Wear on excavator's track shoes
When are the track plates of an excavator worn out? Learn more about the wear on the track plates and find out if it's time for an undercarriage overhaul.
We consider track plates to be 100% worn as soon as the tops of the lugs (ribs) are level with the heads of the track bolts.
There is often a tendency to reuse worn track shoes during an undercarriage overhaul, even when installing new chains. It is important to note that when new track bolts are used, their heads will likely protrude beyond the worn grouser bars. If the excavator then operates on a hard surface—such as a concrete slab—the machine effectively travels and bears its weight on the bolt heads. Since the bolts directly absorb the shocks in such scenarios, they are almost certain to work loose.
However, if the excavator is to operate on soft ground or soil, one might sometimes choose—though it is not ideal—to reuse the worn track shoes.
Sometimes, track shoes are not adequately secured to the chain. It is important to address this issue promptly, as loose track bolts can cause excessive wear on the bolt holes in both the track shoes and the track chains; this results in the holes becoming oval-shaped and developing several millimeters of play. Without decisive action, costs can escalate significantly, as the chains and track shoes will ultimately need to be replaced.
If you have any further questions regarding wear on excavator track shoes, please contact us today at +3292510796, via [email protected], or through our contact page.
Click the following links if you would like to know more about:
- Wear on undercarriage sprockets.
- Wear on undercarriage rollers.
- Wear on undercarriage chains.
- Wear on undercarriage front idlers.
- Wear on track guides.