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How many hrs do you get out of an U/C?

d6peg

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 20, 2007
Messages
274
Location
texas
Occupation
owner, operator
I know this question has alot of variables but I run my 6R in about every kind of soil there is and I had my undercarriage inspected a few days ago. I have not got my report back yet but they told me the specs. 46% wore on bushings, 12% to 19% wore on rails, pads at 6% wore, front idlers were 31% and the rear were like 19% (cat replaced the rear idlers at about 1000 hrs due to that they were out of round), and I cant remember what the rollers were. This machine had 3411 hrs on it when it was measured.

The tech told me I should get around 7000 hrs on the U/C if I decide to turn the bushings when they reach 80% wore.
 

LonestarCobra

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Sep 4, 2008
Messages
228
Location
WV
I had customers running their original Cat u/c between 7000 and 10000 hours. They did not turn their pins/bushings. These were D6R and D6M machines.
 

d6peg

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Dec 20, 2007
Messages
274
Location
texas
Occupation
owner, operator
LSC,
everybody around here generally dont get but about 4000 hrs on a U/C. That would be nice to get 10000 hrs on it.
 

LonestarCobra

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Sep 4, 2008
Messages
228
Location
WV
That is just the high average some of my customers get. They build oilfield locations, skid drilling rigs, etc. I can assure you, that the Cat pro-line u/c is well worth the money. The rollers and idlers have alot more meat on them.
 

cps

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Jul 13, 2008
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811
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Ireland
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plant mechanic
LSC,
everybody around here generally dont get but about 4000 hrs on a U/C. That would be nice to get 10000 hrs on it.

I would have said around 4000hrs would have been good going!
 

alco

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 7, 2006
Messages
1,289
Location
here
Wow, it would be nice to get that kind of life out of undercarriage. Our tailings dozers get 1000 to 1500 hours and then you replace EVERYTHING.

Brian
 

grunk36

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Jun 9, 2008
Messages
166
Location
denmark
Occupation
trainer/technical support with TRIMBLE/SITECH denm
we has around 12 d6r series 3 and d6t in our company all with system one lgp undercarriages after 3000 hours they are worn about 40 % and we change the tracks from right to left to even out
they should hold up for around 7000 hours
 

d6peg

Senior Member
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Dec 20, 2007
Messages
274
Location
texas
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owner, operator
I wish my machine had the system one u/c. I got to run one for a coulple of weeks and they sure were alot quieter than the regular u/c that my machine has.
 

grunk36

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Jun 9, 2008
Messages
166
Location
denmark
Occupation
trainer/technical support with TRIMBLE/SITECH denm
I wish my machine had the system one u/c. I got to run one for a coulple of weeks and they sure were alot quieter than the regular u/c that my machine has.

i can tell you that it is only quieter for the operator inside the cab on the outside it is more noise especially when you go in reverse
butits an smooth undercarriage to run on
 

watglen

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Joined
Apr 3, 2009
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1,324
Location
Dunnville, Ontario, Canada
Occupation
Farmer, drainage and excavating contractor, Farm d
6h undercarriage

I'm not really used to dozers, so when i was considering the purchase of an 86 d6h i had an undercarriage shop visit the site to rate the undercarriage. At that time i was told the uc only lasted around 2000 hrs typically, in southern ontario conditions.

I now wonder if the machine had a mechanical clock. That makes a big difference. Electric clocks have extended the life of everything...amazing!


Ken
 

d6peg

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 20, 2007
Messages
274
Location
texas
Occupation
owner, operator
watglen,
the newer machines do have an electric clock but they also have an odometer that tells you the total miles of the machine and it also breaks the milage down from forward to reverse miles also. Any more most of the u/c tech guys use the milage versus the hrs of most machines because of the idleing issue.
 

AtlasRob

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Feb 8, 2008
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West Sussex UK
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owner operator
...... all with system one lgp undercarriages after 3000 hours they are worn about 40 % and we change the tracks from right to left to even out

I remember you mentioning this uneven wear in another thread a while ago.

Did you uncover what the cause was? or have you just had to accept it happens and you can cure it by swapping them side to side ?
 

grunk36

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Jun 9, 2008
Messages
166
Location
denmark
Occupation
trainer/technical support with TRIMBLE/SITECH denm
I remember you mentioning this uneven wear in another thread a while ago.

