Way for Extending UC Life

UCFN04-001-2
3/5/04
MAINTENANCE
Earthmoving, by definition, means working in
dirt and that dirt wears on your machine’s un-
dercarriage. Even though there isn’t much you
can do about the dirt, you can improve the life of
an undercarriage with routine maintenance.

Track Tension
It is extremely important to maintain proper
track tension at all times of operation. Chain
tightness is measured by the amount of track sag.
Track sag has an inverse relationship with track
tension, which means that a large track sag in-
dicates that the track is loose and a small track
sag indicates that the track is tight.

Notice from the graph that if you decrease

track sag just a little bit (e.g. from 1.0” to 0.35 Track Tension vs. Track Sag
7000
0.5”) it increases tension tremendously (about 0.5 5600
3000 lbs). This illustrates the sensitivity of 0.75
6000
3500
Track Tension (lbs)

track tension and the importance of keeping it 1 2100

1.25 1500
properly adjusted.
1.5
4000 1200
2 800
Track tension is maintained by a track ad- 2.75 500
juster that is situated behind the front idler. 2000 3 400
Adjustments are made by pumping or drain-
ing grease through a fitting on the track
adjuster. 0
0 1 2 3
Track Sag (Inches)
Way for Extending UC Life
A tight track chain adversely affects the undercarriage in these ways:

1) Increased wear on all undercarriage compo-

nents, especially pins, bushings, links and
sprockets.

2) Mechanical loss and reduced drawbar pull

as a result of large frictional forces that burden
the drive train.

3) Hotter temperatures produced by friction

between moving components. Temperatures
can get hot enough to melt seals.

A loose track does not function properly and also causes damage in many ways:

1) Track chain swings side to side and machine weaves violently. This causes increased wear
and impact on all components responsible for track guidance, especially flanges, roller guards,
link side faces and sprocket teeth.

2) Upper waviness causes the track chain to whip, resulting in idler and carrier roller wear. This
is particularly damaging in high speeds.

3) In reverse travel the sprocket has a tendency to climb bushings, sometimes even skip bush-
ings, resulting in loud, popping impacts.

4) Excessive noise and shaking.

Way for Extending UC Life
Cleaning
Packing material that accumulates on undercarriage
components can become as hard as the components
themselves. Regular cleaning can greatly reduce
the effects of packing. Use a shovel to clear out the
area between the track frame and the upper portion
of the chain. Then use water to wash away any
remaining material.

Routine Inspection
When it comes to undercarriage life, early detec-
tion of wear, misalignment and damage is the key
to preventing a serious and costly condition. There are several items that should be checked
regularly.

1) Keep track of undercarriage wear. Pay special attention to bushing wear and premature link
pitch elongation. Also, keep an eye out for any differences between component wear patterns
(i.e. left vs. right and front vs. rear). This can often reveal other hidden problems, like
misalignment or poor operator habits.

2) Watch out for component damage, such as cracks, bends, and breaks. These can lead to in-
terference and malfunction. Most importantly, check rollers for oil leakage. Leakage means
that oil is being lost. If this condition is ignored the component will seize and cause quick, ex-
cessive wear and damage.

3) Misalignment causes unnecessary wear to all undercarriage components. The most common
type of misalignment is idler shift, which can usually be fixed by adjusting idler shims.

4) Loose nuts and bolts cause interference with moving parts, abnormal wear, bolt hole wallow-
ing, bolt breakage, accelerated misalignment and component loss. It is very important to apply
proper torque to all bolts. If bolts are not tightened enough then vibration will slowly loosen
them until they are free. On the other hand, if bolts are over-tightened their structural integrity
will be weakened and they will fail prematurely.
Way for Extending UC Life
Keeping Good Records

It is important to keep good records of all service-related activity, such as wear measurement,
repair and costs of repair. This information can be used to evaluate current wear and reduce fu-
ture wear through scheduled servicing. An excellent way to accomplish this task is to use KUC
Program, provided through Komatsu
Way for Extending UC Life
METHOD OF OPERATION
Method of operation is another factor that can greatly influence wear. There are several rules
that should be observed to minimize wear:

Use slowest operating speed that will get the job done in time. Wear rate is proportional to
speed. Therefore, the faster you go, the more wear you will induce. When working in high im-
pact conditions this rule is even more critical and the lowest gears should always be used.

Minimize reverse travel because it causes much more wear to bushings and sprockets than
forward travel. Completely avoid reverse travel in high gear or when climbing uphill.

Avoid spinning the tracks. It is ineffective and subjects the undercarriage to unnecessary
wear. It affects grousers the most because they undergo a grinding action.

Avoid favoring one side because it causes uneven undercarriage wear. Operators should use
symmetrical operating patterns to produce balanced wear. If this is impossible or highly unpro-
ductive then left and right rollers should be swapped periodically. Here are some examples of
preferred-side operations:

1) Frequent turning in the same direction produces uneven wear on roller flanges and link side
faces. Sometimes such maneuvering is made necessary by worksite geometry and job appli-
cation. But usually it is caused by poor operator habits.

