve hydraulic system warm-up. 

Machine Specifications

980M

982M

Engine

Cat C13

Cat C13

Net power, hp (SAE J1349)

386

392

Operating weight range, lbs.

65698-75663

75398-79829

Bucket capacity range, yd³

5.5-15.7

6-18.3

Bucket pin height (std/high lift), in.

178/186

186