Best way to remove old pads from chains

kshansen · Nov 24, 2019

walkerv said:
This is one of those threads that has a million ways it can be done differently with the same 3 basic methods,

Very true! If you are going to be doing this on several machines a year one method would be great, if you only plan on needing to do it once in your life then a different method would be the best.

Also helps to know if you want to save pads, save chains or both!

ktm250rider · Nov 28, 2019

Impact didnt work. Now what. 1" impact or torch/plasma. Gonna try my neighbors torches I think.

Bls repair · Nov 28, 2019

If it’s going to be a one time thing ,what’s cheapest?

Nige · Nov 29, 2019

ktm250rider said:
Impact didnt work. Now what. 1" impact or torch/plasma. Gonna try my neighbors torches I think.

1" impact, plenty of air, and a socket the right size for worn track bolts. If you have to beat the socket on to the bolts heads so much the better.

ktm250rider · Dec 31, 2019

After a comedy of errors, it all ends in an almost 100% failure. The only positive is that the sprocket bolts are loose (well the 3 i tried). track bolts with 1" impact wouldn't budge. Guess i have to find some gas. At least my new impact wrench can put the new bolts on. I guess theres always next year. Happy new year everyone.

Nige · Dec 31, 2019

Out of interest what diameter of hose were you feeding the impact with.?

cjmc · Dec 31, 2019

Interested in this thread, as I will be putting new chains on my excavator (ex60) in the coming weeks.
Has anyone tried out the Milwaukee 1 inch cordless impact gun?
Looks a serious bit of kit, just wondering would it be tough enough to open track pad bolts..
Thanks

CatKC · Jan 1, 2020

Nige said:
Out of interest what diameter of hose were you feeding the impact with.?

Hopefully at least a 1/2" hose.
I've never found ANYTHING my 1" impact won't take off. It took 2 1/4" nuts off a disk shaft on a 23 ft cultivating disk that had been sitting in a field for 20 - 25 years. If you give it enough air volume it will do it.
Track bolts shouldn't take more than a few seconds to come off or break. They 'will move' unless they round off.

CatKC · Jan 1, 2020

cjmc said:
Has anyone tried out the Milwaukee 1 inch cordless impact gun?
Thanks

I think we're in a different tool zone than a cordless impact wrench.
IMHO a 1" impact wrench that you can hold in one hand will not be very effective.
My 1" air impact weighs about 30 + lbs. It takes TWO HANDS to hold it. When it 'impacts' the bolt IT IMPACTS the bolt.

I won't get into the dynamics of mass/torque/force but I will explain with an actual event. While trying to remove a track master pin with a sledge hammer -backed up- with another hammer, it would not budge. Moved the BUCKET to back it up and it came out. In the same way, the force/torque on an impact wrench is applied against a mass.

If you have a 'light weight' 1" wrench with 'whatever torque' it will not remove or have the IMPACT' of a 'heavy weight' wrench with the same 'torque'. Torque applied to mass

Nige · Jan 1, 2020

I’m like you. There ought to be almost nothing that a 1” impact won’t take off.
I’d go one bigger and say that I’d use a 3/4” hose for a 1” impact.
I think I mentioned it before but the socket has to fit tight on the bolt head. More energy is usually lost from “socket rattle” than any lack of air.

ktm250rider · Jan 2, 2020

3/4" air line, 50' long. I do have 1 quick connect at the tool. The hose is threaded into the compressor. After much "hydration" over the new year, i went and investigated a little. Looks like the 2 bolt heads are rounded over so the socket isnt a tight fit anymore. The one that did break, the shaft of the bolt looks fused to the pad. Not sure if a large hammer and punch would break it free.

Tugger2 · Jan 2, 2020

Im with the torch guys. Impact is by far the quickest when things are not worn out and rounded. Ive cut lots of pads with the torch ,thru the link and cut the bolt head . Plasmas are great but the tip or head is too big and you cant wash a bolt off like a torch the plasma just burns anything metal in its way including your pad or rail. A big dirty tip on a torch ,get things nice and warm ,start your burn and pull the torch back a bit and keep burning . with practice you wont touch your base metal at all. Dont run too much oxygen pressure 40 psi is good, go easy on the oxy trigger on your torch just feather it and start on an edge that will heat quick, you can hold the tip back 3/4" or so and keep a nice wash going . with lots of practice you can wash the nuts off bolts that you really need to save with out hurting the threads, this is an important skill when your out in the bush in the middle of the night trying to make something run for the morning. By the time you get done with your pads you will be good at it. One final thing use oxy acetylene ,it works better than propane on this kind of burning than propane.

furu · Jan 2, 2020

cjmc said:
Interested in this thread, as I will be putting new chains on my excavator (ex60) in the coming weeks.
Has anyone tried out the Milwaukee 1 inch cordless impact gun?
Looks a serious bit of kit, just wondering would it be tough enough to open track pad bolts..
Thanks

1500 ft lbs or torque is what my Milwaukee does so far nothing has not loosened under its "delicate" touch

92U 3406 · Jan 2, 2020

I've used the 3/4" drive Milwaukee impact before. I was quite impressed with it but I'm still not sold on battery powered impacts for big jobs like tracks and undercarriage work.

CM1995 · Jan 2, 2020

We're in the process of putting new rails on the 321DLCR, well when it quits raining.

Using a 1" impact from the cheap store and it's handled the first sprocket ring and a half a dozen pads. No issues what so ever and cheap - $200. We don't use that big of a gun that often so I figured I'd give the cheap one a go.

So far one set of new sprocket rings and 1 new chain is on. Laying the used track on the gooseneck to take the pads off the old rails without bending over.

Welder Dave · Jan 2, 2020

ktm250rider said:
3/4" air line, 50' long. I do have 1 quick connect at the tool. The hose is threaded into the compressor. After much "hydration" over the new year, i went and investigated a little. Looks like the 2 bolt heads are rounded over so the socket isnt a tight fit anymore. The one that did break, the shaft of the bolt looks fused to the pad. Not sure if a large hammer and punch would break it free.

There's no way the bolt could fuse to the pad unless the whole thing was submerged in salt water and left for decades. Hit the pad with a hammer and it will come loose. If the rails are shot, torch the nuts off.

John C. · Jan 3, 2020

Apparently you haven't spent much time pulling pad bolts!

Welder Dave · Jan 3, 2020

Guess it depends on your definition of fused but fused would imply they were melted together and welded. Stuck or seized might be a more appropriate term.

Tugger2 · Jan 3, 2020

I think at least 50%of the bolts here on the coast are seized solid.

ktm250rider · Jan 3, 2020

could quite possibly have some salt water intrusion. i bought the machine from a demo company on the coast. Yeah, seized may be a little more correct. Like i said, i hydrated heavily and i may not have been seeing straight. Ill be honest, i need to "whack" the broken bolt a little harder to see if it will come out. Rails are shot, so i dont care what happens to them.
i an also comment, that the nut on all three bolts i tried never moved. They are not captured so the bolt is "seized" fairly well to the pad.

Best way to remove old pads from chains

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