4 Signs That Indicate It’s Time to Replace Your Undercarriage Tracks
Did you know that undercarriage accounts for as much as 20% of the price of a new track-type machine?
When you consider that over its life, 50% of a track type machine’s owning and operating costs come from its undercarriage, it makes sense keep your undercarriage in top shape. This article will help you identify the four signs of worn out undercarriage tracks.1. Exterior Track Damage
If you notice damage to the exterior track, such as missing lugs, cracks or exposed cords, this is generally the first sign you should replace your rubber tracks. Given their constant use on rocky and rough terrains, the outside of the tracks on compact track loaders and skid steer loaders are extremely susceptible to damage.
The track exteriors can also be damaged if your compact track loader is constantly driving over curbs or scraping walls. While encountering curbs can lead to de-tracking, the stress will eventually damage the exterior track.
Another common mistake contractors make is leaving their machines in direct sunlight. This can lead to dry-rotted tracks. You’ll also notice stress marks and cracks on the tracks. If you notice any of these signs—even just exterior cracks—it’s a good idea to replace your tracks as soon as possible to avoid complete track failure.
2. Worn Out SprocketsThe condition of your sprockets can also indicate whether your rubber tracks need to be replaced. Sprockets are powered by a hydraulic motor that propels the compact track loader, and they wear out faster than all other components of the track. Signs that your sprockets are worn out include:
- Sprocket teeth are pointed or hooked and no longer round.
- Sprockets are derailing.
- Sprockets are sloppily interlocking and skipping over lugs.
If you look at your rubber track’s underside and notice that drive links are missing, there’s a good chance worn-out sprockets are to blame. Rubber tracks with missing drive links may slip, causing the loader to be less effective. Keep an eye on your sprockets so you can replace your tracks before a serious problem occurs.
3. Insufficient or Excessive Tension
If you notice your loader’s tracks have lost some of their tension, this can be due to the rubber tracks’ tendency to stretch over time. If your rubber tracks have too little tension, they will start to jump off your undercarriage. Some operators also mistakenly overtighten their tracks, which leads to serious issues including track tears, power loss and excessive idler bearing wear.
Because of this, you should check the tension of your tracks daily, or at the very least, weekly. You can check the tension by lifting the frame of the track off the ground and inspecting the sag between the track lug’s top and the track roller. Do not try to correct for the lack of tension by overtightening the tracks—you should replace them instead.4. Unsafe Tread Depth
Checking your rubber tracks’ tread depth is also important. Just as you change the tires on your car when the tread becomes flattened, you should do the same with the rubber tracks on your loaders to ensure sufficient traction and stability. The tread depth on new rubber tracks is typically 1″.
Measuring the tread depth indicates how much traction is left on your tracks. For instance, if your tracks are halfway through their life, they would probably have a tread depth of around 3/8”.
Rubber Track Maintenance
Keeping an eye on your own rubber track wear can help you reduce downtime and save on total cost of ownership. Here, Matt Beason, Product Support at Foley Equipment highlights things to be aware of when it comes to undercarriage rubber tracks.
How to Remove and Install Cat Rubber Tracks on Compact Track Loaders Using Cat’s Track Bar System
Installing or removing a rubber track can be time-consuming and hard work. Take a look at how this, 592-0838, THREE-BAR SYSTEM works and how to use it to get you back to the job quicker and with less effort that you have thought. This system works for Cat compact track loaders.
Don’t wait until the rubber tracks of your machine break.
To help you take full advantage of the long life built into your Cat undercarriage system, Foley Equipment Service offers Custom Track Service (CTS), a comprehensive program for managing your undercarriage system.
Contact us today. We can help you protect your remaining wear life, schedule maintenance and even help identifying potential problems before you experience expensive downtime and delays.