Variable undercarriages and transportation

[JimBruce42]

hey all,

I've had a question rolling in my mind lately, and finally just want to ask.

This more or less pertains to excavators with variable undercarriages, which most manufactures have an option for on their 45-130 ton machines. I realize that the frame can be unbolted and shifted out for better balance, or in for a narrower width for transport. Now in the larger machines, most times, the tracks just come off, as opposed to pulled in because even narrow it's typically still too wide.

For simplicity sake, I'll pick the 85 ton machines, since it's in the middle. I know that every state (and sometimes route) has a weight and or size law that may determine how much comes off the machine to fit those laws, but since they have a variable undercarriage, is it cheaper/easier to push the tracks in, or to just remove them all together and transport them seperately?:beatsme

I hope that all makes sense.

 

[JDOFMEMI]

I can't comment on 85 ton, but I have a 375 with the option, and when I bought it, I slid it out for the first job, and it has never been put back in. It is 14'11" wide with the tracks out, and we can haul it in one piece and fully extended anywhere we have been.

That is one of the few good things I have to say about California, is we can move iron here with a minimum of hassle.

If it made a difference, I would slide it in, but it is a pain, and would add nearly a day to the moves. It would probably be easier if it was done more often. As it is, I bet the bolts wouldn't even come out, they have been in there too long.
All I have to do is pull the pin on the stick so it can fold in farther to get the height down.

I know, thats not much help for you, is it.

 

[JimBruce42]

Jerry,

It's better than nothing, haha. I've always wondered, what the best plan was. I realize 85 ton hoe's are a bit bigger than a 375, but I'd imagine that the widith's aren't too different with the tracks at operating width.

 

[Dozerboy]

How do they do it when they remove them? Do they lift it off the trailer and set it on blocks until the tracks can be installed or does it sit on the trailer? Thats a lot of cost to have a truck tied up waiting on tracks and a mechanic or 2. When you could just track it off and set it up for operating at your leisure.

I don't know my only experience is in CA and like Jerry said moves ain't that big of hassle. Here is TX they would move them the same. I think they love shutting down a few lanes of traffic for a escort.

 

[EGS]

We have four 345D's and four 385's. We have the tracks slid out all the way and they stay there all the time. Sure makes for wide load coming down the road.

Jerry do you have to take the counter weight off when you haul your 375 down the road?

 

[JimBruce42]

How do they do it when they remove them? Do they lift it off the trailer and set it on blocks until the tracks can be installed or does it sit on the trailer? Thats a lot of cost to have a truck tied up waiting on tracks and a mechanic or 2. When you could just track it off and set it up for operating at your leisure.

Another excellent question, I just assumed cranes?:beatsme

Back in the early 00's we had a 385, when Keen brought it in I beleive it had the tracks off, I'm not sure if we ever moved/removed them for transport as it's time with the company came to an end about when I started:drinkup I think 9420pullpan might know though.

our 345 ME's have the VA undercarriage and we just leave them out too, but typically have to take the bucket and counterweight off, sometimes the stick too.

 

[JDOFMEMI]

Jerry do you have to take the counter weight off when you haul your 375 down the road?

Well, that depends on whether there are scales between us and where we are going

Sometimes we take the stick and bucket off. Never the counterweight though. With the stick, the boom on the service truck is enough to get it off and back on. The counterweight would need lots more help.

 

[jimmyjack]

this is how they brought the 365 into the job i was on in sc, it left to go to fl the same way .....

 

[Lee-online]

we just shipped a 385 and removed the side frames. Each one weighed 28,000 pounds, also had the counterweight, boom and stick off.

it is loaded by straddling the trailer, blocking the frame and using the air bags on the trailer to lift, disconnect the hoses and unbolt the frame and simply pull out of the way, pick it with another 345 and sit it on another trailer along with the stick.

i guess it depends on there it is going on how heavy, wide or tall a load can be. this was going to a dam project and was off the main roads.

 

[EGS]

When we move the 385's we take off the counter weight, the stick and bucket. The main machine goes on one trailer. The stick, bucket and counter weight goes on a another trailer.

The 345's we just move them, we don't have to change anything.

 

[Hitachi350Man]

Machines like a 345 that have VG undercarriage I've heard can be a hassle to adjust the track gauge in and out due to lots of bolts etc. I've never done it before but anyone know what's involved that makes it a pain?

