Guess I figured out wy I need rock guards

[puttputt]

Broke a link in my track today.Anybody know If it is possible to remove one link? Its 6" and looks like I have 5 3/4 travel on my adjuster? HELP!!!!!!

[Lavoy]

You are better off repairing or replaceing the link. If you have to take one out, you should have room, the adjuster only moves half the length of a link.
Lavoy

[JimAnderson]

puttput,
I don't mean to seem critical but how did you break a link? I am
rough on my old girls but wow.Are the rails that thin or did something
really bad happen?Just curious.JimAnderson

[mini kahuna]

a small stone in the right spot,a piece of rebar or pipe etc,etc.
I have a broken link on my 1010 right now,haven't been able to find one,tractor is emergency use only right now.
almost forgot,barbed wire and crawlers don't get along either.

[jdemaris]

Broke a link in my track today.Anybody know If it is possible to remove one link? Its 6" and looks like I have 5 3/4 travel on my adjuster? HELP!!!!!!

There are a lot of tracks out there with a link missing. If's often removed just to get some adjustment back. Causes a problem when you want to pin and bush the tracks though. Once done, they usually won't fit.

[JimAnderson]

OK,
Maybe I've been very lucky.I've run my machines through all
kinds of stuff and not had this sort of problem.Years ago I helped out a neighbor with a building site for his new house.He and his father inlaw
built a big brush pile and set it on fire using old tires to start the blaze.
They then brought several loads of fill dirt and I got the task of
leveling the site.I spent several hours pushing the dirt and ash
and kept seeing what looked like steel colored pineapples every
where I looked.These things were the size of softballs and after
awhile I stopped the dozer and picked one up.These pineapples
were the wire from tire casings and my old dozer some how picked
up this crap and spun into balls.The wire finally couldn't stand the
strain and deposited a ball and went on.
Again maybe I've been lucky but just how common is it to
break a track link?I don't ask this question just based on my experience.
I have my dads 420 which was used here in Virginia and for over
30 years on ledge in Maine without this problem.
I am just curious how often does this occur.
Thanks,Jim Anderson

[jdemaris]

Again maybe I've been lucky but just how common is it to break a track link?

I've seen many break - and with all the links were already worn out and too thin. A high-hours track-chain that's been pin and bushed a few times (or turned) often has links with half the steel gone. And, besides that, they are often worn past the external layer of heat-treatment. I've never seen an unworn link break.

[digitup2]

I have seen it several times the major problem now is to get a link with the same wear in it Or close to the same anyway.I don't like removing a link and not replacing one for shure they don't tention adjust the same if you dont replace the link .Not to mention the track is smaller and you will always be correcting this as you run it.I have a 312b Cat excavator with a link missing and if you are heading across a field you kind of play catchup every 300 feet of straight running and that is a lot shorter track than the excavator track .Digitup.

[jdemaris]

.Not to mention the track is smaller and you will always be correcting this as you run it.I have a 312b Cat excavator with a link missing and if you are heading across a field you kind of play catchup every 300 feet of straight running and that is a lot shorter track than the excavator track .Digitup.

I've got a little Cletrac HG dozer - and I turned the pins and bushings just on one track. So, now that one is little smaller and tighter that the one I didn't touch. And . . . same thing as you decribe. Won't go in a straight line without constant correction at the steering lever.

[Dave Seager]

I have seen it several times the major problem now is to get a link with the same wear in it Or close to the same anyway.I don't like removing a link and not replacing one for shure they don't tention adjust the same if you dont replace the link .Not to mention the track is smaller and you will always be correcting this as you run it.I have a 312b Cat excavator with a link missing and if you are heading across a field you kind of play catchup every 300 feet of straight running and that is a lot shorter track than the excavator track .Digitup.

I don't think that the number of links matters! It's the length of the individual links that makes the difference. Like John Demaris said when one side is pinned and bushed but not the other you will have to correct to go straight! Lets assume that the drive sprockets have 20 teeth, (didn't count them) and the links on the left chain average 5.75 inches long, but the links on the right chain average 6.00 inches long (due to wear). The result will be that the left track will travel 115 inches while the right track is traveling 120 inches so now we are gradually turning left even though both sprockets are turning at the same speed! Long story short, if you wanna go straight, both track chains gotta have the same amount of wear!

[Bret4207]

Ya can't weld it?

[charless]

Broke a link in my track today.Anybody know If it is possible to remove one link? Its 6" and looks like I have 5 3/4 travel on my adjuster? HELP!!!!!!

I have two broken links on my 440 so I am interested in what you ended up doing? Were you able to find any used links to replace the broken one?

[Lavoy]

I have welded numerous links, if done correctly, they will hold.
Lavoy

[fixedforever]

One of mine started breaking, and I was able to weld it. Use a 220v stick welder, 6011 5/32 weld rods are nice.

[Dave T]

I would be inclined to use low hydrogen rod or wire when repairing the links. Also you might consider building up the tops of the links if they are worn bad, I've done that on bigger stuff and it works just fine if you know how to weld and use the right rod. Won't help the wear in the pins and bushings but it will get you some adjustment back. If you do a neat job of welding there won't be any grinding. Also it is a good winter project.