Lost my track

[Cliff_Johns]

Sorry you're having such problems, but it's a good photo sequence. I'd never thought about how heavy those tracks must be, but I have a better feel for it now.

Cliff

[EddieWalker]

The sprockets are just about brand new. you must be seeing dirt build up. The bushings were just turned with new rails.

What I think happened was when the undercaraige was done, the threads that hold the master link together weren't cleaned up and they didn't set all the way down. The bolt that is broken has a washer on it, but the pad doesn't need a washer and the other pads are held in with bolts not having washers.

If they bolts were set all the way down, then there might have been enough slack to break.

Just a thought

[SPIKER]

I think the HARD part will be getting it back together in that dirt! [img]/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

Mark M

[OkieG]

I was thinking the same thing. I still yearn after a "real" Backhoe or bulldozer. But, when it comes to repairs, I'm glad to have a little tractor.

OkieG

[EddieWalker]

I got to the repair shop around noon and they said, no problem, we'll get right on it.

This is a picture of the place.

[EddieWalker]

They put the track on a special rack and used a cutting torch to melt out the old bolts. The said there is no way to turn them out with that much preasure on them.

[EddieWalker]

As they melted out the broken bolt, they kept cleaning out the material before it hardened. The real trick was to not dammage the threads. It looks like brand new and cost only $100 including 4 new bolts. It was five times that to come to my place to do the same thing.

[EddieWalker]

While they were working on my track, a guy pulls up with a Komastu 220L excavator with a busted track.

If you look close you can tell how they chained the track together to get it on the trailer. The operator said he walked it onto the trailer with the boom.

[EddieWalker]

They used this 755 ford backhoe for everything. I have a 555 backoe and it's 80hp. This thing was much larger than mine.

The tracks on the excavator got all twisted up on the trailer, so they picked up the excavator with the boom and pulled the track with the backhoe.

[EddieWalker]

The bushing or steel rod through the tracks had broke. They cut it with the torch to get it loose, then broght in the sledg hammer and a huge rod that was held against the bushing. They would torch, then hit until they nocked it out.

When they had all the old material out, they got the track lined up again with chains, backhoe and blocks of wood. Then they hammered in a new bushing. The welder and grinders came out and then they were done.

The excavator never left the trailer and it took 3 to 6 guys about 4 hours to get it fixed. I should have asked what it cost, but never did.