 

[Oversizeload]

This how we move 365's(counter weight stays on) 375's and 385's in Ohio.

Might have offensive language to some in the music! Warning

YouTube - Transporting a 375 Cat Excavator

 

[John C.]

Here it depends on the where the machine is going. You can usually get overwidth permits and use pilot cars to let you haul the big ones extended. You can't get over weight permits though so the counterweights usually come off the 365 or PC600 machines. We usually haul 400 size excavators whole.

I have had to do PC1000 machines and they were always taken apart to cross state lines. If we moved one that came from the factory we usually had it hauled directly to the site and assembled it there. As I recall even a 400 size machine had to be reduced to cross state lines.

On big Komatsu excavators it wasn't a big deal to slide the frames as they used an accumulator for a track recoil spring. You drained the oil off the accumulator and pushed the idlers back. Then jack up the track high enough to get a double hammer one inch drive impact on the bolts. Pick up the track frame with the boom and hook on with a service truck to pull it out. You could pull it back in with a couple of come alongs to the other track frame. Snap the bolts back in and tighten. Charge the accumulator and go to work.

As I recall the big Cat and Hitachi machines still used recoil springs and those took some time. Most of the big machines I've seen in recent years has had a self loader for the counterweight. The hard part of those is tightening or loosening the bolts.

 

[Lil' Danny]

I guess I can play in this topic.

A Variable Gauge U/C can either help you, harm you, or not benefit for you at all. It can help you if the width sucks in enough. For example we have a 95 ton drill rig that we move quite often when business is good. The tracks suck in from ( I'm guestimating ) about 14 foot to around 10 foot. It is great for us because we move it on a 9ft wide trailer, and it works out that no outriggers are required. Also, the Variable Gauges tend to add more weight, and a significant amount to boot ! This can hurt you if you live in a state that has tight weight laws. Most 345s that we move require outriggers, and they are the standard undercarriage.

Somebody asked how track frames were removed. There are a number of methods to do so. Our most common method used ( depending on circumstances ) is to walk the machine over the trailer, or beam, typically on 8 or 6 inch " walker blocks ". You then add more blocks under the counterweight, or undercarriage of the machine depending on the ride height or position of the machine again. The blocks we keep on the trailer are 8, 6, 4, and 2 inchers. Cannot forget plywood ! After that, hook the neck back up and pick the trailer up. The tracks will then be off the ground. Time to come over with your Cherry Picker or assist crane and pick the tracks off. It's much easier said than done ! Funny this topic should come up, I was just on a move like this on Tuesday. Will get some photos up if anyone's interested.

 

[JimBruce42]

danny,

I know we have to use outriggers too, even with our standard 345 pipe hoes. I want to say they are just over 12 feet wide while our ME's which have the VA tracks are around 13' 6" or 14' I can't remember off the top of my head. We always take the buckets off to lighten them up and get the sticks curled in and boomed down as much as possible, I think we're technically able to permit the 345's to move with the counterweights on, but we typically don't. Lot of little bridges and country roads here in PA

 

[rigandig]

If you have a machine that has a wide enough track gauge and you can get the weight permitted, you can use a conventional lowboy much the same as a beam trailer. That's usually a guessing game when it is handled by trns co dispatchers or brokers unless they are very familiar with what they are attempting to move. 98% of them don't know straight up, much less how to figure what will fit on what. In some states, they are fairly knowledgable, Mass being one of those states, and require you tear the machine down to "their" acceptable weights. I know the local guys there do a lot more moving with fully assembled machines, but for interstate movement, its a given to take off, cwt's, tracks, sticks, buckets, and booms depending on the size of the machine. I moved a 600 JD from NC to Maine several years ago and had to take it down to the carbody, house, and boom. i also moved a 375 Cat from SD to Del that we took the cwt, stick and bucket off of. It just depends on where your going to being going thru with the load.

The JD may have been a 650C. Tough gettin old. NOW, what were we talkin about!!

 

[Will Musser]

I move a couple of 450 D John Deeres alot. We just leave them complete. They make a 345 look light it feels like anyway. I did move a 650 on my trailer but we pulled the stick and counterweight. Tracks stayed on. If I come to a set of scales, if i'm even close on my weight, I just run them. I figure if they are gonna give me a ticket, they are gonna chase me to do it. Not only that, but I also have a set of valves on my truck that allow me to "hide" weight from a set of portable scales, but not from the full length ones at the scale house.