Welding vs. replacing grousers

[Imaginemw]

I'm looking at some worn out grousers on my dozer, and wondering if I should replace the shoes or I've heard of welding on replacement grouser bars. I own a welding/machine shop, so I don't have to worry about paying labor, but I'm wondering what is the better route for grousers? I'm sure new shoes are the "right" way to go, just curious how often people actually re-weld grousers. Just curious, Dan.

 

[QuickTrax]

You need to look at how thin your shoes are. If your shoes have started to bend or crack, this means that rebuilding them is not worth the effort. If you choose to go with new grouser bar. It comes in a 10' stick and I think its around $15 or $16 dollars per stick. I would also get a price on new pads to compare pricing and check if its worth your labor and welding supplies to regrouser your shoes.

I think I only had one or two customers order grouser bar last year. The rest bought new shoes. The difference between them and you is they don't own a welding shop.

Good Luck, QuickTrax

 

[Arabhacks]

Grouser bar.

Hello.

I was not even aware that grouser stock was around.
I worked for Zachry in the late '70s and they would do all sorts of repairs.
This last time there the parts changers do just that, not even a lathe in the shop.
I have not been back to Olmos since '93, but my guess is that this is also the case.
Bottom line is that except for the small outfit with a bunch of Mexicans nobody really works on the equipment, it is all farmed out.
But also the operators have changed.
Long gone is the era where somebody would have to really want to be an operator.
Now, the companies hire whoever comes in the door. :Banghead

 

[dadsdozerhd5b]

i agree with quiktrax, see how thin your pads of the grouser are, also, the condition of your chains, pins and bushings, etc. i once welded grouser bars on a d6h, took 2 men 2+ days to weld them on with 2 mig welders. the old grousers are rounded somewhat on the ends so they turn better and your new bar will be flat meaning that you have to fill in the gaps in the end which is what took so much time. also, when finished, the grouser is now flat and tears up whatever you are driving on, even the concrete coming out of the shop. the tips of the welded grouser dig in alot. they do not seem to wear down either as we had to watch turning at on the lowbed or on blacktop when loading. we ran out the undercarriage and extended it's life and those bars looked as if we just put them on. they wore very well. hope this helps.

 

[w2bstoned]

I welded on the new bars... It was alot cheaper. I run an lgp so the pads were quite expensive. They are holding up great tho. I would do it again

 

[Imaginemw]

Where is my best bet for researching pads and is someone supplying "grouser bars" or do I just call my steel supplier? Also, what rockwell hardness should I look for? I'd like to price those out, then figure welding. Thanks.

 

[QuickTrax]

What machine are you working on and what are the length of the pads. You want to buy them from someone in your area because of freight but I can give you a fair price to compare to. You can go to the dealer or an aftermarket track shop in your area. The grouser bar comes in four or five different sizes. If you are working on a D6R or smaller machine the grouser bar you will need is the "820 bar". It is 1" tall. I don't know what the Rockwell hardness is but it is good enough for the OEM. I welded grouser bar onto triple bar shoes on a PC400 a few years back for the Komatsu dealer.

 

[Imaginemw]

It's a 1987 D4B standard track. I don't know length of the track off hand. I think there are 39 shoes or so on each side. I was planning on adding 1" tall bars. If you could give me a rough price that would be great! Thanks.

 

[D6c10K]

I looked into doing this too, but haven't done anything yet. I might be more inclined to do it if my grousers would unbolt easily (rusty bolts)...you can do it on the machine, but it looks like it would be easier with them off, plus you could preheat the plates in an oven for better welding.

Here's several suppliers that I'd found:
http://www.titansupply.ca/WearProducts/GrouserBar/tabid/81/Default.aspx
http://www.4ncorp.com/
http://www.borox.com/uk/produkte_04.htm
http://www.dura-tuff.com/grouserbars.asp
http://www.alliedcp.com/products/grouser.asp
http://www.fordsteel.com/wearalloy_grouser_bar.htm

Prices seem to vary widely depending on steel type and profiles....my local track shop has bar too, which seemed to be on the low end of price range, but it probably isn't as tough as some others

 

[DPete]

I have regrousered 2 D8's with good results but you need good pads as mentioned, the trailing edge is also important as it helps to keep dirt away from the rails and bushings. If the trailing edge is scalloped out now i'd forget the grouser bar and go new. If the tracks are on the machine you weld one side of the bar at the sprocket and the other side at the idler this way you weld both sides in a horizontal position. If the tracks are removed you can hang them vertically with a suitable hoist or forklift welding horizontally. It's a big job that can save you a few $$ if you have the time.

 

[dadsdozerhd5b]

it is easy to weld on the machine, no preheating necessary. just jack it up so the tracks will turn and weld at the sprocket and idler. you should be able to get 2 or 3 welded on each end before moving the track, then when they are all on, you just keep welding the other side as they come around. the ones i got were precut to the width of the grouser so it made it fast but i cannot remember where i got them. i believe rock and dirt has ads for them in am sure. good luck.

 

[Willis Bushogin]

shoes

I'm looking at some worn out grousers on my dozer, and wondering if I should replace the shoes or I've heard of welding on replacement grouser bars. I own a welding/machine shop, so I don't have to worry about paying labor, but I'm wondering what is the better route for grousers? I'm sure new shoes are the "right" way to go, just curious how often people actually re-weld grousers. Just curious, Dan.

I bought the grouser stock and welded them on the track. I didnt take the pads off, I welded them on and never had a problem. Make sure not to get them too high like I did
I think it took me about 12 hrs to weld them on with a stick, next time I would use a mig

 

[ben46a]

they Do it quite often here in the oilsands, even to D11's. If you have good pads to start with they can be as good or better than origional.

 

[DPete]

I figured you might as well put the best bar on because of all the labor involved, I think it was" Dura Tuff " something makes me think that name has changed though, it was supposed to be as durable as the original grouser, it came pre cut and beveled

 

[QuickTrax]

I show the 18" or the 25" shoe. You probably have the 18" on the std. machine. You should be looking at around $16 to $17 dollars per new shoe. I wouldn't pay more than $1326 total for all of your shoes. If I did my math correct you will need around 12 sticks of 1" grouser bar. The bar should be somewhere in the range of $200 dollars for all of them. That gives you some numbers to look at.

 

[Imaginemw]

Great! Thank you QuikTrax! You've been a great help. Dan.

 

[D6c10K]

You should be looking at around $16 to $17 dollars per new shoe.

Wow, where can I get new for that price?...cheapest I've seen for 20" pads (for a 6c) was about $35

 

[QuickTrax]

You should be able to find a 20" pads a little cheaper than that.

 

[alan243]

Dura Tuff makes grouser bar in different hardness... And they come precut..... d8 90 pcs cost 1700.00 shipped that is premium bar also