John Deere recommends the narrowest shoe possible to achieve required flotation. Also they should know to dig over the idler, not the sprocket, to reduce wear." Remind your customers that excavators should always be tracked in the correct direction over long distances. For example, Giorgianni notes, "tracking backwards all the time can wear the tracks and undercarriage. Training your customers in other operational techniques can also help decrease undercarriage wear. "Clean the tracks when they return to the rental yard and urge your customers to keep them clean, too." "If you notice tracks are packed with dry dirt or clay, or in winter, snow and ice, you have situations that block the rollers from turning and cause accelerated wear," says Dave Pooley of Hyundai's service department.
#Hyundai excavator lifespan plus#
They include loose tracks (which adds wear to pins, bushings and sprockets), chipped or broken sprockets, and loose or missing sprocket bolts - plus an increase in repairs. Proper maintenance will help extend undercarriage life and lower operating costs by keeping the excavator on the jobsite moving material and generating rental fees, not in the shop for repairs."Īre you doing enough? There are signs that a rental center has forgotten or neglected undercarriage maintenance. Taking the time to do proper maintenance can go a long way to reducing operating costs."Īmy Van Hook, product manager, customer support, for John Deere, points out, "The undercarriage can represent a significant portion of the operating costs for an excavator. This becomes a significant issue because these components are expensive to replace and time-consuming to install. With poor maintenance and rough operation, their life expectancy will be less. "With proper maintenance and normal use, their life should be reasonably long. "These components wear out over time," he continues. The drive sprocket engages the track chain and propels the machine by pulling the chain over the sprocket. He adds, "The upper rollers carry the chain in alignment and are high enough to allow debris to fall from the chain, so it is kept relatively clean. The front idler holds the track chain in proper alignment while the machine is traveling and acts as a shock absorber and chain tensioner." The bottom rollers carry the weight of the machine while it is traveling and digging. Scott Emmans, district service manager at New Holland Construction and Kobelco Construction Machinery America, explains, "The moving components of the undercarriage are wear-items, meaning they are expected to wear over time in the process of doing their job. It also stops vibration in the machine and damaging movement if these wear items are looked after well." "It extends the life of the wearing parts of the machine, such as sprocket, idler, chain and pads.
"Good routine maintenance keeps the overall cost of ownership down," says Chris Giorgianni, general manager of product marketing for JCB.
In more ways than one, there's a lot riding on an excavator's undercarriage, so diligent maintenance is key.
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