Installing and Removing Rubber Tracks

The first sentence to pop into the mind of a driver as his digger sinks muddily into a waterlogged work site is likely to have the word traction in there somewhere. While the operator uses some colourful curses to not so eloquently describe his irritation at having a wheel stuck in a ditch, let’s consider the advantages of tracks. Traction is the first, as we already stated, but how about weight distribution? Tracks are long and surprisingly nimble, and they do indeed aid in spreading what’s already a balanced weight, although an imbalanced load can change the truth of this statement and leave the machine teetering on the edge of that muddy ditch.

Moving on to mini diggers, the servants of grateful building contractors and landscape designers across the developed world, tracks can’t help but boost the compact form factor of the little digger into an even more nimble mover, but we’re still left to wonder just how difficult it is to install those handy rubber tracks. Here’s a guide to installing tough rubber tracks. First, some prep work.

• Use common shop tools to complete the process, removing and installing one track at a time.
• The mini digger must clear the ground by at least 6-inches. Outriggers are used to accomplish the lift on heavier vehicles, but dropping the lifting blade and using the backhoe boom to leverage one end of the mini digger off the ground will do the trick here.
• Safety comes first. Stabilize this rocky lift with heavy-duty jacks or blocks.

Now, with the weight of the digger securely supported, comes the moment of truth. Begin disassembling the first track.

• There’s a tension setting responsible for keeping the track tight between both wheeled assemblies. Remove the grease fitting and drain the grease to remove the tension.
• Here comes the manual labour. Release the track idler, moving it back toward the middle of the track.
• Manually remove the track from the sprockets of the wheel.
• Replace the track and feed it into the teeth of the sprocket.
• It’s time to pick up a grease gun and recharge the tension setting. Fill the grease setting until track sag is reduced.
• Remove the blocks and get to work before the supervisor magically appears.

One final detail, an important one. Get help when engaging in heavy work of this nature.

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