KY Jim
Member
- Joined
- Apr 30, 2009
- Messages
- 20
- Location
- East Kentucky
- Occupation
- Heavy Equipment hauler, Dozer operator
O.K., Bandit, you're in Luck. I work on 650's, same as your 550, just a little bigger. You will need: blocks to support rear of dozer, and two blocks to put under the blade. Come-along or chain hoist, a section of 2-3-inch Bar Stock, and a block to hold the track against the idler for reassembly, plus assorted sockets and impact or ratchets. A torch(Depending,) a lot of Anti-seize, and a big Torque Wrench.
Block up rear of dozer, and put a block under each side of blade. Jack her up, and find the Master links. Remove the grease fittings for the track tensioners. Take your short section of Bar Stock and stick it into the teeth of the sprockets so it will support both sides of rail(track chain). Spin track either way, bar stock will ride around, catch the rail, and as it passes around it will suck the tensioner in. Now you're ready to break the track. Spin the Master link to the rear of the tractor and break the track. With the dozer in Neutral and brakes Off, hook your pickup or Farmall to the track on the top side, and Head Out The Door with it. That done, time for the Sprocket. NOTICE; There are occasionally some thin shim rings on the back side of the sprockets, DO NOT DAMAGE/LOSE THESE! They are critical to aligning your sprockets, don't mix them up, either, they go right back on the axle they came off of. All Cases have these, JD not so much. No idea why Deere won't use segmented sprockets, probably to make more money off you. Get your screwdriver/scraper and knock all the dirt off your roller frames, and check the 8 big bolts that hold them on the crossbraces CAREFULLY, the bolts break REGULARLY, and many times will only have a shred of steel holding their heads on. Put a socket on ALL of them and put a little torque on them in reverse. IOW, back them out if they will and LOOK at them. NEVER put these bolts back in without Anti-seize, if you do, you WILL be Sorry. You will probably need to change out a few rollers, if you're not doing a Full Track Rebuild. Check ALL your roller bolts, and if you have Rock Guards, check the bolts on those, as well as the crossbars that connect the guards. These will get loose and wear in the holes, and eventually decapitate themselves. Now, if you ARE going to replace all the rollers, a NOTE: Go ahead and pull the roller frames, MUCH easier to work on, Worth The Time. Turn the roller frames upside down, and pull all the roller and rockguard bolts. You WILL break the heads off MANY, if not ALL of them. Don't Panic, it's NORMAL, we'll FIX that while we got her apart. Check your roller frames for straight, make sure they're not spread or Forked at the idler end. This happens due to Operators being @$$hats and hitting stumps Dead Center in High. After you get all the roller bolts drilled out or get your New frames in, whichever you decide, buy a Tap the same size/pitch as your roller bolts, and chase out ALL the roller bolt and rockguard bolt holes. It seems John Deere does not cut threads all the way through the roller frame, just 3/4 of the way. THIS is why you break the heads off the roller bolts and have to drill them out. I don't care HOW MANY times you've changed out rollers, unless you do this you WILL break the heads off a BUNCH of them. Fastest way to get out snapped-off bolts is drill it for an Easy_out, then heat the side of the roller frame alongside the broken bolt til it's Cherry Red. Take a few draws off your stogie or a couple sips of coffee while it cools to normal color, THEN tap in the Easy-Out and wrassle with it. Sometimes you may have to go ahead and blow the bolt out with the torch. Needless to say, you need to be GOOD with a torch to do this. Usually bolts will come out First Try with method described. If it is still stuck after Third Try, Blow it Out with the torch.
This will be a good time to Build Up the wear-places on the idler ends of the frames, and replace the wear bars, as well. As you put it all back together, MAKE SURE to Antiseize ALL bolts that screw into the roller frames. That way the NEXT time you have to do this it will only take ONE day, instead of three. Also, re-pack your track tensioners and check the rods for pits or cracks.
Now, the Tracks. If your new rails come seperate from the pads, Unassembled, that's O.K. Lay the rails out on the shop floor, pad side Up. Take a grinder/wire wheel and knock ALL the paint off the pad side of the rails. They must be BARE METAL. Next, put 'em on, MUCH easier to do with no pads attached. Now, have your assistant lay out all the new pads with the grousers down. Then have him/her take the wire wheel and knock off ALL the paint in line with the bolts holes where the rails will meet the pads. They must be Bare Metal also. The reason for this is that paint on these will prevent your pad-bolts from EVER tightening up and STAYING tight. You will ALWAYS have loose bolts and pads, and they'll drive you NUTS. Do It Right The FIRST Time, and Forget about it. You must cut the paint off the inside of your new sprockets for the same reason. The axle flange mating surfaces MUST be CLEAN and BARE, or you'll go broke replacing broken bolts. Any paint, dirt, or rust on these mating surfaces will prevent proper bolt torque. And DO torque all bolts To Spec, and go over the pad-bolts TWICE. Re-torque your sprocket-bolts in two or three days and they should be good until they DO back out.
