EXTEND TRACK LIFE
Undercarriage Maintenance
Whether your construction machine travels on steel or rubber tracks, its undercarriage components take a beating. You can’t prevent them from wearing out altogether, but there are ways to slow the process.
Protecting steel tracks
Steel tracks are designed to perform in tough underfoot conditions, but long hours in wet, muddy, slippery, rocky or abrasive materials can translate into rapid wear and high repair costs.
- Start every shift with a clean undercarriage. Mud and debris build up on the lower part of your machine, components speeds wear. If a cleanup didn’t happen at the end of the previous shift, take a few minutes to get the job done before you go to work. If you’re operating in very cohesive or abrasive materials like mud or clay, you may need to clean the undercarriage more than once during a shift.
- Inspect the undercarriage before you start working. Spend a few minutes on a visual inspection. Check for loose bolts, leaky seals and abnormal wear patterns. Spotting potential problems early can often prevent them from turning into bigger issues.
Don’t spin the tracks. Track spinning delivers several hits to the bottom line. It reduces production, so your revenue potential declines. It increases fuel consumption without increasing productivity. It also accelerates undercarriage wear, so your costs escalate. Grouser bars are especially prone to wear problems associated with track slippage.
- Watch your speed. There are times when a job requires higher speed operation, but as speed increases, wear accelerates. Links, rollers and idlers are particularly vulnerable. Keep them working longer by controlling your speed.
- Avoid unnecessary reverse operation. Operating in reverse — even at slow speeds — compounds bushing and sprocket wear. So don’t run in reverse unless you have to.
- Alternate turning directions. If you’re always turning in the same direction, the undercarriage components on one side of the machine will wear at a different rate than those on the other side. To ensure even wear, pay attention to the way you’re turning and change directions whenever possible.
Extending rubber track life
Most of the operating tips that help extend the life of steel tracks also can have a positive impact on rubber undercarriage components. However, there are several other ways operators can prevent premature wear of rubber undercarriage components, particularly those found on Multi-Terrain Loaders.
- Make gradual turns instead of counter-rotations. Counter-rotating a multi-terrain loader accelerates wear on the tracks and other undercarriage components. Instead, turn the machine gradually while slowly moving forward or reverse. Gradual turns minimize cuts, tears and excessive wear in the undercarriage. They also reduce damage to soft or sensitive work surfaces.
- Work up or down a slope whenever possible. Working across a slope can shorten undercarriage component life, so try to structure the job with minimal cross-slope activity.
- Watch transition areas. A transition is any place with a change in slope or elevation, such as a curb, a ledge or a spot where a level surface turns into a sloped one. Avoid working along a transition where one track is not fully supported by the ground, as inadequate ground support subjects the undercarriage to side stress that can result in rapid, excessive wear. Try to minimize travel over transitions and position the machine 90° to the transition when you must cross one.
- Backdrag with loader arms in the FLOAT position. Some skid steer operators like to apply enough down force on the loader to raise the front tires off the ground, maximizing down pressure on the bucket when backdragging. Don’t use this technique with a multi terrain loader. You’ll just lose traction and reduce undercarriage component life. Instead, keep the loader arms in the FLOAT position while backdragging. If more pressure is needed, add enough to smooth the surface, but not so much that the front of the machine is lifted off the ground.
Think outside the cab
Although improving operating technique is an excellent way to prevent premature undercarriage wear, several other factors beyond operator control also affect component life.
- Applications can cause accelerated wear. Dozing, ripping, loading, grading, digging and trenching are a few examples of applications. Generally, work in high-horsepower, high-torque applications will speed undercarriage wear.
- Material type can speed wear. The more abrasive the material, the more rapid the wear rate.
- Terrain on the jobsite can contribute to wear. The more time you spend in rugged, sloped areas, the faster the undercarriage will wear out.
- Machine configuration can help preserve your undercarriage. To minimize undercarriage wear on steel-track machines, always use the narrowest track shoe possible that meets your flotation requirements. If you work in very sticky materials, consider using center-punched track shoes to reduce material packing in the undercarriage area. Use roller guards designed for high-impact underfoot conditions only when necessary.
- Maintenance discipline plays a big role in undercarriage component life. One of the most critical maintenance practices is track adjustment. Whether your track is too loose or too tight, improper adjustment accelerates wear which can increase downtime and repair costs. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for track adjustment, and always perform the adjustment in the machine’s working environment. Cleaning the undercarriage helps to maximize wear life. Remove mud and debris at the end of every shift, or more frequently if necessary.
Talk to your experts here at Michigan CAT
Your local dealership can help you fine-tune your maintenance processes and manage your equipment investment over the long term, achieving the highest possible production at the lowest total cost.
