Rubber Track Behavior

Daves3032E · Aug 30, 2017

8 months ago I got my first tracked machine... A 2005 Deere 50D mini excavator. I never thought the tracks behaved the way I thought they should. I operated a new(er) Kubota and the motion / travel was very nice so it got me to thinking what could be out of whack on my machine. My machine I normally leave in low speed as it will almost begin to hop even on paved surfaces (could see the tracks start slapping/hopping a little). I thought that perhaps the tracks were too loose, so I tightened them up a bit, but it didn't really help much. Now with the tracks tighter I get more twanging feelings... like the sprockets and tracks don't have the same pitch.

I have noticed that the machine seems to operate smoother when I'm pushing with the blade. Perhaps the tracks just aren't tight enough? When I raise the machine the tracks sag, but not enough that the bottom rollers can come out of the channel in the track.

I'm thinking that I'm probably not the first to experience something like this. Thoughts?

Ken45101 · Aug 31, 2017

My only experience with rubber tracks is with my Kubota KX-121 mini. Information may be different for your Deere.

"high speed" is only for straight travel. I get some vibration of the whole machine at high speed, but otherwise, it works fine.

Check your manual for proper tension adjustment. IIRC, Kubota specs 2" of slack measured under the center of the track (lifted off the ground.)

How many hours is on your machine? Could it need undercarriage work? It's hard to put an hour figure on a mini undercarriage since some may travel very little and sit in one spot and do all their work, and another one moves a lot. It's different from a CTL which only works when it is moving.

Daves3032E · Aug 31, 2017

I'll have to see if a manual is on the machine somewhere. I only run the throttle a little above idle (1/4 throttle???) and in low unless I'm trying to just move the machine a distance. ~1/4 throttle and full forward in high is a rough ride.

bspeedy · Aug 31, 2017

Sounds like a bad track idler to me. Or both of them are bad. Support one side of the machine with the boom, release the track tension and try to move the track at the idler. That will tell you very quickly. There are after market suppliers for track idlers.

Daves3032E · Aug 31, 2017

bspeedy said:
Sounds like a bad track idler to me. Or both of them are bad. Support one side of the machine with the boom, release the track tension and try to move the track at the idler. That will tell you very quickly. There are after market suppliers for track idlers.

Thanks. I'm bringing the machine home tonight after work. I'll try to do that this weekend.

Daves3032E · Oct 5, 2017

I finally got around to looking at one of the idlers. Yeah, it was fairly loose. There was about 1.5" of wiggle at the O.D.

I placed an order for new bushings and seals this past Monday.

bspeedy · Oct 11, 2017

That's great that you can order bushings / seals. On my old Kubota, I had to replace the whole idler assembly. Only about 350 bucks and an easy install, though.