Showing your undercarriage some love
It's no secret that reducing wear on your machine's undercarriage will extend the life of your parts. So, let's look at some tips on what to do to keep that undercarriage in tip top shape.
They say cleanliness is a virtue, and while that discounts all the fun to be had playing in the dirt, it is true that keeping your machine's undercarriages clean will greatly incresase the life of your parts. Frequent washing prevents the packing of soil and debris in undercarriage components. Those packed materials can prevents the proper engagement between the mating components like track links and sprocket teeth, causing increased loads on undercarriage components and higher wear rates.
Here's a tip you can do without even leaving the cab. When you are working on hills, shift the weight of the machine towards the bottom of the hill. This will reduce the load on the undercarriage parts and promote even wear. Speaking of even wear, when working on slopes and hills, try and change direction often to not cause additional wear on one set of parts vs. another. Even part wear is the goal here.
One final tip is to keep an eye on the track tension. Not only will this help avoid throwing a track, it will also reduce wear on the track drive components. If you've been following the other tips and fail to follow this one, you've just done all that work for nothing.
In conclusion, a little work and maintenance along the way can lead to an undercarriage that has been shown some love and can enjoy a longer life before it needs new parts.
