Turning Track Pins and Bushes

[IanR]

Guys

I want to know more about DDH tracks in particular maintenance and refurbishment.  I've searched this site and don't see any thing that fits the bill.  I have all the service and parts manuals but none of them show drawings or photos of the track chains, pins and bushes.  One manual does show a track press but no details of use.  I imagine that there must be written material dealing such as trade training manuals with this subject even if not Oliver or Cletrac specific.  I will do a wider internet search and see what I can find on Caterpillar for example but in the meantime if anyone can help me that would be great.  I would particularly like to know how to inspect visually and measure wear.  Also how many links there are in a standard track.

Ian

[IanR]

Guys

Further to my post see http://www.crawlerheaven.com/wearlimits.htm for an example of part of what I am looking for.  To use this approach I need some dimensions for new track chains.

[fraser1]

Turn pins and bushings 180 degrees from original position.  Go to Community College or Trade School they will have good text books for reference.  John Deere has a good text book called Tires and Tracks Fundamentals Of Service.  It was a manual used in Community Colleges in Canada.  It is an old text book but then a Cletrac is an old machine.  I hope you have a big press. 

[ianoz]

Hi Ian , I do not think there is any one in Australia ,that has the equipment to do Oliver tracks .. I remember seeing In A TOMM magazine a couple of years ago .A guy up in Mackay,Converted his DDH to Cat D5 track gear . Not cheap and a lot of modifications required .

[Robert Barbour]

Those are Big tracks and would require a track press to turn pins and bushings. As it happens I have one, made by Rogers Hydraulics.  It is on a trailer and is shown in the OC15 service manual.  It does the job on the model D tracks with ease. I have a DGH. There are 31 links in a DDH track.  Zimmermans did have pins and bushing but no rollers.  I have got some from him but I do not know if he has enough for a full set.  The older D5 tracks are 6.9" pitch, the newer D5H is 7.5" pitch. The DDH is 7.25" pitch.   I have some of the older D5 tracks I was thinking about putting on my OC 12 as the tracks on it are shot and I have not found any replacements.  The D5 are wider than the OC 12 but narrower than the D.  I will be at my place this weekend and will look at them and see what it would take to put on a D model.  Too bad I am on the other side of the World from you!!

[IanR]

Guys

Thanks for the prompt responses with good info and leads to follow.  I was pushing fire breaks yesterday using the Britstand blade at an angle and it was doing a good job although slow.  It was also hot dusty and noisy but I had time to think that it was worth considering what was involved in keeping the old tractor going for this sort of job.  The engine starts well and runs well after it warms up and now that I have replaced the radiator it runs cool for hours.  I have a leaking water pump seal that only appears to be an issue when the tractor is sitting idle.

I've also been dismantling top and bottom rollers from a spare set of undercarriage I inherited to see what is involved in refurbishing them. I have previously looked at the top rollers on 2 other spare DDHs I have but they had the lock nuts and thrust washers welded up. On this last one though I found a top roller in original condition although the shaft is badly worn.  I have a lathe so I'm thinking I should be able to turn up a new shaft, bore the bronze bushes and find modern oil seals.

Thanks in particular for the pitch measurements.  I have 4 sets of spare tracks and until now no real idea of what condition they are in.  One set has a very good set of grousers as my father had welded lengths of hard steel bar on about 40 years ago.  I have wondered about the work involved in changing a set of grousers.  Someone suggested to me though that if my grousers are worn down enough so that I can spin the tracks when I come up against a stump than I have a built in safety facor for an old tractor.

Anyhow any further comments appreciated.                   

[Robert Barbour]

Since you have some spare tracks, too get an idea of how good they are stretch them tight and measure the length over ten links. New would be 72.5" by the time they get to 76" they are worn out.  If they are 74 you have lots of life left.  Changing tracks is a lot easier than turning pins and bushings.

I would not be concerned about breaking anything.  The D has 70 HP the up-graded version, the OC 15 has 100 HP and they used the same trans and diff as the D.