Excavator rubber tracks have a shelf life too. Despite the fact that you may have looked after the tracks, kept note of the traction and rotated the tracks when required. There comes a time when you actually need to replace those tracks altogether. It’s advisable to change tracks on both the sides of the machine at the same time. This prevents further wear and tear and keeps the machine in proper working order.
Also one shouldn’t be waiting until the tracks actually snap. The following are a few signs that you need to replace the excavator rubber tracks.
When cracks start to appear on the tracks
Needless to say, cracks do begin to appear on the rubber tracks. Though, you can delay the onset of those tracks by properly maintaining the rubber tracks, you would have to replace the tracks at some point. One of the first signs that you need to replace the tracks is the appearance of cracks. Rubber tracks can last up to number of years. How long these are going to last depends upon how well maintained the rubber tracks are and the actual quality of the tracks. The better the quality, the ore years your tracks could work.
Tracks which are used on rough terrain tend to crack earlier. If your work requires the machine to move over a rough terrain, then you should consider getting steel tracks. Heat is also a deterrent. It’s important that the machine should be placed in the shady area when not in use. Too much exposure to sunlight and heat can cause the tracks to wear off earlier than expected.
Lack of tension in the tracks
All tracks stretch over a period of time. However, it’s necessary to keep note of the tension in the tracks. It should be checked on weekly basis. The following are a few ways you can get to know whether the tracks are losing tension. These include
- Lift the track frame over the ground. Check for the tracks sagging somewhere in the middle, the bottom track and the top of the track.
- F you feel the tension slacking you could increase the tension. However make sure that you don’t stretch the tension more than recommended in the manual. It would only cause further problems. Despite increasing tension if the tracks keep slacking it’s time to replace those tracks.
Missing lugs
If the lugs from the excavator tracks go missing, it won’t work properly and you would need to replace the tracks. Usually the tracks are damaged or the lugs go missing when a particularly large piece of debris or a sharp stone becomes lodged into the tracks.
Choose the right kind of excavator rubber tracks. Make sure you buy the tracks from an experienced and ell known dealer. It’s wise to never compromise on the quality of the tracks. Also proper maintenance is the key to have the rubber tracks working in top order.