U a

THE COMPONENTS OF
THE UNDERCARRIAGE:
HOW TO MEASURE THE
WEAR ON THEM?
 Written by YUTANI
YUTANI focuses on the excavator track chain industry. It is the designated
supplier of many excavator original equipment manufacturer.

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 April 28, 2021

Table of Contents
1. TRACK LINK ASSEMBLY
1.1. MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUE
1.2. WEAR LIMITS
1.3. WEAR LIMITS: MAJOR AND MINOR
1.4. ASSEMBLY AND TIGHTENING PROCEDURE
2. SEALED AND LUBRICATED CHAIN BUSHING
2.1. MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUE
2.2. 1. ULTRASONIC WEAR INDICATOR METHOD
2.3. 2. CALIPER METHOD
2.4. 3. DEPTH GAUGE METHOD
2.5. DISADVANTAGES OF THE DEPTH GAUGE METHOD
2.6. ADVANTAGES OF THE DEPTH GAUGE METHOD
3. TRACK SHOE
 3.1. MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUE
3.2. WEAR LIMITS
3.3. TRACK SHOE CAUSE AND EFFECT: PERFORMANCE
3.4. INSTALL THE TRACK SHOES PROPERLY
4. IDLERS: CONVENTIONAL IDLERS
4.1. MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUE
4.2. WEAR LIMITS
4.3. REBUILDABILITY
4.4. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ SECTION)
4.5. HOW LONG IS IT NECESSARY TO MEASURE THE
WEAR OF THE COMPONENTS OF THE
UNDERCARRIAGE?
To optimize the useful life of the components of the
undercarriage, it is very necessary to know the state of each of the
components, especially the state of wear, since due to the wear
that occurs in each components of the undercarriage can be
overloaded, by knowing the state of the components can be made
decisions about the change or the reconstruction of the same.
Which allows the useful life to be extended.

There are various methods, equipment, and techniques to be able

to know the state of wear of the components of the
undercarriage, as a rule to be able to measure wear it is necessary
to be very meticulous when making the measurements,
sometimes several measurements will be necessary of which an
average must be made to have a more precise value.

For each element, the measurement and the technique for

measuring wear is different, since it depends on the structure,
then the measurements to various components of the
undercarriage will be analyzed.

TRACK LINK ASSEMBLY

MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUE

There are two measurement techniques for track links, the

measurement can be performed with a depth gauge or with an
ultrasonic wear indicator.

With the depth gauge technique, the height of the link must be
measured from the rail surface to the track shoe. The
measurement succeeds when it is located outside the links at the
end of the track pin. The depth gauge should be placed as close as
possible to the end of the past, verifying that the links and the
surface of the shoe do not have dirt or adhering elements. The
measurement should be accurate to 0.01 in or 0.25mm.

On the other hand, with the ultrasonic wear indicator technique

measure the distance from the rail surface to the bushing hole,
you need to place the probe in the link above the center line of the
bushing and slide the probe along the surface of the tread for the
smallest reading.

WEAR LIMITS

To establish the link wear limits, you must start by establishing an

allowable wear that is equal to a fraction of the free space
between the link and the idler. On certain machines, this space is
located between the shoulder of the link pin and the flange of the
idler. On the other hand, in other types of machines the free space
is between the hub and the internal flanges of a double flange
idler.
In the case that you have a 100% worn link with a idler in the same
situation, the flanges of the idlers will be in contact with the
projections of the link pin or with the bushing, from 100%
onwards the wear of the pin of the link. The link fails, thus
reducing the retention of the past, and wear on the bushings can
cause cracks to occur.

WEAR LIMITS: MAJOR AND MINOR

The remaining resistance to cracking indicates the wear limit of

the sealed and lubricated chain links.