As you replace the shields on the roller frames, some of them will have stripped nuts/bolts. Just get Grade 8 replacements, and Mig the nuts in position. The factory bolts are too soft, the dirt wears the heads down. Grade 8 will LAST. If I forgot anything, feel free to ask.
KY Jim
Block up rear of dozer, and put a block under each side of blade. Jack her up, and find the Master links. Remove the grease fittings for the track tensioners. Take your short section of Bar Stock and stick it into the teeth of the sprockets so it will support both sides of rail(track chain). Spin track either way, bar stock will ride around, catch the rail, and as it passes around it will suck the tensioner in. Now you're ready to break the track. Spin the Master link to the rear of the tractor and break the track. With the dozer in Neutral and brakes Off, hook your pickup or Farmall to the track on the top side, and Head Out The Door with it. That done, time for the Sprocket. NOTICE; There are occasionally some thin shim rings on the back side of the sprockets, DO NOT DAMAGE/LOSE THESE! They are critical to aligning your sprockets, don't mix them up, either, they go right back on the axle they came off of. All Cases have these, JD not so much. No idea why Deere won't use segmented sprockets, probably to make more money off you. Get your screwdriver/scraper and knock all the dirt off your roller frames, and check the 8 big bolts that hold them on the crossbraces CAREFULLY, the bolts break REGULARLY, and many times will only have a shred of steel holding their heads on. Put a socket on ALL of them and put a little torque on them in reverse. IOW, back them out if they will and LOOK at them. NEVER put these bolts back in without Anti-seize, if you do, you WILL be Sorry. You will probably need to change out a few rollers, if you're not doing a Full Track Rebuild. Check ALL your roller bolts, and if you have Rock Guards, check the bolts on those, as well as the crossbars that connect the guards. These will get loose and wear in the holes, and eventually decapitate themselves. Now, if you ARE going to replace all the rollers, a NOTE: Go ahead and pull the roller frames, MUCH easier to work on, Worth The Time. Turn the roller frames upside down, and pull all the roller and rockguard bolts. You WILL break the heads off MANY, if not ALL of them. Don't Panic, it's NORMAL, we'll FIX that while we got her apart. Check your roller frames for straight, make sure they're not spread or Forked at the idler end. This happens due to Operators being @$$hats and hitting stumps Dead Center in High. After you get all the roller bolts drilled out or get your New frames in, whichever you decide, buy a Tap the same size/pitch as your roller bolts, and chase out ALL the roller bolt and rockguard bolt holes. It seems John Deere does not cut threads all the way through the roller frame, just 3/4 of the way. THIS is why you break the heads off the roller bolts and have to drill them out. I don't care HOW MANY times you've changed out rollers, unless you do this you WILL break the heads off a BUNCH of them. Fastest way to get out snapped-off bolts is drill it for an Easy_out, then heat the side of the roller frame alongside the broken bolt til it's Cherry Red. Take a few draws off your stogie or a couple sips of coffee while it cools to normal color, THEN tap in the Easy-Out and wrassle with it. Sometimes you may have to go ahead and blow the bolt out with the torch. Needless to say, you need to be GOOD with a torch to do this. Usually bolts will come out First Try with method described. If it is still stuck after Third Try, Blow it Out with the torch.
This will be a good time to Build Up the wear-places on the idler ends of the frames, and replace the wear bars, as well. As you put it all back together, MAKE SURE to Antiseize ALL bolts that screw into the roller frames. That way the NEXT time you have to do this it will only take ONE day, instead of three. Also, re-pack your track tensioners and check the rods for pits or cracks.
Now, the Tracks. If your new rails come seperate from the pads, Unassembled, that's O.K. Lay the rails out on the shop floor, pad side Up. Take a grinder/wire wheel and knock ALL the paint off the pad side of the rails. They must be BARE METAL. Next, put 'em on, MUCH easier to do with no pads attached. Now, have your assistant lay out all the new pads with the grousers down. Then have him/her take the wire wheel and knock off ALL the paint in line with the bolts holes where the rails will meet the pads. They must be Bare Metal also. The reason for this is that paint on these will prevent your pad-bolts from EVER tightening up and STAYING tight. You will ALWAYS have loose bolts and pads, and they'll drive you NUTS. Do It Right The FIRST Time, and Forget about it. You must cut the paint off the inside of your new sprockets for the same reason. The axle flange mating surfaces MUST be CLEAN and BARE, or you'll go broke replacing broken bolts. Any paint, dirt, or rust on these mating surfaces will prevent proper bolt torque. And DO torque all bolts To Spec, and go over the pad-bolts TWICE. Re-torque your sprocket-bolts in two or three days and they should be good until they DO back out.
As you replace the shields on the roller frames, some of them will have stripped nuts/bolts. Just get Grade 8 replacements, and Mig the nuts in position. The factory bolts are too soft, the dirt wears the heads down. Grade 8 will LAST. If I forgot anything, feel free to ask.
KY Jim