Trencher chain

J_J · Dec 17, 2008

Taylortractornut said:
Thats why I hate our JD scraper, Since JD doesnt carry any more parts for it we have to order aftermarket but Deere wont even help with that You can call Cat and theyll cross refference out a filter for you even if you arent buying it from them. I may have to build a chain for now out of mill chain and tiller teeth. To get buy a few days till we can get up with Ballantine.

Do you happen to know if the main sprocket can be turned around so you could use the unused backside?

Taylortractornut · Dec 17, 2008

JJ i dont know about the PT since I havent seen these sprockets about the sleecve mount but On a Ditch Witch or a Vermeer they will work a little running reverse But will want to jump and pop because the teeth will have a deeper offset valley from wear plus the wear on the chain link rollers. I gives a little problem with the meshing so to speak. Ive tried this on our Paddle wheels scraper at work as the side the is pon the pull side when loading wears the fastest and turn them around and they want to kink up and bind alot even when the chain hasnt got a load on it. Its kinda the same thing when you use a Dozer in a draw bar application for a long time the track bushings wear one sided from the one way pulling of a disc or scraper then when it backs up it wont mesh and wants to jump the rails or bind up. You might can lok up a company that makes a sprocket liner, I havent seen one in a while but they make these liners that you weld i nthe valleys of a worn sprocket that is difficult to replace or down disasembly isnt feasible. Ive used them on older cranes that have hunting tooth sprockets and no time betwwen shifts to break down a track chain and remove and reinstall a sprocket. You can just lay the right liner in the valley smoke it up and move to the next notch and repeat. When i worked for Corsby an sons a trenching contractor we have to do this alot on the tracked chain trenchers in the limestone and shale about every 3 shifts. yo ucan get all sizes.

J_J · Dec 17, 2008

I had been thinking about building up the worn side of the sprocket with hard surfacing, but I am in doubt about the logic. I am thinking that it will just wear out the rest of the chain faster. My roll links are worn down to the pin in some spots. If only the joints were bolted. You can't weld the rollover link, as it would weld the pin also. Bummer.

You know, I just might try and make some parts that bolt together. I guess the critical part is in getting the valley measurement correct. Might even be able to reverse the sprocket and save expense on them. That sprocket might also have a tapered shaft, and that would put that idea in the dirt. Pun intended.

If you have to replace a chain, you have to do the sprockets also, and that is just about everything except the hydraulic motor. At $500.00 for a replacement chain, it will have to sit for a while.

sandman2234 · Dec 17, 2008

I remember looking at J_J's chain the first time Mr. Jimi (rest his soul) and I went to visit him. It didn't seem like a hard project to make new parts, once you got set up to do it. Somebody like 3RRL could probably turn out a couple a day from his shop and not even fire up the standby generator. Somebody with more time than money could sure do well making the parts and putting them together.
David from jax

J_J · Dec 17, 2008

I am just wondering if you can reverse the chain and realign the cutting teeth. Maybe the bolt holes for the teeth will match

sandman2234 · Dec 17, 2008

Worth a try, even if you have to remake the digging teeth, it would still be cheaper than buying a new chain!
David from jax

J_J,
We need to get together about your new table.
David

Taylortractornut · Dec 18, 2008

Yep fraid so on chainging the sprockets if you have a worn part and you put a new or rebuilt part with the worn it will wear pretty quickly. What Im setting up with Ballantine is to see if I can get a a pinned chain like they use on an asphault laydown machine and on a scraper chain they have pins that lock the ends together. and the bushing can be replaced and the chain run on the backside of the rails if it isnt stretched too bad and yo ucan change the rollers if you can flipp the chain.

J_J · Dec 18, 2008

I found this aggressive chain on the net.

Taylortractornut · Dec 18, 2008

JJ that first one is called a gator back and the second is called Sharks teeth. They work wekk only in had rocky soile the firsts it really ment for super high concentraions of rock.