How to maintain and care for the undercarriage?

If you own or operate heavy equipment with tracks, you know that the undercarriage is a critical component of the equipment. Tracked equipment is complex and built to withstand harsh conditions. However, no equipment lasts forever. Undercarriage maintenance is more than just performing routine undercarriage inspections. The two main principles of undercarriage management are keeping it clean and maintaining proper tension. In addition to these key points, there are many factors that affect the long-term wear of the equipment, including your application, terrain, operator skills, and using the right track.

How to choose the right track for your excavator?

Earthmoving equipment technology continues to advance. Today’s equipment is more reliable and durable than the excavators, dozers, and compact track loaders of the past. Now you have a wide range of track options, and the key to successful operations is to choose the right track for your unique needs.

There is no one-size-fits-all track because the conditions in which you operate your equipment can vary greatly. You will encounter a variety of situations, from soft sand or silt to rocks and demolition debris that will wear down the tracks.

Engineers design equipment tracks to effectively reduce weight. Tracked equipment has a smaller footprint, lower ground pressure, and greater traction than wheeled equipment. However, tracks can be hard on some surfaces, so leading equipment like this one offers two track materials to choose from:

1. Steel Tracks: Most large equipment, such as hydraulic excavators and bulldozers, uses steel tracks to provide propulsion, traction, and stability. When it comes to durability, there is no substitute for metal tracks. Steel is strong and durable. However, steel tracks can tear up your work surface and cause damage. Metal pads with steel grousers can cut into the ground, pushing your equipment and allowing it to do what it was designed to do. If your application is more sensitive, you may want to consider rubber tracks.
2. Rubber Tracks: Rubber tracks are rarely used on large equipment. Rubber is a highly flexible material that can become tough when necessary. However, the support capabilities of rubber tracks are limited. If you are working on soft surfaces such as lawns or polished surfaces such as concrete, it is wise to choose rubber tracks. You still get excellent support and control, but you are not as susceptible to collateral damage as before. Rubber tracks are a great fit for small excavators and compact track loaders, as these machines require a smaller footprint.

Whether you have rubber or steel tracks, you still get the important undercarriage support you need. Undercarriage components enable you to crawl, turn, and stay upright. They also keep the tracks aligned and properly tensioned, allowing your machine to operate trouble-free.

Preventing breakdowns is what your undercarriage maintenance program is all about. You must pay close attention to the undercarriage components and the signals the tracks are giving you. An important part of your program is understanding the factors that affect undercarriage wear and what you can do to prevent premature wear.

Factors That Affect Undercarriage Wear

All undercarriage components naturally wear out over time and have a limited lifespan.

There is no specific time limit for undercarriage wear. While lifespan is measured in operating hours, there is no set standard for the lifespan of your equipment undercarriage. The lifespan of a component is largely determined by the various factors you will encounter on the job site. Here are the main factors that affect undercarriage wear:

1. Application: This factor refers to the type of work you use your equipment to do. The type of work has a huge impact on the stress and strain that the components are subjected to. Typical operations include digging or trenching, bulldozing or dozing, turning, loading, carrying, and grading. Some operations put more load on the undercarriage than others. The key factor is the torque transmitted from the power components through the drive system. Generally, the more torque the operation requires, the more wear and tear on the undercarriage.
2. Terrain: You rarely have control over the terrain your equipment faces. Typically, your equipment is adapted to different terrains. It must work under preset conditions, and some conditions test the limits of your undercarriage. Undercarriage wears on terrain such as hills, slopes, domes, and depressions. It is the resistance that the undercarriage encounters in changing terrain that is the key to real wear and tear on parts.
3. Ground: In addition to challenging terrain, your undercarriage is also subject to different ground conditions. Your tracks are subjected to impacts from abrasive rocks and hard debris. The tracks then transfer the material on the ground to the undercarriage, causing wear and tear. Ground conditions such as sand can seem soft and comfortable to your tracks, whether they are rubber or steel tracks. However, sand is very abrasive and can wear down moving undercarriage components, causing significant wear and shortening their service life. The secret to protecting your undercarriage from ground threats is constant cleaning.
4. Operation: Application, terrain and ground conditions are not the only threats to undercarriages. A lot of wear comes from how the equipment is operated. Aggressive operation is a significant factor in undercarriage wear.
   You can easily avoid unnecessary undercarriage wear by training operators to operate the equipment responsibly. You can also minimize wear by monitoring operators. This intervention alone can save you a lot of money on undercarriage maintenance and repairs.

