Cat LGP tracks versus regular

fencefool · Dec 3, 2015

Looking at a D5m xl lgp and noticed there is only a 2" difference in the shoe width and 3 more shoes per side. Was wondering if I will notice a difference between it and a regular d5m xl. I like the heavier weight for ripping in water line but will I have problems with an lgp model in the dry conditions of Cali.

02Dmax · Dec 3, 2015

You'll definitely notice a difference in soft conditions. But if you rip water lines in in hard conditions you'll want the narrower pads. The concentrated weight of less pads on the ground will provide more traction than the minimal weight bigger/more pads.

02Dmax · Dec 3, 2015

*minimal weight gain I meant

Scrub Puller · Dec 3, 2015

Yair . . .

fencefool. I have little knowledge of LGP tractors but notice they are being increasingly used on inappropriate general purpose applications

I believe O2Dmax is spot on with his comments.

Many years ago we had two identical D9 tractors, one on twenty four inch shoes and one on twenty sevens . . . in our normal dry and hard conditions the narrow shoed machine would drag the other backwards with no hesitation and the three inches made no discernable difference in the mud.

Logic would suggest the stresses and strains imposed by wide plates (in normal going) would shorten undercarriage life.

Cheers.

Dickjr. · Dec 3, 2015

Scrub is on track for sure , LGP rails last a lot less longer then a regular width , also in rocky conditions you can tend to bend pads and the ride is a lot rougher. New lgp is higher and used is typically cheaper around here. for fine grading they are great as they usually have a wider blade and cover more area. I also believe it puts a bit more stress on the finals.

fencefool · Dec 3, 2015

Thanks for all the info. The rails and bushings look really good but the grousers look to be around 50%. Could a guy replace the pads with a 21" set or do the planetary drives cantilever out to far from the main frame to cause problems?

Nige · Dec 4, 2015

Standard options for shoes are 20", 22", & 24". After that you jump to the real LGP shoes that are 30" wide.

A Scrub pointed out you really need to use the narrowest shoe that gives you acceptable flotation levels. Because the XL tractor has the longer track frames plus the 3 additional track shoes you're going to get good flotation compared to a standard D5M even with really narrow shoes. I would go for 20" if it was mine, 22" at a real push but certainly nothing wider than that.

fencefool · Dec 4, 2015

I'll just have to measure the track width but after seeing the standard shoe sizes, it definitely does not have 30" wide but it does have the 3 extra. I'm going off of ritchiepecs.com so I guess I can't really trust that. Just found out it is just a d5m lgp and not an xl but has the 3 extra shoes. Could it have the same performance as an xl?

Nige · Dec 4, 2015

D5M LGP has the longer track frames with one additional track roller (8 versus 7) over the D5M XL and therefore longer tracks which accounts for the 3 additional shoes. The LGP version has a 9" wider spread on the track frames to accomodate the 30" wide LGP track shoes. You can put narrower than 30" shoes on an LGP machine but you can't put wider than 24" shoes on an XL machine because the shoes will foul the machine chassis. If you're thinking of buying that machine to use in an application where LGP is not required I would put 20" track shoes on it.

Ritchie Specs are sh1te in my experience. Google "D5M Specalog" and you should find the genuine Cat sales guide for the D5M with 100% correct data..........

fencefool · Dec 4, 2015

So the serial number matches and lgp model but the picture shows 7 bottom rollers and 44 shoes. Still do not know about shoe width but might try to pursue

Nige · Dec 4, 2015

Something doesn't make sense. It's either 7 bottom rollers and 41 shoes or 8 bottom rollers and 44 shoes.

What's the Serial Number..? I can look online and see what the spec was when it left the factory......

fencefool · Dec 4, 2015

I'm having to count the rollers through the rock guards and getting seven. There may be one I'm not seeing. The serial number is 3CR00561.

02Dmax · Dec 4, 2015

fencefool said:
I'm having to count the rollers through the rock guards and getting seven. There may be one I'm not seeing. The serial number is 3CR00561.

Is the machine online? Do you have a link to it?

fencefool · Dec 4, 2015

This was the picture I was sent on an inquiry. I'm trying to get more. Hopefully it can help.

Nige · Dec 5, 2015

3CR00561 - built in December 1997. If the undercarriage has not been modified in any way this is an LGP tractor with 7 track rollers and 44 track links equipped with heavy duty link groups. The track shoes were 30" wide LGP shoes when it left the factory. I've never seen like that before, I thought all LGP tractors had 8 track rollers.

If you are planning on using that on rock I'd replace the existing shoes with 20" shoes before it even had chance to wear the paint off what's on it right now.

fencefool · Dec 5, 2015

I've been comparing it between the 30" track machines and they do not seem as wide. That is why I think they may be 24" but hopefully will have chance to measure. I'm not in a lot of rock but a lot of rough hill country and I think the wider track frame may be an advantage and get by with what is on it then replace the pads. We'll see what happens. Could the heavy duty links be shorter and that is why it has the 44 pads?

Nige · Dec 5, 2015

Could the heavy duty links be shorter and that is why it has the 44 pads?

No, standard & heavy duty links are all the same pitch.

I'm not in a lot of rock but a lot of rough hill country and I think the wider track frame may be an advantage

The wider gauge of an LGP tractor would definitely have a stability advantage but run too wide a shoe on hard ground and it will tear up the rest of the undercarriage system in short order.

Back to the shoe width. I'm looking at the gap at the front of the tractor where the shoes run close to the blade arms. If those are 24" shoes now you would need that gap to be at least 4" right now in order to fit 30" track shoes which would be 3" wider on each side of the centreline. TBH I'm convinced they are 30", unless they are aftermarket 27" shoes because Cat shoe sizes jump straight from 24" to 30".

To give you an idea why I'm recommending 20" wide shoes we used to run D10's in rocky terrain on 24" shoes. A D10 is probably double the weight of this D5.

Shimmy1 · Dec 5, 2015

Nige said:
To give you an idea why I'm recommending 20" wide shoes we used to run D10's in rocky terrain on 24" shoes. A D10 is probably double the weight of this D5.

Nige, thanks for making coffee come out my nose. Pretty sure the blade alone on a 10 weighs double a D5.

Oxbow · Dec 5, 2015

Shimmy1 said:
Nige, thanks for making coffee come out my nose. Pretty sure the blade alone on a 10 weighs double a D5.

Referring to ground pressure as opposed to weight of machine perhaps?

Coffee never tastes as good going through the nose.

Scrub Puller · Dec 5, 2015

Yair . . .

I never can understand the need for all the grouser options . . . 20", 22", 24'' on a little jigger like a Five, who could tell the difference?

If twenty inch was standard and then it jumped to a (sort of) true LGP thirty would make more sense.

As I have mentioned three inches of extra width on a fifty five ton tractor made no difference to where it could walk.

The extra width certainly never made the difference between getting bogged or not getting bogged.

As well as I remember the first popular LGP tractors over here were the Komatsu "Swampys", an early 65 on 36'' or 42'' pyramid plates and they were a revelation and made a huge difference on coastal development projects, Cat was very late to the party.

Cheers.

Cat LGP tracks versus regular

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