New JD40c owner

[ddaws]

I've been checking out this site for about a year and half now, ever since I bought my 1955 JD40C, and I have to say this is a great resource that I look forward to reading everyday. My machine and I got off to a bad start, all of it due to operator inexperience. The first day I owned it I had to take it right up into the woods to see what it would do. Things went great for about a hour until I threw a track. If I had taken the time to read the manual and adjusted the track tension first I could have saved myself the trouble but in hindsight I learned a good lesson and I will know what to do next time. Things have gone much better since that day, though I haven't had a lot of opportunity to use it. I did however, find out why you folks are always wishing for snow. We had a storm about a month and a half ago and I found out for myself that a dozer is the only way to move snow. Overall, my machine is in fairly good shape, it runs and steers great and the undercarriage is decent though the pads are a little smooth. The one problem that I do have is one that seems to be a common one, at some point the frame brackets that attach to the cross bars got tweaked. They are now bolted on to the frame but some pieces of the castings have been broken off, so I know I will eventually be replacing them. What is a ball park figure that I could expect to pay for a set and will I have to split the track to replace them? Thanks in advance.

[DiggerLarry]

Welcome to the club. I have 2 40C's. Those frame clamps are relatively cheap. About $30 for a pair.

[ddaws]

Thanks for the info. I know that parts for these things can get pretty pricey so I was curious what I would be in for. I bought the machine hoping to use it to build a road through our woodlot but i want to make sure anything that needs fixing is fixed. My guess is that the further out in the woods i get with it the more likely it is that something's going to let loose.

[DiggerLarry]

Distance from the shop is in directed proportion to the severity of the breakdown.

It is very important to keep all the UC fasteners tight. Frame clamps especially but anything joining rollers, idlers and sprockets too. If it get motion in it that it wasn't designed to have, things break.

Good luck!