Maintenance of steel track undercarriage is essential to extend service life, especially in high-intensity operations or harsh environments (such as construction machinery, agricultural machinery, military vehicles, etc.). The following are detailed maintenance recommendations, covering daily maintenance, periodic inspections and professional maintenance measures:
一. Daily cleaning and anti-rust treatment
1. Clear away debris
- After each operation, immediately clean up foreign objects such as dirt, sand, weeds, etc. from the gaps in the tracks to prevent them from getting stuck in the rollers or between the chain links and accelerating wear.
- When using a high-pressure water gun to flush, be careful to avoid direct impact on the bearing sealing part to prevent water ingress and lubrication failure.
2. Rust prevention and drying
- After cleaning, dry the track thoroughly, especially the metal contact parts such as chain links and pins, to avoid residual moisture causing rust.
- When working in a humid or salty environment (such as coastal areas), spray rust inhibitor or apply butter to form a protective film.
二. Lubrication and tightness adjustment
1. Lubricate key parts regularly
- Pins and bushings: every 50-100 hours of operation or as required by the manufacturer, inject high temperature resistant, waterproof grease (such as lithium grease) into the lubrication points to reduce friction and metal fatigue.
- Track roller, guide wheel and drive wheel bearings: Check the sealing and add grease to prevent dry grinding from causing bearing damage.
2. Track tightness adjustment
- Maintain proper tension (refer to the equipment manual). Too looseness may cause tooth skipping or derailment, while too tightness may increase internal wear and energy consumption.
- Adjustment method: Use the hydraulic tensioner or adjusting bolts to ensure that the sag in the middle of the track is between 20-50mm (the specific value varies depending on the model).
三. Periodic inspection and wear monitoring
1. Visual inspection
- Chain links and pins: Check for cracks, deformation or excessive wear (if the thickness of the chain link decreases by more than 10%, it needs to be replaced).
- Track shoes: Check the wear of the ground contact teeth. If the tooth height is worn more than 30% or broken, it needs to be replaced.
- Bolts and nuts: Tighten the track connection bolts to prevent loosening and structural failure.
2. Wear mark monitoring
- Some tracks are designed with wear indicator holes or marks. When the marks disappear, the corresponding parts need to be replaced.
四. Operation habit optimization
1. Avoid improper operation
- Reduce sharp turns and pivoting, which can significantly increase track side wear.
- Avoid long-term one-sided force (such as one side of the track sinking into a mud pit) and try to maintain a balanced load.
2. Control the working environment
- Reduce speed when driving on hard roads (such as cement) to reduce the impact wear between the track shoes and the ground.
- Avoid staying on high temperature surfaces (such as slag accumulation areas) for a long time to prevent aging of track rubber parts (if any).
五. Seasonal and special environment maintenance
1. Winter maintenance
- In low temperature environments, grease may solidify and need to be replaced with a special low temperature lubricant.
- Clear ice and snow promptly after operation to prevent freezing and cause failure of the track tensioner.
2. Dusty/muddy environment
- Clean more frequently to prevent grit from getting inside the track.
- Check whether the seal is intact and replace it with a seal with stronger dustproof performance if necessary.
六. Professional maintenance and parts replacement
1. Regular disassembly and inspection
- Every 500-1000 hours (or as recommended by the manufacturer), disassemble the track to check the wear of the internal bushings and pins, and replace the worn parts in time.
2. Principle of replacement in pairs
- When replacing chain links, track rollers and other parts, they must be replaced symmetrically to avoid uneven force due to differences between new and old parts.
七. Storage considerations
- When the equipment is not used for a long period of time, park it on a dry and flat surface and release the track tension to a relaxed state.
- Use wooden blocks or brackets to support the tracks to prevent the ground contacting parts from being deformed due to long-term pressure.
Summary of key lifespan influencing factors
|
Factors |
Influence Results |
Countermeasures |
|
Insufficient lubrication |
Accelerates the wear of the pin and bushing |
Regularly grease and check the sealing performance. |
|
Track is too tight or too loose |
ooth skipping, derailment or internal wear |
Adjust tension according to manual |
|
Foreign objects are stuck in the chain |
Chain links are deformed or broken. |
Clean them in time and check the integrity of the guard plate. |
|
Improper operation (sudden turning, etc.) |
Increased side wear |
Standardized operation training |
Through systematic maintenance, the life of steel tracks can usually be extended by 30%-50%, significantly reducing equipment downtime and repair costs. It is recommended to develop a personalized maintenance plan in conjunction with the equipment manual and record each maintenance data to analyze wear trends.