Proper Track Equipment Operation

Most equipment operators do not intend to cause injury. Operator injuries often stem from inexperience or lack of proper training. The main mistakes you’ll find operators making that cause wear on equipment undercarriages include:

• Rushing too hard to get the job done quickly
• Driving too fast, exceeding site conditions or designated speed limits
• Applying digging forces to the rear drive sprocket instead of the front idler
• Digging from the side of the machine and applying lateral tension to the undercarriage
• Track slippage or spinning in soft ground and terrain conditions
• Continuously turning the machine in one direction instead of alternating turns
• Driving in reverse unnecessarily, which applies forces in the wrong direction to the drive
• Operating on grades and slopes instead of leveling the machine to balance forces
  Every movement of the undercarriage causes wear on its components. But even though parts are expected to wear and replace, that doesn’t mean you can’t take steps to extend their life. The effort you put into training operators and getting them involved in an undercarriage maintenance program will pay off. One of the main steps your staff can take is to perform daily undercarriage inspections.

Daily chassis checka

If your equipment operators are personally involved with your fleet, they are more likely to handle it properly. They will pay attention to proper operating procedures, such as avoiding lateral forces on the chassis and not applying digging forces on the rear drives. They will travel at enough speed to work efficiently, but slowly enough to reduce component wear.

Operators are closest to your equipment and are an excellent source of early warning when trouble starts to occur. Encourage operators to report potential problems immediately. They are likely to discover problems through daily chassis checks.

Performing daily chassis checks is one of the best preventative maintenance measures your team can take. It doesn’t take long to check, but the results are significant. Here are the key points to check when performing a daily chassis check:

• Step back and do an overall inspection to spot anything out of the ordinary.
• Walk around the equipment before checking individual components.
• Check for oil leaks or any unusual moisture that may be dripping.
• Take a closer look to see if there are leaking seals or damaged grease fittings.
• Check the sprockets for worn teeth and loose bolts.
• Check idlers, guides, rollers and links for loose or missing parts.
• Watch the undercarriage frame for signs of stress cracking.
• Inspect the undercarriage rails for signs of indentation wear.

The undercarriage isn’t the only piece of equipment that needs to be checked during a routine inspection. The tracks also need close attention. Track problems are often an early indicator of problems caused by undercarriage issues. Here’s what to look for in a routine track inspection:

• Repair any cracked, damaged or loose track shoes, and replace missing track shoes immediately.
• Check track tension and adhere to the tolerances specified in the equipment manual.
• Pay attention to track alignment for any tendency to ride in or out.
• Check track shoe wear on the leading and trailing edges of the track and wear on the drawbar.
• Start the machine and slowly rotate each track while monitoring its performance.
• If you have rubber tracks, check for any cracks or wear.
• Inspect steel tracks for corrosion or metal fatigue.
• Tracks have a huge impact on the overall performance of your undercarriage. Most equipment manufacturers and operators consider tracks to be slightly different than true undercarriage components, such as sprockets, drives, links, rollers, and idlers. Tracks and undercarriage components are technically separate systems, but they support each other.

Whether you have rubber or steel tracks, routine inspections and proper maintenance are required. Your undercarriage needs low wear and free-moving parts to perform well, and that starts with making sure the track tension is adjusted.

Adjusting Track Tension

Maintaining proper track tension is critical to the long life of the undercarriage. Track tension needs to be just the right balance, not too tight and not too loose. This is not easy to achieve, and proper track tension depends on many factors.

If the track is too tight, it will put unnecessary resistance on all undercarriage components. Every moving and stationary part of the undercarriage will be stressed, causing early wear and expensive repairs.

If the track is too loose, it will also put stress on the undercarriage. Loose tracks can cause deviation and misalignment, which will put lateral stress on the system. Like overtightened tracks, loose tracks will also wear on the undercarriage and cause damage.

