New grouser bar on 450C

[greenmojo]

My traction had been slowly degrading over the past year or so with the dozer, and finally it was bad enough that I could barely get any type of cut going, before I was spinning and fighting for grip.

I didn't even know grouser bar was an option, and a local rock quarry owner suggested hitting up Pape for some grouser bar.

My brother came up and over about 3 days or so, welded on new bar on both tracks.

What a difference it makes, it feels like a completely different machine, and moves dirt like a dozer actually should.

10 sticks was about $300 from Pape.

~Moses

 

[Wolfy]

Looks much easier than how my dad used to build up grousers, which involved many passes with a mig welder. The only downside is, with so much traction you will make a mess turning.

 

[dieselcrawler]

Bet that took more than a pound or two of rod... how much of what did you use?

 

[firemanmike69]

Nice looking job

 

[greenmojo]

Looks much easier than how my dad used to build up grousers, which involved many passes with a mig welder. The only downside is, with so much traction you will make a mess turning.

You nailed it... My first turn down near the gate, left piles of dirt 8 inches high...

Bet that took more than a pound or two of rod... how much of what did you use?

Bought a 50 pound can of structural 7018, and used about 1/3 of that I'd wager.

Nice looking job

My brother deserves the credit for welding, its his day job... I am a crappy welder, bought me a new Miller Digital Elite with flames on it... yeah, didn't help... still a crappy welder. ;-)

~Moses

 

[Gordon Gould]

He did a pretty nice job. How much grouser height did you gain adding the bars ? They looked like they were about 1-1/4 inch or so to start with maybe.

 

[greenmojo]

He did a pretty nice job. How much grouser height did you gain adding the bars ? They looked like they were about 1-1/4 inch or so to start with maybe.

I'll grab a tape and check, I wouldn't want them any taller actually. Now instead of spinning, I have so much traction that it will just bog the engine down.

~Moses

 

[Wolfy]

What gear do you run? On our 450E's, my dad likes 2H but I prefer 2L.

 

[greenmojo]

What gear do you run? On our 450E's, my dad likes 2H but I prefer 2L.

2L, and sometimes kick it down lower when trying to get things "just right".

The grouser bar is now around 2 inches on most of the tracks... Been running it in the snow the last few days and just love it.

~Moses

 

[ch47dpilot]

I see this is a pretty old thread but have a question about welding on grousers. I have a JD 450E. Has anyone used flat bar instead of the premade bars used in this thread. If so any downside. I was thinking about just getting some 1/2 or 3/4" x 1" flat bar, cutting into 16" lengths and welding them to shoes.