In the ultrasonic measurements, tables will be shown that show

that the link rail is always thicker which leads to it being more
resistant to cracking in the column with the lowest allowable wear
compared to the column with the highest allowable wear. Your
correct selection of the optimum allowable wear column will
maximize link life and prevent cracking. The resistance to cracking
depends on several factors, among which are the position of the
sprocket (high or low), the conditions of the ground where it is
operated, the useful life of the link and the type of operation that
is carried out.

ASSEMBLY AND TIGHTENING PROCEDURE

The correct assembly and tightening sequence will ensure that the
master link will have a useful life in accordance with that
established by the manufacturer, in addition to ensuring the
integrity of the bolted joint, for which it is necessary to correctly
follow the specified procedure. You should consider that the five-
tooth and single-tooth twist angle values are different as the bolts
have different threads.
 01. Before the installation of the track, it is required to clean
the connection point of the master link, verify that it does not
present any type of damage, remove all the paint.
02. A release compound should be applied to the bolt threads,
body, washer face, and bolt contact areas on the shoe during
assembly.
03. Bring the master links together and make sure the
alignment of the king bolt holes. Install a kingpin on each link.
When turned by hand, the bolts should not present any
resistance and should turn easily in the threads.
04. Remove the screws. Install the master chain shoe and 4
master bolts. Turn the kingpins by hand.
05. Tighten the king bolts, the torque indications should be
found in the equipment manual.

SEALED AND LUBRICATED CHAIN BUSHING

MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUE

To be able to make a measurement, the chain bushing is the most

relevant component. It can be done in 3 ways; each method uses
different tools. You should consult to find out which method is the
most appropriate in your case, since for example the depth gauge
tool only provides wear based on the vertical position.

1. ULTRASONIC WEAR INDICATOR METHOD

It is considered that among the exposed methods this is the most

accurate because it makes the dimension precisely in the most
critical dimension, which is the thickness of the bushing wall, it is
done by slowly sliding the probe around the reverse, vertical and
reverse transmission sides. front, it needs to be the smallest
dimension as this indicates wear.

2. CALIPER METHOD

In this method, the diameter of the bushing is measured, it is

strictly necessary to clean and perform the technique properly
because, due to a bad measurement, the diameter value can vary
greatly from the real value, leading to the conclusion that the
wear has been very high. accelerated, the most common errors in
this measurement are:

Calipers too tight: Calipers that are too tight causing the
measurement to be less than actual.

Calipers at the wrong angle to the hub axis: They will cause a
measurement that is larger than the actual one.
Calipers that do not slide back and forth at position to be
measured: Final reading will be lower than actual.

The bushing was not cleaned well before measurement: If the

surface of the bushing is not clean, the measurement will be larger
than the original due to adhering residue.

Calipers not placed in the most worn part of the hub: If the
gauges are placed in this way, the measured value will be lower.
It is recommended that to make the wear measurement the
bushings are removed from the track; the measurement must
have an accuracy of ± 0.01 in. (± 0.25 mm).

3. DEPTH GAUGE METHOD

It uses the same depth gauge that is used for links. This is a more
error-free method compared to others; however, it may not be
100% accurate and may be subject to minor dimensional
differences. In addition, it is a technique that requires a lot of care
and precision on the part of the meter. Among the most common
mistakes are:

Dirty component
The base of the depth gauge is incorrectly positioned with
respect to the length of the bushing.
The depth gauge probe is not positioned correctly so it does
not make a 90 ° or perpendicular angle with the shoe.

DISADVANTAGES OF THE DEPTH GAUGE METHOD

It is impossible to perform a forward or reverse drive side wear

measurement which is extremely necessary for many applications.
ADVANTAGES OF THE DEPTH GAUGE METHOD

The rear of the hub can be measured after turning the hub.

TRACK SHOE

MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUE

In the track shoe, only the wear of the claw can be measured
because it is for the only thing that there are reference values for
comparison. Plate thickness can be measured and compared to a
new component to determine wear. Both the depth gauge and the
ultrasonic wear indicator can be used on the track shoes.