Frequent turning in the same direction

Way for Extending UC Life
Operators should maneuver the ma-
chine so that the operating pattern has
an even number of left and right turns.
For example, instead of doing an oval
pattern, which requires one-sided turn-
ing, operators can do a semi-oval
pattern, which involves symmetrical
turning. Another alternative is to do a
figure 8 pattern, however this is
not recommended because it is
inefficient and redundant.

2) Traveling across a lateral slope pro-

duces heavy side-loading on the downhill
track. It is best to avoid this kind of op-
eration altogether, but if the job requires
it then the operator should change sides
for each pass to balance wear on both
tracks.

3) Side-hill cutting produces uneven wear

because it involves loading one track at a
time. Where possible, the operator should
change sides for each pass.
Way for Extending UC Life
Avoid impact because it produces shock loads that are transmitted to undercarriage compo-
nents. This causes cracking, bending, breaking and misaligning. If the job involves high impact
conditions then operate using lowest gears.

Minimize counter-rotation. It produces heavy side loading because one track travels for-
ward while the other travels in reverse. However, counter-rotation can be used effectively to
minimize preferred-side operations.

Avoid sharp turning, especially when traveling in high gears because it produces a lot of side
loading. It is better to make wide, large radius turns.

Park machine properly on a flat, dry surface. Parking a machine on a slope may cause
roller seals to become permanently deformed, especially in extremely hot or cold temperatures.

Minimize forward-reverse direction changes because it causes root and radial wear.
 Way for Extending UC Life
MACHINE OUTFIT Shoes
Machine outfitting refers to customizing a ma- Service life of the entire undercarriage depends
chine so that it best suits the job application, on the selection of the right shoe. There are
earth conditions and terrain. Understanding many different types of shoes. The following
how to properly outfit a machine is a very ef- chart shows the shoes that Komatsu crawlers
fective tool for reducing wear and prolonging are equipped with. Notice that each shoe has
undercarriage life. The main options of outfit- advantages, disadvantages and is designed for
ting a machine are shoes and roller guards. specific applications.

Type of shoe Application Advantages Disadvantages

Single grouser shoe General soil excluding Because the shape of the grouser is •Strength is reduced on rocky
rocky ground (for bull- sharp, it easily bites into the ground and ground,
dozer) provides a large traction force and bending may occur.
•The riding conform is inferior to the
triple and double grouser shoes.
•The road surface is liable to
be roughed.
•The turning resistance is
large.
Heavy duty shoe For rocky ground (for bull- Compared to a single grouser shoe, the
dozer) grouser and plate portions of this shoe
are thicker and stronger, providing high
bending resistance and wear resistance.

Triple grouser Hard ground •The three grousers have the same This shoe does not readily bite into
Suitable for both soft and height, hence turning ability is good. the ground, so the traction force is
Double grouser hard ground (for hydraulic Good riding comfort is obtained as com- low.
excavator and dozer pared with a single grouser shoe.
shovel) •Rotating resistance is low.
Because three beams are used, resis-
tance to bending is high.

Swamp shoe Swamp areas •Because the cross-section of this •Unsuitable for ground other
(for swamp dozer) shoe is an arc, the ground contact than swamy ground. When used off
area is large, and buoyancy is easily swampy ground, it is liable to bend
obtained. due to its strength.
•This shoe is particularly suitable
for use in swamp areas and areas with
low ground pressure. The ground sur-
face is not damaged when the machine
travels over it, so it is suitable for soil
compaction and leveling work.
• •
Way for Extending UC Life
Application Advantages Disadvantages
Type of shoe
Snow shoe On snow •For use on snow Wear and damage occur rapidly when
•To prevent transverse slip this shoe is used on general soil and
1. Is provided with rib rocky ground.
2. Grousers are stepped
•For discharging ice and snow
1. Holes are provided in plate
portion
2. Tail of plate has been
eliminated

Flat shoe Paved roads * Projections have been eliminated * Because there are no grousers, this
Indoor work (heads of shoe bolts are recessed), shoe does not bite into the ground.
permitting work on paved roads
without damaging road surface.
* Turning resistance is very low, and
tracks are highly wear resistant.

Roadline (rubber) Paved road *The surface of the shoe in contact with * Use in the following places will
Indoor work the ground is made of rubber, so the shorten the cutting life of the rubber.
machine can travel on paved roads (1) Rocky ground
without damaging the road surface. (2) Cold areas (below -250C)
* Prevents noise when machine is
(3) Hot areas (above 650C)
traveling.
* Because there are no grousers,
this shoe does not bite into the
ground.

Center hole shoe Soil which clogs * There is a hole in the plate to * Strength is somewhat reduced
remove any mud or soil. on rocky ground, and cracks and
* The sprocket removes any mud or other damage may occur.
soil collected between the track
rails, so clogging of the track is
reduced.

