Can track pads be saw-cut?

[Bob Doss]

I replaced the 12" street tracks on my JD350 loader with some 14" grouser tracks from a dozer. Now the grouser pads hang on the loader's frame, causing the packing in the track adjusters to blow out.

If practical, I'd like to pull the 14" grouser pads off their chains and have someone cut them down to 12" wide.

The other alternative is to pull ALL pads off their chains, and put the 12" street pads back on the chains that right now have the 14" grouser pads. That's more work (for me), and would leave me with street pads.

Do any of you know if it's practical to cut the 14" pads down to 12" ?

Anyone have any other suggestions?

 

[Anonymous-0]

Get a local welder, with a plasma cutter, and position him behind you, as he cuts the plates down, one at a time, on each side, you inch the crawler forward.

 

[Anonymous-0]

A regular cutting torch would cut the pads down pretty easy. Make sure to take an inch off each side.

 

[jm.]

In my years I have cut many either on or off the tractor with regular cutting torch. It,s just a dozer dosen,t have to be perfect. Stick weld says cut both sides have seen many ran for lots of time with just the inside cut. Just the one inch should not make a big diffrence. I suppose it could in theory put the chain in a load more on one side but don,t think you would ever know it if you only cut the inside one inch.

 

[AJ.]

Taking the pads off to cut them is not pratical and and an awful lot of work seeing that they have to be put back again,any heavy equipment welder will have experience cutting down track pads with a torch,he will do it with the tracks on the machine evenly and neatly and should only take a couple of hours.
AJ

 

[Bob Doss]

Thanks to all of you for the suggestion -- roughly what should I expect to pay a welder to cut these off? Less than $200? More than $200?

 

[bob plumadore]

a cutting torch, I would let the trator jack itself up, that way you can sit in one place not have to move around. Remember Oxygen & Acetylene are expensive. You only need to cut the inside. You can buy offset tracks. It is not going to make any difference in the undercarriage wear.

 

[jdtractor]

hi you can cut just 1 side the inside. it wont hurt anything if you cut an inch off the inside. it will be on the order of a swamp pad, i have ran several and they do fine. the only problem if any depends on the age and condition of the chains and pins , if there worn some it may cause them to wear quicker then new pins etc.... but i wouldnt be afraid to do so and i would cut them with either a plasma cutter or good set of torches and touch up with a grinder especially the grouser it self round the corner off to help in easier turning just my .02cts hope this helps you

 

[DonBC]

I would also consider knocking the grousers down a little. It puts a lot of strain on the loader's clutches and final drives having dozer grousers on a loader. Loader tracks are not really street tracks they are tracks that are designed to be easier on the loader because of all the turning with a loaded bucket.I worked with a contractor that had a crawler loader that for some reason had dozer trackes on it and we were always doing repairs to the finals until one day I suggested torching off the grousers and then there was no more trouble.

 

[Bob Doss]

Understood, but I use the machine more like a dozer than a loader. I mostly use it to maintain logging roads on my land. I scrape, push and back-drag, and don't do all that much sharp turning.

 

[2x4]

Bob P & jdt have it right. I cut 2 inches off the inside. Works fine.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I was thinking about narrowing pads in general. Just for a clearance issue, only the inside would need to be cut.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Aj haven't you yot one of them fancy water jet cutters why would you not use that,did you see the post about your favorite machine the 933 with no drive,you used to like doing them gearboxes lol.
Scan

 

[AJ.]

Scan the water jet will indeed cut the pads but it is not portable,you would not use it doing that type of rough work when a torch will do just fine,the 933 and me have a good relationship now I only see pictures of them,my favourite model came after the G series when they upgraded it,best upgrade ever they stopped making it.
AJ