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Crawlers, Dozers, Loaders & Backhoes Discussion Forum

Best way to put tracks back on

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H2

12-10-2007 07:20:22




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I jacked up the rear end of my dozer and pulled the tracks for a pin and bushing turn. This went well thanks all that advised me.

Now it's time to put them back on. What's the best way to do this?

Thanks again for the info!




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bob plumadore

12-11-2007 05:25:06




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 Re: Best way to put tracks back on in reply to H2, 12-10-2007 07:20:22  
Push both tracks under the sprockets, let the tractor down, back it up on the tracks, put a block under the ed of the track and back up against it, put a block under the front of the track, one cut from a cross tie is ideal. Have someone with a crowbar stuck thru the link walk the tractor while you drive forward slowly. Use tie wire and tie the spacers and seals in the counterbore. Bump the link over the bushing. Don’t worry about the wire the Master Pin will cut it. Dip the pin in oil start it in the link then drive it thru with a sledge hammer, Adjust the track back up and do the same for the other track.

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dlplost

12-11-2007 01:43:57




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 Re: Best way to put tracks back on in reply to H2, 12-10-2007 07:20:22  
JD 2010..

we had the Dozer jacked up off the ground one side at a time with 2 hydraulic jacks. Used a backhoe to lay the track out behind it then pushed the track up under all the way to the front with the front bucket of the backhoe, (kinda like pushing a snake)flipped the front of the track up over the front wheels by hand with a bar in the pin hole. then hooked a chain to the first link on top and pulled track up over the front roller and back to the sprocket. Then let the jacks down, put the 2 links together and pinned them. Then jacked up the other side and did the same.

Pushing the tracks up under worked excelent, I never would have thought of it, was the kids idea...
Put both tracks on in less than 2 hours start to finish.

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Grampa Leon

12-10-2007 16:33:54




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 Re: Best way to put tracks back on in reply to H2, 12-10-2007 07:20:22  
Just a reminder,tracks can be installed to run backward, [been there,done that]it is wise to document correct direction before removal.



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jdemaris

12-10-2007 08:59:06




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 Re: Best way to put tracks back on in reply to H2, 12-10-2007 07:20:22  
Not sure if this rates as the "best" way, but this is how we did all our crawlers in our shop.

Pull the track under the crawler - front-to-back around a foot past the drive-sprocket. Then, one person holds the end of the track up against the sprocket with a long steel bar (that fits into a track bushing). Another person runs the crawler - and engages the sprocket in forward - thus making the track power itself back on. The guy with the bar in the track bushing walks and guides it until it hangs over the front idler. Then, let the crawler back onto the ground, track, and botom rollers. Then, join the track back together, drive the master pin in, and tighten it all up.

Putting a track back onto a non-running machine is a bit different and I usually use a come-along and chain.

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george md

12-10-2007 15:45:06




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 Re: Best way to put tracks back on in reply to jdemaris, 12-10-2007 08:59:06  
J D,

Much easier to do if you assemble the track at the sprocket rather than the front idler. Done at the rear , the sprocket will hold the slack and the weight of the track so you have free hands to install the pin. Also always install the pins from the inside out , so that when you need to remove them again, you can drive them from the out side toward the center.

george



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jdemaris

12-10-2007 16:11:40




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 Re: Best way to put tracks back on in reply to george md, 12-10-2007 15:45:06  
Not with most that we did. Just about all the crawlers we worked on were dozers with 6-way blades. So, by putting the track on the way I desribed, you get the benefit of using the front-blade angle along with a block of wood to put pressure on the track and hold it place for pin insertion.

We tried many ways over the years, and it's what seemed to work best for us in our shops.

In regard to pins and direction? At least with the Deeres, the headed master-pins disappeared many years ago - so it doesn't make any difference since the new ones don't have any head or direction.

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george md

12-10-2007 20:03:07




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 Re: Best way to put tracks back on in reply to jdemaris, 12-10-2007 16:11:40  
When you drive the pin in , many times you swell or flare the end. It would be a bear to drive the
swelled end on thru the rail,best to set it up so that you can back it out.

george



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`Bernie in MA

12-10-2007 18:01:33




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 Re: Best way to put tracks back on in reply to jdemaris, 12-10-2007 16:11:40  
I took GL's comment about direction to be the track, not the pins. And it does make a difference, at least on the JD 420c.



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jdemaris

12-11-2007 06:09:45




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 Re: Best way to put tracks back on in reply to `Bernie in MA, 12-10-2007 18:01:33  
The master pins with heads and snap-rings were used on many Deeres including Lindemans, MCs, 40s,420s,1010s, 2010s, 350s,450s, etc. But, with most - the headed pins were discontinued years ago. And, even with those that still had them - we had too much trouble with them falling out once the holes in the track-links got worn. Same problem with the headless - once there was wear. To avoid track fall-offs, with worn master-links we custom fit headless master-pins by adding weld to make them fit tight again - and then spot-welded them to the track-chain. This worked fine for us and eliminated a lot down-time from tracks falling off. We had a fleet of over 20 crawlers that we rented - on top of the customer-owned machines. If needed, taking those spot-welded pins out was no big deal - and it saved us a lot of down-time and field-repairs.

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`Bernie in MA

12-11-2007 16:07:27




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 Re: Best way to put tracks back on in reply to jdemaris, 12-11-2007 06:09:45  
He wasn't talking about the pins. The TRACKS can be put on backwards so that the wrong edge of the pad is digging into the ground.



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135 Fan

12-11-2007 16:03:33




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 Re: Best way to put tracks back on in reply to jdemaris, 12-11-2007 06:09:45  
I wish I would have ground or turned down the master pins when I put new tracks on a 355D. I'd rather grind a weld off any day. To try to pound the master pin in from the inside would almost be impossible, wouldn't it? I don't think you'd have enough room to get a good solid hit on it. A portable track press would be the best other than a split master link. On my Cat I had to weld the master link though because it was stripped. If I win the lottery, I'll put new tracks on it. It will work fine for what I use it for, for quite a while. Dave

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bob plumadore

12-12-2007 05:31:11




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 Re: Best way to put tracks back on in reply to 135 Fan, 12-11-2007 16:03:33  
135 Fan at almost 70 I still drive master pins. the largest hammer I can use anymore is a 20 pounder. On a new track I always burn the paint out of the inside of the eye of the link a light touch with fine sandpaper makes the pin go a lot easier.



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