What did you do with your Chinese baby digger today?

[Sonny580]

What I did yesterday was have the right hand track jump off! ---- How the hell do you put them back on???? L-12 has that STUPID grease tension tightner on it instead of the good old wrench manual type.
Tracks were tight and I check them every time I get on it so I know they are o.k. ( I NEVER liked grease tightners anyway, cant regulate them).
Any way I was going across the yard and started turning left in the grass and a big thud and a whole bunch of smaller thuds followed. I got off looked at the track and track is off the drive sprocket,---still on the front idler.
I need ideas of how to get it back on since I never messed with these jokers before.
I have tracked it about 2 miles total distance since I got it new, well was S'POSED to be new. Tracks were loose when I loaded it at the auction with their forklift and unloaded it here with my New Holland skidloader since the motor was dead at the time.
After getting it running I tightened the tracks before I ever moved it.
Got around 20 hours on the unit now. was loading dirt on my garden trailer with it 2 days ago and worked great. Made a light pass down the drive to knock off some of the old ruts with the blade and that worked great also.
If ya got ideas on putting the track back on, I would like hearing from you! THANKS!!!!!!

 

[oldrustysteel]

What I did yesterday was have the right hand track jump off! ---- How the hell do you put them back on???? L-12 has that STUPID grease tension tightner on it instead of the good old wrench manual type.
Tracks were tight and I check them every time I get on it so I know they are o.k. ( I NEVER liked grease tightners anyway, cant regulate them).
Any way I was going across the yard and started turning left in the grass and a big thud and a whole bunch of smaller thuds followed. I got off looked at the track and track is off the drive sprocket,---still on the front idler.
I need ideas of how to get it back on since I never messed with these jokers before.
I have tracked it about 2 miles total distance since I got it new, well was S'POSED to be new. Tracks were loose when I loaded it at the auction with their forklift and unloaded it here with my New Holland skidloader since the motor was dead at the time.
After getting it running I tightened the tracks before I ever moved it.
Got around 20 hours on the unit now. was loading dirt on my garden trailer with it 2 days ago and worked great. Made a light pass down the drive to knock off some of the old ruts with the blade and that worked great also.
If ya got ideas on putting the track back on, I would like hearing from you! THANKS!!!!!!

I don't think it will be too difficult. I am going by what I have seen, I haven't lost one yet.
Loosening the tensioning roller will be first. I think you remove the grease fitting for that. Then raise up that side with your bucket and put track back on one end and use the wheel motor to gently assist you slowly turning drive roller while you use other hand to pull side of track back on roller. I will find a video for you and post it soon.

 

[oldrustysteel]

P

Putting track back on

 

[oldrustysteel]

This guy puts his track on pretty easy.

 

[oldrustysteel]

What I did yesterday was have the right hand track jump off! ---- How the hell do you put them back on???? L-12 has that STUPID grease tension tightner on it instead of the good old wrench manual type.
Tracks were tight and I check them every time I get on it so I know they are o.k. ( I NEVER liked grease tightners anyway, cant regulate them).
Any way I was going across the yard and started turning left in the grass and a big thud and a whole bunch of smaller thuds followed. I got off looked at the track and track is off the drive sprocket,---still on the front idler.
I need ideas of how to get it back on since I never messed with these jokers before.
I have tracked it about 2 miles total distance since I got it new, well was S'POSED to be new. Tracks were loose when I loaded it at the auction with their forklift and unloaded it here with my New Holland skidloader since the motor was dead at the time.
After getting it running I tightened the tracks before I ever moved it.
Got around 20 hours on the unit now. was loading dirt on my garden trailer with it 2 days ago and worked great. Made a light pass down the drive to knock off some of the old ruts with the blade and that worked great also.
If ya got ideas on putting the track back on, I would like hearing from you! THANKS!!!!!!

The first video explains the Hydraulic adjuster removal and the second video shows an easy way to get the track on. If you watch both videos, you will become a Master Tracker. Good Luck

 

[Fixastuff]

Worst:Track tensioner bolt
Middle(almost every name brand mini): grease tensioner
Best(not on any mini that I know of): auto hydraulic tension

 

[oldrustysteel]

Worst:Track tensioner bolt
Middle(almost every name brand mini): grease tensioner
Best(not on any mini that I know of): auto hydraulic tension

Didn't know about an auto hydraulic tensioner. I will have to learn about that. I have always had grease tensioners and never had an issue with them, Except in very cold temps.

 

[oldrustysteel]

Something that I think has helped me NOT lose a track is Listening. I have noticed on a few occasions when turning or after digging and tracking out of area, I hear a sharp clicking from one of the tracks. I immediately stop and use bucket to lift tracks and rotate track backward and forward. This cleans any debris out. I now just do this automatically after digging in dirt with gravel, or other stuff, before attempting to track out of area. It works for me. Yes it takes a few minutes, but its quicker and easier than putting your track back on.

 

[dfkrug]

This guy puts his track on pretty easy.

I like this vid cuz it shows the reinforced wheel mounts (frame tails). And it shows you don't really need a helper, which is a luxury many of us do not have.

This method only works when the track comes off outward. If inward, the drive sprocket has to come off.

I have had no tracks coming off in years. The way I avoid it is primarily, I only turn gradually, with only momentary full engagement of the drive levers. If needing a tight turn, I raise one side of the machine in a "jump turn". If I hear a rock in the tracks, I stop and clear it instead of powering thru.

 

[oldrustysteel]

I like this vid cuz it shows the reinforced wheel mounts (frame tails). And it shows you don't really need a helper, which is a luxury many of us do not have.

This method only works when the track comes off outward. If inward, the drive sprocket has to come off.

I have had no tracks coming off in years. The way I avoid it is primarily, I only turn gradually, with only momentary full engagement of the drive levers. If needing a tight turn, I raise one side of the machine in a "jump turn". If I hear a rock in the tracks, I stop and clear it instead of powering thru.

One of the videos I considered posting for Sonny, showed the guy putting track on using a strap and the bucket to pull it on.
I didn't like that idea so I didn't post it.

I am not doubting you when you say you have to remove the drive wheel when track is off on the inside, but I don't understand why? I have rolled it around in my head, but fail to see the issue.