Shoes mainly have two attributes: width and Flotation is the shoe’s ability to keep the
type. These attributes greatly affect under- machine from sinking. It is a function of
carriage performance and susceptibility to ground material, machine weight and shoe
wear. Understanding them will enable us to width.
select the most appropriate shoe to match
the job conditions. There are four main fac-
tors that contribute to shoe performance:
flotation, ground penetration, maneuvering
and robustness. Each of these factors can be
partially controlled by varying shoe width
and shoe type. Let’s take a closer look:
Way for Extending UC Life
Ground material is the biggest factor. It is Example
very easy to stay afloat when you are work-
ing in hard material, like rock. But it is very Given:
difficult to keep the machine from sinking Machine Weight = 24,000 lbs
when you are working in a swamp. Track on Ground Length = 10 ft = 120 in
Shoe Width = 20 in
Machine weight is also an important factor
because the heavier the machine is, the Contact Area = 2 x (120 in x 20 in)
harder it is to keep it afloat. = 4800 in2

Shoe width determines the contact area be- Ground Pressure = 24,000 lbs / 4800 in2
tween the tracks and ground. Wider shoes = 5 lbs/in2
provide more contact area and allow the
weight of the machine to be distributed over Therefore, ground pressure is 5 psi.
a larger area, thereby increasing flotation.
This concept is called ground pressure.
As a rule of thumb, shoe width must be wide
Ground pressure combines the effects of enough to keep the machine afloat, but not
machine weight with shoe width. It is de- wider.
termined by the following formulas:

Contact Area =

2 x (Track on Ground Length x Shoe Width )

Ground Pressure = Machine Weight / Contact Area

Way for Extending UC Life
Penetration is the portion of the grouser
that digs into the ground during operation.
Good penetration means that the whole
grouser gets embedded into the ground.
Poor penetration means that very little of the
grouser gets embedded into the ground
Penetration is directly related to traction,
which means that more penetration equals
more traction. Traction is the machine’s
ability to grip the ground and propel itself in
a forward or reverse direction. It is impor-
tant to understand that traction is a function
of ground material, machine weight and
shoe type, but it is NOT related to shoe
width. Therefore, outfitting a machine
with wider shoes will not necessarily in-
crease traction.
Way for Extending UC Life
Maneuvering ability is a function
of ground material, machine
weight, shoe type and shoe width.
Wider shoes make it more difficult
to maneuver the machine because
they stick out further and offer
more turning resistance.

Robustness is the ability to with-

stand wear and impact. Shoes are
subjected to a bending moment that
increases proportionally with shoe
width. A track shoe is like a lever;
the longer the lever, the easier it is
to break. For this reason, wider
shoes are more susceptible to wear
and impact. They also increase the
effects of impact to all other undercarriage
components. Some common problems
related to wide shoes are:

• Increased wear on link sides, rollers and

flanges
• External/internal bushing wear
• Pin loosening
• Premature seal failure
• Wide shoes also contribute to packing
conditions because they can scoop
deeper and provide more room for mate-
rial accumulation.
Way for Extending UC Life
Shoe type is also a critical factor when it
comes to robustness. We will illustrate the
importance of shoe type with an example of Some shoes have a mud relief hole, which is
rockbed shoes. These shoes are intended for drilled in the center of the shoe plate. Its
hard, rocky terrain. They undergo a manu- purpose is to prevent packing accumulation
facturing process called work-hardening, by helping the material escape. Every time
which provides them with a special 2mm - the sprocket pushes on a bushing it squeezes
3mm layer that is able to maintain its own the material out.
hardness at all times. It works like this:
when rocks strike the shoe they compact the
metal and make it harder. Even when the
original layer wears away the striking rocks
form a new layer that is just as hard as the
original. In this manner rockbed shoes use
rocks to their advantage and as long as the
machine works on rocky ground the shoes
will never “wear”. However, if the shoes
are used in a relatively soft terrain, where
the ground material is not hard enough to
work-harden the metal then the grousers will Prior to implementing a mud relief hole it is
quickly wear away and fail. This shows the important to check that the ground material
importance of matching shoe type with job is extrudable. Extrudable materials include
conditions. Here are some other examples, clay, soil, snow and ice. Non-extrudable
materials include rocks, gravel, branches
and brush.
• If standard single grouser shoes are used
in rocky conditions the grousers will
wear prematurely.

• If swamp shoes are used on hard ground

the shoes will deform and wear prema-
turely.

• If flat shoes are used in soil they will

have no penetration and will wear pre-
maturely.

For detailed shoe type and shoe applica-

tion, please refer to the “KUC Procedure
Manual (SELA1208-04)”
Way for Extending UC Life
Roller guards
The decision to install or not to install roller
guards is considerable. Although roller
guards provide many benefits there are times
when they are best left off the machine.
Roller guards serve two purposes. First,
they prevent rocks from impacting and clog-
ging track rollers. Second, they provide
additional guidance for the track chain. The
problem with roller guards is that they often
keep material in instead of keeping it out.
This adverse effect often outweighs the
benefits. For this reason, roller guards
should not be used in high packing condi-
tions.

For more details on roller guard, please

refer to the “KUC Procedure Manual
(SELA1208-04)”