Lost my track

[EddieWalker]

I have a Case 1550 dozer that I use for clearing brush, knocking over trees and moving dirt. It's about as much fun as you can have. While moving some dirt, building a road, I lost a track.

 

[EddieWalker]

It looks like my master link had two bolts that had already broke off and I never noticed. The remaining two never had a chance. They are grad 8 three quarter fine thread torqed down to 400 pounds.

I used one cobalt bit per bolt to drill them out for an easy out. I spent two weeks trying to turn them with three diferent typs of break free oils. Either I'm just not strong enough, or they are just plain stuck

 

[EddieWalker]

I tried to heat it up with a torch and after getting it all nice and red hot, nothing. I'm just not strong enough or I'm doing something wrong.

Screw it, off comes the track. I have no idea how I'm getting it back on, but I gotta get this thing fixed.

 

[EddieWalker]

Notice anything missing?

Aint it sad, she sure looks naked.

 

[EddieWalker]

So what do you do when you get the track off.

I'm lucky to have a full size backhoe. It's a New Holland/Ford 555e and has a 1.3 yard front bucket. I've had over 2,000 pounds in the bucket plenty of times, and the tires never bulged.

This track had the tires looking like they only had 10lbs of preasure. It is very heavy.

 

[EddieWalker]

I couldn't just drop the track into my trailer. So I laid it out on the ground.

 

[EddieWalker]

I couldnt just pick it up and put it in my trailer, it's just too heavy. I hooked a chain to the end and used my backhoe to drag it into the trailer. Took three repositions to get it in and a little luck.

 

[EddieWalker]

Its in and ready for a trip to the experts. I'm heading to a place called Cypress Equipment in Pitsburg TX, who specializes in track work. They have all the presses for replacing the bushings and rails along with what I need done.

I'm off first thing in the morning.

 

[hazmat]

Wow. Your backhoe just earned its keep for the year. Glad I could roll my tires back to civilization if I got a flat /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif.

Hope the repair goes well & doesn't set you back too much $$$.

 

[5030]

I believe you need some attention to your drive sprockets too. The teeth look rounded off from the picture. Might be a good time to rebuild the clutches too. I don't know if I should ask, but how are your idlers?

 

[Cliff_Johns]

Sorry you're having such problems, but it's a good photo sequence. I'd never thought about how heavy those tracks must be, but I have a better feel for it now.

Cliff

 

[EddieWalker]

The sprockets are just about brand new. you must be seeing dirt build up. The bushings were just turned with new rails.

What I think happened was when the undercaraige was done, the threads that hold the master link together weren't cleaned up and they didn't set all the way down. The bolt that is broken has a washer on it, but the pad doesn't need a washer and the other pads are held in with bolts not having washers.

If they bolts were set all the way down, then there might have been enough slack to break.

Just a thought

 

[SPIKER]

I think the HARD part will be getting it back together in that dirt! /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Mark M

 

[OkieG]

I was thinking the same thing. I still yearn after a "real" Backhoe or bulldozer. But, when it comes to repairs, I'm glad to have a little tractor.

OkieG

 

[EddieWalker]

I got to the repair shop around noon and they said, no problem, we'll get right on it.

This is a picture of the place.

 

[EddieWalker]

They put the track on a special rack and used a cutting torch to melt out the old bolts. The said there is no way to turn them out with that much preasure on them.

 

[EddieWalker]

As they melted out the broken bolt, they kept cleaning out the material before it hardened. The real trick was to not dammage the threads. It looks like brand new and cost only $100 including 4 new bolts. It was five times that to come to my place to do the same thing.

 

[EddieWalker]

While they were working on my track, a guy pulls up with a Komastu 220L excavator with a busted track.

If you look close you can tell how they chained the track together to get it on the trailer. The operator said he walked it onto the trailer with the boom.

 

[EddieWalker]

They used this 755 ford backhoe for everything. I have a 555 backoe and it's 80hp. This thing was much larger than mine.

The tracks on the excavator got all twisted up on the trailer, so they picked up the excavator with the boom and pulled the track with the backhoe.

 

[EddieWalker]

The bushing or steel rod through the tracks had broke. They cut it with the torch to get it loose, then broght in the sledg hammer and a huge rod that was held against the bushing. They would torch, then hit until they nocked it out.

When they had all the old material out, they got the track lined up again with chains, backhoe and blocks of wood. Then they hammered in a new bushing. The welder and grinders came out and then they were done.

The excavator never left the trailer and it took 3 to 6 guys about 4 hours to get it fixed. I should have asked what it cost, but never did.