undercarriage troubleshooting

[T-Bird]

hello all, fairly new to the forum. got a problem withy a loader, new bottom rollers. the sprocket looks good as does the top idler and front idler. tracks adjusted to 1" swag between the front and center top idler. the track still wants to ride up on the flange of the bottom rollers?!?!?! am i just parinoid and this is normal? is it something i am doing as a operator? or is there something else that i am missing out on? the bushings on one side do show some moderate wear but nothing great. the bottom rollers i replaced were shot, all 5 on one side, just 2 on the other and am planing on 3 more. FWIW the rollers that i replaced were shot, bushings were gone and the flange was worn off. I really dont want to ruin another set of rollers, and i am new to tracked equipment. SOMBODY PLEASE POINT ME IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

 

[grandpa]

Well T-bird, don't know what kind of machine you have, but on a cat the first and last rollers on the bottom http://i01.i.aliimg.com/photo/v0/257784573/Sell_D65_double_flange_Track_roller_bottom.jpg are usually of the double flange type..... Check to see it that might be your problem.

 

[Lee-online]

You need to install the doubles and singles in the right places.
The wear strips also help keep the track in place when side loaded.

 

[JeremiahSr]

sounds like an older loader, maybe an ole 955. this style under carriage has a problem with wishbone bushings and outer bearing cage bushings wearing out and allows the roller frame to be 3 to 4 inches out on the front. the sprocket is straight and wants to go straight but the roller frames are trying to go in different directions. measure between the track in rear then on front and compare difference.

 

[T-Bird]

thanks for the ideas! no double rollers on my machine at all. its a mitsubishi, and from what i have herd one of the last generations before they were branded with the cat name. will defenitly take some measurements in the front and rear.

 

[mitch504]

Sorry for the stupid question, but:
Is this a trackloader, like a bulldozer/frontend loader mix; or an excavator, like a backhoe on tracks that can rotate 360 degrees?

 

[cutting edge]

Sorry for the stupid question, but:
Is this a trackloader, like a bulldozer/frontend loader mix; or an excavator, like a backhoe on tracks that can rotate 360 degrees?

By the way he's describing things,it sounds like an excavator to me.

My money is on a bent track frame or excessively worn Idler pockets.

 

[QuickTrax]

If you have a track loader, make sure your idlers are shimmed correctly. It does sound like your describing an excavator. Make sure your track tension is adjusted correctly. Sometimes when the track bushings and pins are heavily wore the track will tend to try to walk off.

 

[T-Bird]

its like a bulldozer except with a frontend loader insted of a blade, also has a back hoe attachment on the rear. these "shims " you speek off are on the front main idler correct? someone has had the tracks off before. i took a measurment yesterday and they are spot on from front to rear width wise. I have only had one side apart, and I mean all the way apart, track frame and all. I did notice some wear where the front idler sits in the track frame. ok looking at my parts manual i do see a set of shims on the front idler. these look like they take up the slack on the outside of the track frame. so i guess if the front idler is twisting due to too much slack i need to take out a few shims? where i noticed the wear was on the inside of the track frame where the actual load of the machine rides. it looked like if i took a link out it would put me back out of this worn area.

 

[T-Bird]

this just seems to get better by the minute. i went and looked and even if i took all of the shims out on both sides of the idler it still wouldnt be snug. I am sure there is a spec on this but I dont have that info. as of now it looks like 1/4" of space on each side of the track frame, if i remove all of the shims it would be about half of that. there is a little wear on the sides of the track frame but nothing that looks really abnormal, maybe say .010 wear. does anybody know a approx spec for the clearance needed? i am fairly handy with a welder and it looks like one could weld in a plate there. would just have to be sure to weld the same thickness plate on the other side to keep the idler centered. I am almost 100% sure that front idler has to be moving around in the track frame, but like I said earlier I am new to tracked equipment. sure am learning the hard way too.........

 

[QuickTrax]

You need to remove some shims and maybe weld any areas that are really worn. You should adjust the idlers to where they are just tight enough that they will slide on the frame without the side to side movement. Usually if you have that much wear on the outside of the frames, you will have excessive wear on the inside of the frames as well. If you have enough slack in your chains to take a link out, your pins and bushings are probably 100% worn and this could be adding to your problem.

 

[T-Bird]

well it looks like i have some work to do. the front idler i believe i can fix. as far as pins & bushings, the bushing is what the sprocket catches right? one side does have some wear, it appears they were running the track to tight. the wear is only on the driven side going forward, and this was the worst of the two. when i replaced all of the bottom rollers on that side it really helped things out. not sure how to check the pins for wear. It may be time for this machine to find a new home. I will take some shims out and see what happens. thanks for the help thus far.