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who replaces bottom rollers with new rails?

lgammon

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2007
Messages
303
Location
kingsport, tn
the 953 is do a new set of rails, so dad ordered a set of rails and sprokets only. a friend of us thought that it was wrong not to replace the bottom rollers also. our thinking is that they are holding oil and arn't cutting in to the pin bosses, so what do you guys do ? run them till there gone or replace with every set of rails. we do our own matince so replacing later is not that big of an expence just the hassel of breaking the track down. also the front idler?
 

Ford LT-9000

Banned
Joined
Nov 17, 2005
Messages
1,484
Location
B.C. Canada
Occupation
Rolling around in the dirt
If your breaking the track and doing new rails rebush the front idlers and check the idler tensioner. Inspect the bottom rollers if they don't roll smoothly and have signs of flat spotting change them. If the machine is in good shape and its worth dumping the money into replace everything.
 

surfer-joe

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2007
Messages
1,403
Location
Arizona
Get your PSSR rep out from the local Cat house and have him do a full undercarriage survey. It doesn't cost you anything and he can tell you within a few minutes if your rollers have enough life left in them to support a new set of rails. With the tools those guys have these days, they can measure to within a fraction of the actual metal remaining.

You gotta remember that matching old parts with new always means that one side or the other or both are going to experience rapid wear initially untill they get seated in with each other. This reduces the life expectancy of the new iron some.

If for some reason you are not buying Cat parts, the folks you are buying from should also have someone that can measure your U/C and give you a report on where it's at wear-wise.

I wouldn't put the new stuff on till you have a report in hand and the rep's opinions.

Beyond that, trying to get the last fraction of an inch of wear off one individual part isn't always the best policy cost-wise either. It can wear the new parts unevenly and accelerate their wear. It can break suddenly, costing you lost production where you have to send trucks and crews home. You know it will never break in a good place, but always in the middle of a rain or snow storm in 12 inches of mud. It will, no matter what, mean that you have to take the machine out of production sooner than other-wise might be the case to change out those rollers as they start leaking or break.

About the only time I ever left used rollers on was where the rails were being turned and the wear was such that all the pieces were going to be done at about the same time after the turn.

But, like I say, get a survey done and then you will know exactly where you stand.

Good Luck!
 
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