Case 2050M, Operator'S Manual, Page: 149 / 286

6 - WORKING OPERATIONS
Undercarriage wear
Factors controlling undercarriage wear
You can prolong undercarriage life by understanding factors that contribute to wear.
Soil conditions are a major factor in determining undercarriage wear. Nonabrasive soils, such as silt and clay cause
the least amount of wear. Wet, sandy soils are the most abrasive and cause the most wear.
Working in rocky conditions and other surfaces where the grouser bars do not penetrate causes high impact and
twisting loads on the track chains.
Follow the operating and maintenance tips to help you get the most life from your machine’s undercarriage.
Wear factors you can control
Minimize the effects of packing by checking track tension frequently when working in mud, snow and wet sand. Pack-
ing can cause track jumping and banging.
• Severe packing of materials between undercarriage components causes wear by increasing track tension.
NOTICE: Running tracks that are too tight greatly reduces the life of the bushing and sprocket. Operate the tracks at
the recommended tension. This will increase the bushing and sprocket life by 2.5 to 3 times.
• Operating techniques and maintenance also greatly affect undercarriage life.
• Avoid spinning the tracks as much as possible, especially in abrasive soil conditions.
• Avoid long runs at high speed, and limit the amount of reverse travel.
• Avoid frequent reverse operation. Keep travel speed to a minimum when working in reverse.
• Speed impact, turning, and direction of operation greatly affect wear.
• Work up and down a slope instead of across it. This decreases wear on roller flanges and link side rails.
• Check track tension, and clean the undercarriage more frequently when working in high packing conditions.
• Constantly turning the crawler in the same direction will cause uneven wear.
• Use the smallest track shoes possible to minimize track chain twisting. Limit the use of wide track shoes to flotation
applications.
• Park the machine on level ground to prevent seal distortion.
• Clean the undercarriage more often when operating in freezing conditions
• Park the machine on planks. This is particularly important in cold weather to prevent the tracks from freezing to the
ground.
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