Using the ultrasonic wear indicator, the measurement should be

made between the claw tip and the bottom of the plate, 1/3 of the
way from the end of the track shoe should be taken and the probe
can be placed on the top or bottom. Measurements must be made
with a precision of 0.02 in. or 0.5 mm.
WEAR LIMITS

Track shoe wear limits are based on 3 criteria, listed below in

order of importance:

01. Track shoe with resistance to bending.

02. The track shoe base must be readily available for reuse
purposes.
03. Remaining traction-penetration capacity of the track shoe
to achieve a required production capacity.

TRACK SHOE CAUSE AND EFFECT: PERFORMANCE

The track shoe is the component that is most affected by the soil
conditions and the handling of the machine due to greater wear
and tear and the structure is compromised, reducing its useful life
compared to any other component in the system of the
undercarriage. On the other hand, the correct selection of the
type of track shoe, as well as its width, has a really big impact on
the performance of the equipment in general and the
performance of each component of the undercarriage.

INSTALL THE TRACK SHOES PROPERLY

If the track shoe becomes loose, the main reason is that the
hardware of the track shoe is poorly tightened. Next, a small
procedure is shown to tighten the bolts, a constant revision must
be carried out every 50 to 100 hours of operation of the
equipment, sometimes it also depends on the expertise of the
operator, if necessary, it should be ruled out that the problem of
the track shoe is due to a bad tightening.
 01. Remove all rust and paint from link and track shoe mating
surfaces.
02. Lubricate the bolt threads and bolt washer faces.
03. Tighten the bolts to the specified torque.
04. Apply an additional 1/3 turn to each bolt.

It is necessary to give an additional 1/3 of a turn to the bolt

because it causes it to stretch properly and improves retention, in
the stretching of the bolt there is a permanent deformation in the
bolt that ensures that the maximum clamping force of the bolt is
used.

IDLERS: CONVENTIONAL IDLERS

MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUE

There are 2 measurable wear positions on the idlers, the first on

the tread and the other on the center flange. Tread wear can be
determined using a measurement using the depth gauge from the
center flange of the tread surface. A measurement should be
taken on both sides of the center tread and the measurements are
averaged. The biggest error in measuring idlers tread wear arises
from wear on the center flange that alters the set point. If you
consider that this wear exists, you should try to compensate it in
the measure taken. You must remember that idlers tread wear
measurements increase decreases as center flange wear occurs.
The wear of the center flange can be measured using the
ultrasonic wear indicator. It measures the thickness of the center
flange and should be taken directly in the center of the flange. Use
the conventional depth gauge to measure wear on the tread
surface, then add the center flange wear to the depth gauge
measurement before determining the percent worn.

WEAR LIMITS

Idler tread wear limits are based on two basic criteria: the
rebuildability of the tread surface plus the space between the
center flange and the track bushing. If the idler wears more than
110%, the tread will become too thin to be rebuilt successfully.

REBUILDABILITY

The roll belt and flange can be rebuilt (a screed operation is used)
successfully multiple times if they are not worn beyond the
service limits and if the center flange wear is considered at this
service point. The idler generally provides a life equal to the life of
the original tread up to the respective limits if welded to the
original dimensions.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ SECTION)

HOW LONG IS IT NECESSARY TO MEASURE THE WEAR

OF THE COMPONENTS OF THE UNDERCARRIAGE?

There is no set time, the performance of measurements depends

on many factors such as variables that are not controllable by the
operator, such as the type of soil and the number of turns that are
made, a machine that is on a soil without Irregularities you will not
 need to measure wear as frequently as a machine that works on
slopes with rocky or uneven ground, visual inspections should be
carried out whenever possible at the end of the use of the
equipment.

And preventive maintenance must be scheduled in which wear

measurements can be made, which is common every 50-100
hours of use. As mentioned before, in the case of extreme
conditions, wear will appear much faster, in those cases it is
necessary to evaluate which side of the undercarriage is the most
worn and evaluate whether it is feasible to change components
from one side. the other until the wear of both is equal or if the
parts simply need to be replaced.

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