New chains and sprockets

[Bob]

I was thinking again. If a guy was in need of new chains and sprockets for a tractor, why not find an undercarriage set (wheels, and chains) that was the right size for the machine, and instead of worrying about the pitch, just cut the center of the sprocket out and weld a new set of teeth on the outside. If I'm not mistaken, they make weld on sprocket rings. It would be time consuming, but very do-able.

Bob

[Robert Barbour]

Yes that can be done but there are other things to consider.  For the larger Oliver Cletrac crawlers, they used a rather wide chain.  So if you were to trying to put Cat chains on you would find the rollers were too wide as well as the front idlers.  So you may have to change them as well.  If you could find undercarriage close to the dimensions of the machine you want to convert It may be a viable option.  There were weld on sprocket rims made for a lot of machines.

[ianoz]

Hi Bob , There was a guy here in OZ still contracting with a DDH{ actually had 2 of them, ,worked  one ,and had the other in the shed rebuliding it ,and kept swapping them over } .When he ran out of track gear  He convertedto cat D5 undercarraige .Pretty sure he changed the rollers and idlers  and track adjusters ,Lot of work  but tthen he could get track gear for it simply. Their was an article in the TOMM {the old machinery magazine } covering the rebuild . Unfortuneatly i don't have a copy of it 

[LoggerLee]

I've kicked around the idea of just building a new track frame that uses Cat Parts,but then I there wouldn't be the clinky noise the tracks made...on the other hand it would make the tractor a lot easier to take care of.

[peter de vries]

HI, I have spoken to BOB about this but thought it would be worthwile sharing this info with you all. I have 3 Cletrac DDH and one Cletrac DD crawlers. I still regularily use one of the DDH dozers for hauling out timber etc. When the origional track gear was totally stuffed i replaced the track chains with Komatsu pc300 excavator chains and grousers. I had to use 30 ton machine tracks to get the correct chain width to suit the Cletrac lower rollers. The rear sprockets were made up using Komatsu rear sprockets, however the Komatsu sprockets were ? 23 tooth and i needed 19 teeth to get the correct diameter to suit a DD cletrac, so i had to cut the Komatsu sprocket into individual teeth and re-weld those teeth back onto my Cletrac sprockets. It was a lot of welding and grinding but the sprockets look and work perfectly and it would be impossible to pick now that they have been custom made. it would also be possible to get any decent steel fabrication shop to oxy cut sprocket segments to suit the sprocket hubs on your machines, however i was able to purchase genuine Komatsu sprockets at a very decent price, so went the way that i did. I used the origional Cletrac lower rollers, fitted Komatsu top rollers ( as mine were shot) and rolled up 100x25 flat bar into hoops and welded these onto the front idlers to make solid front idlers. The conversion has worked perfectly for the last 15 years now, and i would say the tracks will out last the machine now. I was able to purchase the tracks for 2 cases of beer from my local Komatsu dealer, as the SALT seals were worn out, so they changed the whole tracks out from a contracting machine, however for my machine which is much smaller than a 30 ton excavator they work perfectly!

[Bob]

I think if  the track wheels were shot too, just find like D5 size UC parts, like Ian said,and use everything. D5 or ect for tractor size.

I'm looking at an OC15 thats nice, but has some UC problems. exploring all my options.

Thanks Peter, very good information. I was quite interested in this, and am glad you joined us here to discuss.

Bob

[ianoz]

 Hi Peter , I did not realize you were on this forum .Nice to see you .Ian .

[peter de vries]

hey Ian, yes i have been on here for a few years now, just don't post too often. I quite enjoy mucking around with my Cletracs, just wish the money tree would flower a little more often to help with the restoring and collecting! There are quite a few Cletracs down here waiting to be bought and restored. There are 3 FDE cletracs just down the road growing blackberries and an oc15 not too far away either. These machines were very popular down this end of the world in the 50s, and many were used by the Hydro etc for large government construction projects. have just today walked my DDh back from a neighbouring property where i have been pulling logs out for a while. Is good to be able to still do a days work with a 62 year old dozer! I have posted some pics on the Cletrac page on facebook if anybody would like to have a look. Regards, Pete.

[Bob]

WOW 3 FDEs and an OC15 just down the road! We never got the real big tractors around here. Maybe one or two, but they have been scrapped from my understanding. I have to travel a long ways to find these mystic beasts...

Well back to the topic:

I guess from the reports, anything is possible if there is enough desire to do it!

Bob