Dozer track off

[Dell Parsons]

Help, I have an old Case 310 dozer that works great, but the track came off the right rear sprocket. We are in mud, naturally, cleaned it up, but have never faced this. Can we somehow pry it back on?? Any tricks, tips, or whatever? In the middle of a pond digging project that we are trying to finish before it rains. thanks

 

[NCWayne]

The first thing you need to do is to relieve tension on the track. Once that's done then you stand a chance of getting it back on. The big problem is you say it's off of the sprocket and not the idler. Off the idler isn't that hard because you can use the sprocket to pull it back on (sort of like rolling a tight V belt on a pulley) but with it being off the sprocket it'll be a challenge. If it's off to the inside you can use another machine to pull it toward the outside and back on the sprocket but it it's off to the outside then it'll probably roll on off before going on no matter what you do.

Basically any way you go at it (short of breaking it and laying it out and starting from scratch) it's going to be a major PITA and there really isn't any right or wrong way to do it as long as it works. A few pry bars, a chain or two and another machine to provide some muscle if possible and just work at it and do whatever looks like it might work until you get it back on. GOOD LUCK

 

[John Van Valkenburgh]

This has happened to me a couple of times. I use the bucket to lift the front, then I put logs under the front side with the loose track. I then have a 20 ton bottle jack to lift the same side in the back. You will probably need wood under the jack if you are in mud.
I then remove the grease plug from the track tensioner. Ive got a Case 450 so yours may be different. I use a come-along to pull the front idler wheel all the way back.
Now you've got the track as loose as you can and the machine is jacked up to take the weight off.

I now pull the track in line with the rear sproket using pry bars and whatever I can. Start the machine and slowly use reverse to work the track back around the front idler. You will likely have to stop and realign with pry bars.

When the track is back on lower the machine and retension the track.

If you're track is old and stretched you can sometimes get going again using this method.

Best of luck,
John
1968 Case 450

 

[John Van Valkenburgh]

This has happened to me a couple of times. I use the bucket to lift the front, then I put logs under the front side with the loose track. I then have a 20 ton bottle jack to lift the same side in the back. You will probably need wood under the jack if you are in mud.
I then remove the grease plug from the track tensioner. Ive got a Case 450 so yours may be different. I use a come-along to pull the front idler wheel all the way back.
Now you've got the track as loose as you can and the machine is jacked up to take the weight off.

I now pull the track in line with the rear sproket using pry bars and whatever I can. Start the machine and slowly use reverse to work the track back around the front idler. You will likely have to stop and realign with pry bars.

When the track is back on lower the machine and retension the track.

If you're track is old and stretched you can sometimes get going again using this method.

Best of luck,
John
1968 Case 450

 

[oldhousehugger25]

If you are in the mud in the pond, first thing after you recover from panicking is decide can you get the track on before rain fills the pond.

If not, then get a bigger machine to pull you up on dry land or you will have bigger problems than a track off. I have been down in the mud with a track half off and rain impending and no way but to fix it by myself right there....really no fun. If you can get it to higher ground do it.

Second bit of advice. My Komatsu D20 has idler and sprocket shields fore and aft inside and outside I guess to keep the track on. When it comes off it gets stuck on the shield and will not snap back on without removing the offending shield. 22 mm socket and a 4 foot cheater required. Then do all the things mentioned by the other guys and good luck.
Brilliance and patience can pay off. So can dumb luck. And remember Murphy is working with you.

 

[rockinrandolph]

I have a 656 terratrac that throws a chain occasionally, I found the best way is to loosen the track tensioner all the way off, which on mine is a screw thread not hydraulic and the you just put the track back on and retighten it. A comealong and another machine and a helper is handy. apparently the tracks are designed to only come off in mud with water on its way or when you're down in the bottom of a trench that is only the width of the bucket

 

[Anonymous-0]

I have a JD 420C. The sprocket has holes in it and I've put my tracks back on by threading a piece of chain thru the track links and a sprocket hole and then driving the crawler ahead pulling the track on. HTH

 

[mcnamararichard]

(quoted from post at 18:11:48 09/10/09) I have a JD 420C. The sprocket has holes in it and I've put my tracks back on by threading a piece of chain thru the track links and a sprocket hole and then driving the crawler ahead pulling the track on. HTH

We did the same thing with our D6 - only we jacked it up first so it didn't have traction and didn't move. The chain went through the spokes on the sprocket and through the tracks.

It is amazing what bottle jacks will do as far as lifting one of these machines.

Just take your time looking at how things line up, you sort of have to rework your strategy as the geometry changes during the work. Little steps set you up for other little steps, it isnt a one step process.

 

[Jim in michigan]

do what bernie says, he told me the same thing and it worked slick, I spent 2 days trying to get it on before trying what he said,10 minutes and my track was on,,Thanks again bernie