2010 Pins and Bushings

[robotmaker]

I bought a JD2010C bout 4 years ago and didn't know squat about dozers except that I always wanted one. Like I do with all the cars I ever bought, I went ahead and bought the Service and Parts manuals directly from John Deere (before I found this site!!) I had to tear down the right side steering clutch and am in the middle of replacing those parts. While I have it apart, I started to read up on all the other specs for this unit, and found that I am so far out of adjustment for the tracks that the o-ring has popped out of both hydraulic adjusters. The manual CLEARLY states that you should not let this happen. Now with the track sprawled out on the floor looking like a snake, I see that the pins and bushings are soooo worn that I can literally take a link out and get the adjusters back to where they belong. I read where you can rotate the pins and bushing to get the track back to where it belongs. This does not appear as an easy job without the right press. Anyone built their own? I also see where these parts are becoming difficult to get also? Suggestions? Helpful hints?
thanks again for a great website!
rj
PS> I am beginning to hate this service manual... Now I know more than I wanted to about just how much this old girl is worn...

[wwattson]

There's a lot of reasons not to build your own track press. If you do a search on this board you'll find several posts on the topic. The two biggest for me were the expense and something about getting killed.

There's generally somebody not too far away that does it for a living and I got my rails both done including pins and bushings for about $1100 late last summer. If you ever see what happens sometimes when one of the pins let's loose, I think you'd rethink the home built track press idea.

On the other hand, there's a few souls on here, at least I think they're still with us, that were pursuing the user built path and maybe they can type a reply with their remaining good hand to let you know how it worked out.

Me, I'll have somebody like Lavoy do it. Right equipment, great experience, and treads fearlessly through the crawler world.

[Lavoy]

I built a track press once, got exactly one pin out with a hyd jack, torch and hammer. Loaded the rails in the pickup and took them to a track shop. I am not saying it can not be done, it can be, but it is not worth the time. Also, if you looked at my press and saw the shims that you have to put in to adjust the side to side for link wear and such, I don't see how you would incorporate that into a home made press.
As far as turning pins and bushings, that is a waste of time. You will shorten the track, but you will have absolutely no effect whatsoever on the snakiness of your track. Plus, if your pins and bushings are that far out, you will have enough wear on the back side of the pins and bushings that you will gain about half at best. Another thing to consider is for right now, we can get pins and bushings occasionaly, a few years down the road when you want to rebush the rails, you are out your turning labor, plus you will have the labor to install, and you may not even be able to get pins and bushings any more. If you are inclined to rebush your rails, do it now while you can. I am assuming you have 1" pins, or a 2010 under 42,000. If you have 1 1/8" pins, or a crawler over 42,000, I would not even bother unless you rails are in virtually new shape. I can sell a new pair of rails for probably $600 give or take more than rebushing yours.
Lavoy

[robotmaker]

I searched the board for topics on home made presses, and didn't see anyone who had been successful. Either that or they never completed the project. Point taken about loss of life and limb, but I just hate to pay someone to do something I am capable of doing myself. I did see where Lavoy said these parts were becoming difficult to get... is that still the case Lavoy? I have a local shop here in NW Arkansas who will rotate them for me for $700 but I have to deliver the tracks to them. Also, that's if they are not too far worn. All I know is that not only do they move back and forth about 1/8" but also side to side like a snake, so I am afraid I am looking at new and not just a rotate job.

Appreciate an answer on pin and bushing availability Lavoy
thanks again
rj

[Lavoy]

It vaires on which pin you have, 1" pins are terrible at best right now, 1 1/8" should be no problem. Measure a pin and let me know.
Lavoy

[jdemaris]

. I read where you can rotate the pins and bushing to get the track back to where it belongs. This does not appear as an easy job without the right press. Anyone built their own? I also see where these parts are becoming difficult to get also? Suggestions?

I can't imagine trying to build a track-press. We had three of them at the last place I worked and they often broke down. Considering they were OTC factory-made - and theextreme pressures involved - I wouldn't want to be near a homemade job in operation.

Old track presses for older crawlers - i.e. smaller machines and unsealed tracks - often go cheap. The real small presses intended for 40/420 Deeres, Cletrac HGs/OC3s, AC H3s, IH TD5s/500s, etc. go even cheaper. I was given one but later sold it for $250. I've had several chances to buy other small presses suitable for machines up to Deere 450 size - for less than $1000. Several farmers in my area have their own presses setup in their barns and do small-crawler track-work part-time.

In regard to taking a link out - that's a common remedy. Not a good fix - but I've seen it done many times - and the operators would keep on running the machine until there were no teeth left on the sprockets. If you're ever looking over a used crawler - count the links in each chain - you might get a surprise.

[robotmaker]

In the short time after joining this board, I have learned a ton of stuff already. I wanted to end this thread with my findings on this subject that maybe someone else can learn from it as well. I have found that my serial number is indeed 42193 as indicated on the plate rivited to the bell housing on the left side. What has happened here is that some previous owner of this crawler has changed the rear sprocket and tracks out with a pre 42000 set. All the casting numbers on the track links agree with this and all the casting numbers on the front track idlers and the tension adjuster are all from post 42000 units. Bottom line on this is it stinks that someone swapped the track out with the more difficult to find parts.
thanks again for all the input.
rj

[Lavoy]

That sucks, but not that hard to believe, you would be shocked at all the stuff I have seen done to these old girls through the years.
It would sound like if your rails are good enough shape to rebush, you might have to go that way. The alternative is to find a pair of higher serial number sprockets.
Lavoy

[jdemaris]

Bottom line on this is it stinks that someone swapped the track out with the more difficult to find parts.
thanks again for all the input.
rj

That sort of thing is common -and, why not? If a guy needs the machine to work with - and not as a collector's item, and he/she can buy used parts that will fit and work - it makes sense. At least with Deere, the small crawlers went through several changes so parts swapping was not always easy. Try dating an Oliver-Cletrac HG or OC3 sometime. Just about all parts interchange - from the 1930s to the 1950s - so dating a crawler, or even figuring out what model it is - is often next to impossible.
Model T Ford cars/trucks are the same way.