Track problems !! Cat 297C ?

[T GRIMM]

Ok so i bought this 07 297c a couple of months ago, it has 1000 hrs on it. the other day i was looking at it and noticed that the tracks are severily tipped in, i messured it, and the outside of the track is an inch and a half higher than the inside of the track!!!? nothing vissable is broken, the rollers are all fine, what could be going on here ??

 

[Lee-online]

Let me know the SN and I'll check to see if a couple of service letters apply.

There are two that could cause this. One is the axles bending and the other is the axle mount bolts loosening or shearing off.

 

[Stick Pro]

Looks to me that your torsion axles are bent. We had the same exact same problem with our 287b, the torsion axles were bent. It was not a cheap fix so we kept on running the machine for a while, just had to turn the tracks around after it wore for a bit, it will not hurt your machine.

 

[T GRIMM]

CAT0297CVGCPOO35 is the SN how much is a new axle

 

[Lee-online]

CAT0297CVGCPOO35 is the SN how much is a new axle

GCP is the correct prefix but 0035 is not correct.

If the machines serial number is listed in the affected products and it has less than 1500 hours and was sold less than 3 years ago, Cat will replace all 4 axles with improved ones for free assuming at least one is bent.

 

[T GRIMM]

GCP is the correct prefix but 0035 is not correct.

If the machines serial number is listed in the affected products and it has less than 1500 hours and was sold less than 3 years ago, Cat will replace all 4 axles with improved ones for free assuming at least one is bent.

It is 00354

 

[Lee-online]

PM sent.

 

[KSSS]

Looks to me that your torsion axles are bent. We had the same exact same problem with our 287b, the torsion axles were bent. It was not a cheap fix so we kept on running the machine for a while, just had to turn the tracks around after it wore for a bit, it will not hurt your machine.

It cant be good to run to the machine like that. Perhaps its not as bad as it looks, but dam it looks bad.

 

[T GRIMM]

its an inch and a half higher on the outside of the track so ya its bad.

 

[Mackcat]

Where the rear axle goes through the under carriage the brackets were breaking It applies to certain serial # and if your machine doesn`t have over 1500 hrs CAT will fix at no cost to you. They updated my 297C at no charge, mine had not broke yet but i did see one in the shop while i was there and it looked just like yours

 

[Mackcat]

If you go to another site who`s initials are LS and look for a thread i started, I have more details and pictures tried to post a link but it would not let me

 

[T GRIMM]

If you go to another site who`s initials are LS and look for a thread i started, I have more details and pictures tried to post a link but it would not let me

Mackcat,
where is this site ? according to LEE-ONLINE my machines serial number is out of the affected range and its older than 3 years old.

 

[Mackcat]

Mackcat,
where is this site ? according to LEE-ONLINE my machines serial number is out of the affected range and its older than 3 years old.

T Grimm he may be talking about something different not sure, I sent you several PM`S

 

[LanceNE]

Yeah, unfortunately that picture you have is way too familiar. CAT needs to get it together on the undercarriage problems. We have had 3 bent axles, 2 broken axles, broken bolts, loose bolts.....machines has been great other than the undercarriage problems. The 2 broken axles were on the machine with the upgrade...I believe the 3 bent axles were as well, but not sure. Both machines were under 1300 hours.