Setting the proper track tension depends on many factors. Track tension is related to the design of the specific equipment, the type of track, and the actual operating conditions. Here are the main factors related to track tension:

• Track type: steel or rubber manufacturing material
• Equipment size: large hydraulic excavator or compact multi-terrain loader
• Ground conditions: soft sand or hard rock terrain
• Environmental influences: high temperatures, low temperatures and seasonal changes

Setting track tension to get the best performance from your undercarriage is an art in itself. Track tension varies from equipment to equipment, but it has a significant impact on undercarriage wear. The best course of action you can take is to consult your OEM manual.
When researching how to set track tension, you may come across the term “sag.” Sag is the observed droop or drop of the track on an upper plane that is not affected by ground compression.
You will find that track tension tolerances vary widely. A large excavator with a standard sprocket design and large steel tracks will have a different sag rate than a rubber tracked compact loader with an elevated sprocket design.

Cleaning the undercarriage

Cleaning the undercarriage is the easiest and safest way to extend the life of your undercarriage. The undercarriage is a complex system of moving parts that can fail if they become too dirty. Regular cleaning is the go-to for undercarriage management.

Proper cleaning of undercarriage components can take a lot of effort, but it’s definitely worth it. Cleaning depends on the purpose of your tracked machine, the terrain you operate on, and the ground conditions when the tracks are moving. Dirt deposited in undercarriage components is a byproduct of the work process and a mess that must be cleaned up.

Cleaning your undercarriage is an ongoing job. It’s best to complete the cleaning at the end of each shift. It’s unwise to leave a dirty undercarriage overnight. In warm weather, dirt dries and hardens. In cold weather, dirt freezes and sticks. Regardless, the later you leave it, the harder it is to clean your undercarriage.

A dirty undercarriage can cause a number of problems over time. Accumulated debris can clog your moving parts and can cause parts to break under resistance. Grit can also cause abrasion and premature wear. If tracks clog and undercarriage components seize, it can also reduce fuel efficiency. Here are some undercarriage cleaning tips to help you with your preventive maintenance program:

• Use a pressure washer to remove debris from undercarriage components.
• Use a specially designed track blade to remove rocks and mud.
• Use at least one regular hose to flush components and remove grit.
• Use compressed air to blow into undercarriage components.
• Use the track spin method to displace material from the equipment using centrifugal force.
  No matter which undercarriage cleaning method you try, be sure to use it regularly. A clean undercarriage is a durable component that can save you a lot of time and money. Cleaning is essential to your overall undercarriage preventive maintenance program.

Importance of Track Size and Shoes

When discussing undercarriage maintenance, track and shoe size is always critical. Selecting the right track width and shoe size for your mission can have a huge impact on performance. If the track and shoe combination is oversized, unnecessary weight and bulk can wear on undercarriage components. If the track and shoe assembly is undersized, flotation is compromised and so is the undercarriage.

The rule to always follow is to use the narrowest shoe and track width possible. You still need to get enough flotation for the terrain and ground conditions, but don’t exceed optimal flotation. Oversizing the track and shoe assembly can cause the following undercarriage problems:

• Increased wear on sprockets and bushings
• Increased wear on flanges, idlers, rollers and chain links
• Loose pins and shoe hardware
• Reduced track joint life
• Shoe and track breakage and undercarriage component failure
  Using the right size track and shoe is an important measure to ensure your undercarriage lasts as long as possible. It is equally important to keep the undercarriage clean and always have the proper track tension adjusted for the application. Preventative maintenance is vital for the following reasons.

The Importance of Preventative Undercarriage Maintenance

There are many steps in the undercarriage maintenance process that are essential to ensure that your equipment is performing at its best. It is essential to clean the undercarriage regularly and adjust the track tension. It is also very important to lubricate the moving parts and replace them when needed. Routine inspections are also a top priority for prevention.

Failure to maintain the undercarriage of your equipment will inevitably lead to premature equipment failure. Unfortunately, the undercarriages of all equipment, such as dozers, excavators, and track loaders, are consumable parts. But their wear and failure are not always necessary.

Partner with Hyunkook Machinery for Undercarriage Maintenance

At Hyunkook Machinery, we know your tracked equipment is worth a lot of money. We know that undercarriage care and maintenance is a large part of your overall maintenance budget. We want to help you spread the cost of your business over the long term, and we know that properly caring for your undercarriage is important to you.

If you have any questions or maintenance needs for your tracks, partner with Hyunkook Machinery for long-term undercarriage management and maintenance services. We provide the undercarriage services you need to ensure your tracks stay in good working order.

If you have any questions, concerns, or need technical support, please feel free to contact us.