TRACK
CARE
Caring For Your Rubber Tracks.
Do's
& Don'ts for
Maximising
the Life of Your Rubber Tracks.
All our rubber tracks are designed to
withstand the roughest (normal) wear and tear that an operator can put on
them.
They are not designed to be abused or ignored. To get the longest, most productive life possible from your tracks, here are some simple guidelines to follow.
DO's
Do use care and common sense when operating a tracked vehicle. Fast wear on rubber tracks usually occurs for a reason. Make sure the reason is not lack of care by the operator.
Do minimise the rubber
track exposure to contaminants such as oils, salt, chemicals and abrasive
fluids. Clean rubber tracks immediately if they come into contact with
contaminating liquids or corrosive chemicals.
Do keep the rubber
tracks out of the sunlight as much as possible. Sunlight will cause
deterioration to the rubber compound. Also be careful of the ambient
temperature you are working in. Normal rubber track temperature range is
between -25o C and +55 o C. In times of extreme
conditions slow your travel and turn speeds to reduce wear.
Do prevent
foreign objects becoming lodged in the undercarriage.
Do
avoid fast, sharp turns.
Do
clean undercarriages frequently and prevent build-up of sand, mud or
gravel.
Do
maintain the correct tension on your rubber tracks always. Incorrect
tension will result in damage and possible track "throwing" when
travelling. Over-tensioning will damage your rubber tracks very quickly.
Do
check the undercarriage components regularly. Excessive wear on
sprockets, idlers and rollers will cause unnecessary wear on your rubber
tracks, and affect performance and reliability. When purchasing new rubber
tracks, first ensure that the undercarriage components are in a fit state
and will support your new rubber track. Placing new rubber tracks on worn
undercarriage components is throwing money away.
Do
use the correct rubber track width as specified by the manufacturer.
Using wider rubber tracks than necessary or than what the machine was
designed for will cause added stress on drive components and the rubber
track itself.
Do
alternate the direction of turns from one side to the other. Try to
avoid continually turning in one direction only.
Do
limit any unnecessary high speed travel.
Do
limit reverse travel.
Do reduce slippage and
spinning.
Do
travel with both rubber tracks on level surfaces.
DON'Ts
Do
Not traverse hills. When mounting hills travel directly up or down.
Traversing (driving at an angle) will put unnecessary sideways stress on
the rubber tracks.
Do
Not drive with the sidewalls of the rubber tracks up against curbs,
walls or hard objects.
Do
Not travel in areas that
will cause early wear or excessive damage to your rubber tracks. Minimise
use in rocky areas, sharp gravel areas, concrete surfaces, demolition
areas, crop stubble fields, metal debris and any other sharp debris zone.
Do
Not work on a crown or
crest. This will place all the weight of the machine and load on the
inside rubber track links, inside roller, idler tread surface and
sprockets.
Do
Not
work in depressions. This will place all the weight of the machine and
load on the outside rubber track links, outside roller and idler.
