Cat Undercarriage Management Guide Page 8

Management Guide

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Track Adjustment Procedures

Incorrectly adjusted track can cost

you money both in accelerated

undercarriage wear and downtime.

If the track is too tight, damaging

non-productive loads are placed on

the undercarriage and its manual

components.

Tight track accelerates track wear

and reduces tractor drawbar

horsepower. Adjustment procedures

take only a few minutes and require

only one person.

When adjusting your track on any

Caterpillar machine:

1. Always adjust the track in the

working area.

2. Do not try to squeeze any packing

material from in between the track.

3. Never loosen the relief valve

more than one turn. Grease and oil

are under extreme pressure and can

penetrate the body, causing serious

injury.

Elevated Sprocket Tractors

Move the tractor forward and let it

coast to a stop without applying the

brakes. Make sure slack is between

the sprocket and front idler. Then park

the machine and turn off the engine.

Place a tight line over the grouser tips

from the sprocket to the front idler.

For machines without carrier rollers,

measure the distance “A” from the

line to the grouser tip at the lowest

point of sag. Refer to Chart 1 (page 9)

to determine the correct sag for each

model.

For machines with carrier rollers,

measure the distance from the line to

the grouser tips in two places: at the

lowest point of sag between the front

idler and carrier roller “A” and

between the carrier roller and

sprocket “B.” Then average the

two measurements.

Refer to Chart 2 to determine the

correct sag for your model.

If your track requires adjustment,

locate the hydraulic fill and relief

valve in the rear roller frame, and

remove the inspection cover.

Using a manual grease gun, add

grease at the adjustment mechanism to

tighten the track. To loosen the track,

open the relief valve and allow grease

to escape. Then close the relief valve.

Operate the machine in forward and

reverse, then re-measure track tension.

To avoid damage to internal roller

frame components, do not allow the

length of the exposed tube “B” to

exceed the dimensions listed in

Chart 3.

Contents Summary of Cat Undercarriage Management Guide

Page 1Cat Undercarriage ® Management Guide Caterpillar. The difference counts.™ Undercarriage System Management • Operating and Maintenance Tips • Track Adjustment Procedures • Hardware Requirements
Page 2Contents Introduction.............................................................................................................................3 Operating and Maintenance Tips ........................................................................................4-7 Custom Track Service Factors
Page 3Introduction Work it hard. Make it last. Fix it right. Caterpillar® Undercarriage is designed to work and wear as a system to reduce your operating costs. You make daily decisions that impact undercarriage wear and costs. This guide can help you and your operators understand how undercarriage works
Page 4Operating and Maintenance Tips Custom Track Service Factors Affecting Wear Your undercarriage is an expensive While there is no substitute for Application investment. It accounts for as much Custom Track Service, you also play Application describes what your as 20 percent of the price of a new an im
Page 5Packing Terrain During operation, materials can Most of the time you can’t control the Working on a side hill shifts the stick to and pack between mating terrain you are working in. However, weight and load balance to the components such as rollers, links, it is important to understand how downhill
Page 6Operating and Maintenance Tips Factors Affecting Wear Control the operation of your machine One of the best ways to protect your machine against unnecessary wear is to make sure it is used properly. All of the following cause additional wear on the components of your Always use the narrowest shoe po
Page 7Be sure your track is always properly adjusted Operating Checklist Every application affects Improperly adjusted track can result undercarriage wear differently and in problems and wear on other requires proper track adjustment. components such as: Adjust your track in the underfoot ❏ 1. Always use
Page 8Track Adjustment Procedures Elevated Sprocket Tractors Incorrectly adjusted track can cost 1. Move the tractor forward and let it 1 you money both in accelerated coast to a stop without applying the undercarriage wear and downtime. brakes. Make sure slack is between If the track is too tight, damagi
Page 9Chart 1 Chart 3 Proper Track Sag Track Roller Frame Extension Specifications Machines without carrier rollers Machines with and without carrier rollers Max. Length of Inches Millimeters Exposed Tube Model Min Target Max Min Target Max Model (Serial Number Range) Inches Millimeters D11R, D11N, D10 6.
Page 10Track Adjustment Procedures Low Sprocket Tractors and Loaders 1. Move the machine forward and let On machines with more than one 1 it coast to a stop without applying the carrier roller per side, mark the track brakes. Then park the machine and roller frame .5 inch or 13 millimeters turn off the eng
Page 11Hydrostatic Loaders 1. Move the machine forward and let 5. Open the relief valve and let the 1 it slowly come to a stop. Then park idler drift back until the second mark the machine and turn off the engine. is behind the recoil housing. Then Place a tight line over the grouser close the relief valve
Page 12Track Adjustment Procedures Hydraulic Excavators 1. Operate the machine in the direction 4. If the track is too tight, loosen it by 1 of the idlers. opening the relief valve and allowing 2. Stop with one track pin directly over grease to escape. the front carrier roller. Park the 5. Tighten track by
Page 13Hardware Requirements Track Roller and Idler Caps Inadequate clamping of the track roller 3. Snug both bolts evenly prior to and idler caps can result in broken torquing. retaining bolts and damage to the 4. Tighten the bolts to the specified frame or bogie bore. torque shown in the charts below. To
Page 14Hardware Requirements Shoe and Link Split Master Link The number one cause of shoe 3. Tighten the bolts to the specified The importance of correctly loosening is improperly tightened shoe initial torque shown in the chart below. assembling and torquing cannot hardware. In general, track hardware 4.
Page 15Notes 15
Page 16Expect More from the Experts When you buy a Cat undercarriage system, you get the support of our parts and service representatives who have tools to help you manage your undercarriage system. Custom Track Service (CTS) is the best way to control costs and downtime. While there is no substitute for C