Helpful Hints for New Undercarriage Installations and Issues,
Fitting Excavator chains the correct way
• The open end of the chain (not the master link) goes under the bottom rollers and over the sprocket end first
Fitting Dozer chains the correct way
• With Dozer chains, the grouser shoe lug bar goes closest to the front of machine when looking at the top of the chains.
Grouser Shoes
• Always use the narrowest shoe possible for adequate floatation. The wider the shoes, the less life you will get out of the chains
• Always grind paint, scale or surface rust off shoes and chains when fitting. These must be metal to metal contact, otherwise the bolts will come loose and grousers may fall off
• Mud holes in shoes are to stop ‘material packing’ inside the chains under the plates. When the chain passes around the sprocket, the sprocket teeth will push the dirt out. Very necessary in coal, muddy, swampy, forestry and landfill conditions
Track Rollers & Idlers
• Mixing new and old track rollers on the same side can overload the new ones as they sit lower than the worn ones, therefore taking a lot of extra weight
• If not replacing all new bottom rollers, it is recommended to fit all the better half on one side and all new ones on the other side. This keeps even pressure on each roller without overloading individual ones.
• When replacing new rollers and idlers, do not travel long distances without stopping the machine frequently as they could overheat and seize. Stop every 4-5 minutes and go the opposite direction a little to help circulate the oil. This is standard precaution for the first 100 hours.
Chains bunching up
• This can be caused by wet working conditions or the machine sitting stationary for long periods, and moisture gets in causing seizure of the seals. To fix this try pushing out the track pins, re-greasing and pushing back in. Driving along a riverbed to create some vibration may also help loosen it
• This can also be caused by putting bent grouser shoes onto new chains in a different order than they came off especially on wider shoes – 700, 800, 900mm.
Chains Jumping on the Sprockets
• If the chains are slipping or jumping on the sprockets, it can mean the sprockets are very worn. If the chains and sprockets are new, it may be the track adjuster spring is broken causing it to retract and loosening the chain tension
• Some sprockets are offset and will only fit one way; they could be on incorrectly and running into the side rails of the chains and not in the centre
• Worn track roller flanges can cause the chain to waver out to the side and become misaligned with the sprocket. Track guards will help to prevent this issue
• Sprockets could be the wrong pitch for the chains or vice versa