Did you uncover what the cause was? or have you just had to accept it happens and you can cure it by swapping them side to side ?

no the cause of the uneven wear has not been found yet however it is not as bad on the new d6t model but still an issue
but here in denmark the cat dealer gives minimun 6000 hours garanti on the system one so they swap the tracks over for free only takes a day and normally is done at 3000 to 3500 hours after that it should be able to go another 3500 hours
but strange with that uneven wear though
 

AtlasRob

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West Sussex UK
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owner operator
....... here in denmark the cat dealer gives minimun 6000 hours garanti on the system one so they swap the tracks over for free ..........normally is done at 3000 to 3500 hours after that it should be able to go another 3500 hours
but strange with that uneven wear though

Thanks, that is quite amazing that they cant find out why but fair play to them if they swap the tracks over at thier cost, you still loose the tractor for a day but I suppose some would argue that you would loose it for longer on a pin turn ;)

Has anybody else encountered this problem ?

I dont run dozers, just intrested. :drinkup
 

RolyD8k

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Apr 24, 2008
Messages
52
Location
south east of England
Occupation
farmer & earthmoving contractor
track wear

Thanks, that is quite amazing that they cant find out why but fair play to them if they swap the tracks over at thier cost, you still loose the tractor for a day but I suppose some would argue that you would loose it for longer on a pin turn ;)

Has anybody else encountered this problem ?

I dont run dozers, just intrested. :drinkup
Atlas Rob, on our D8 tractors pulling boxes the LH track wears and streaches
more than the RH,due to the fact the driver is looking over his right shoulder and where he can always steers the machine to the right,working around the job clockwise thus putting more wear on the LH side,after the P&B turn we swop them over:thumbsup
 

Johnny English

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Jan 2, 2009
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113
Location
Lincolnshire, UK
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Contracts manager, Civil Engineering contractor
You know that had never occured to me, the seat is twisted 15 degrees or so clockwise in most dozers, so your naturally going to favour one direction where possible because you always look over the right shoulder due to the angle of the seat.
 

AtlasRob

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West Sussex UK
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on our D8 tractors pulling boxes the LH track wears and streaches
more than the RH,due to the fact the driver is looking over his right shoulder and where he can always steers the machine to the right,working around the job clockwise thus putting more wear on the LH side,after the P&B turn we swop them over:thumbsup

Thanks Roly, I rather hoped you would see this post, that is quite amazing but at least you know why :D.

Do you run system one on any of your D6's ( if you dont mind me asking ) have you heard of similar problems to what grunk has experienced?
 

RolyD8k

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Apr 24, 2008
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52
Location
south east of England
Occupation
farmer & earthmoving contractor
system one

Thanks Roly, I rather hoped you would see this post, that is quite amazing but at least you know why :D.

Do you run system one on any of your D6's ( if you dont mind me asking ) have you heard of similar problems to what grunk has experienced?
Hi Rob,no we dont run system one,i cant justify the 40%-50% extra cost
when were already getting 6000hrs or more from the heavy duty standard
tracks.:thumbsup
 

grunk36

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Jun 9, 2008
Messages
166
Location
denmark
Occupation
trainer/technical support with TRIMBLE/SITECH denm
Hi Rob,no we dont run system one,i cant justify the 40%-50% extra cost
when were already getting 6000hrs or more from the heavy duty standard
tracks.:thumbsup

an standard heavy duty normally lasts 3-3500 hours in denmark but then it is litterally falling apart:beatsmemaybe its because all dozers in denmark is lgps with the widest tracks on them they might be a littler harder on the tracks than an xl u/c as an example
but any way in denmark the system one is a big succes and i gues you will get similar more hours if you try them out on your machines:usa

remember i am not an salesman for cat i am just an ordinary operator giving out some of my experiences
 

AtlasRob

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Feb 8, 2008
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1,982
Location
West Sussex UK
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owner operator
Hi Rob,no we dont run system one,i cant justify the 40%-50% extra cost
when were already getting 6000hrs or more from the heavy duty standard
tracks.:thumbsup

Cant argue with the logic in that :D

an standard heavy duty normally lasts 3-3500 hours in denmark but then it is litterally falling apart:beatsmemaybe its because all dozers in denmark is lgps with the widest tracks on them they might be a littler harder on the tracks than an xl u/c as an example

Knowing that Roly's machines dont work in perfect material by any means I suspect that the longtivity of the undercarriage has a lot to do with the working conditions, maintenance regime and the quality of the operators on the machines.

That is in no way meant as a slur on any other dozer operators or owners that dont get such life out of running gear.
 
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