Turning pins and bushings

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Willie B
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Turning pins and bushings

Post by Willie B » Fri Dec 25, 2015 10:15 am

I've heard the term, know nothing of it. Is it feasible, or something that would require a great deal of equipment?

Willie
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pondhogvt
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pins and bushings

Post by pondhogvt » Fri Dec 25, 2015 10:38 am

Willie, it's nothing you can do... you have to take it to a track press shop.. here in Vermont it has become almost unaffordable...especially for the smaller dozers,,

as an example a JD450 costs around $1100....and ofcourse you have to take the tracks off and take them to a shop..

you being in southern Vt might help with more options.. there is a place in Pennsylvania, that was reasonable but I couldn't justify the distance..

I'll try to find out their address and relay it to you.. Mark
350 loader,350c dozer winch and arch,450c winch and arch,450e winch and arch,D37p komatsu lgp dozer,D85 Komatsu dozer,D8k Caterpillar.

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notmeu
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Re: pins and bushings

Post by notmeu » Fri Dec 25, 2015 11:31 am

Mark, I would be interested in the name and location if the shop in PA! It never hurts to have too much information!!!
1956 JD420, gearmatic 8a winch, custom 6 way blade and FOPS.

pondhogvt
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pins and bushings turned

Post by pondhogvt » Fri Dec 25, 2015 9:31 pm

O.K. guys here is address in Pa.

Traval Contractors Supply, Jeannette, Pa. near Pittsburgh.
724-523-5553

they have 3-track presses and the prices they quoted me were very good and knowledgeable people,,

I wish they were closer to me.... Mark
350 loader,350c dozer winch and arch,450c winch and arch,450e winch and arch,D37p komatsu lgp dozer,D85 Komatsu dozer,D8k Caterpillar.

Willie B
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Post by Willie B » Mon Jan 04, 2016 9:48 am

As some of you know I am a traitor. I ended up with a Dresser TD7G, more money than the 450B, but less expense. We've been going through it, cleaning, replacing mismatched batteries, cables, switch, oils, filters, coolant, hydraulic hoses, etc. I'm amazed how costly these seemingly small items are. Yesterday a friend stopped in. He is mechanic, and problem solver for a small four man family excavating business. They have had a TD7E forever. He has offered his blessing, assures me tracks, and the rest of the undercarriage have plenty of life left in them. Now it has hoses off, battery cables too, so I can't tighten tracks to check pitch. Sitting on the flat floor measuring the pitch 9 spaces, (10 pins) is 58-7/8, or 3/8" wear in 9 pins. Sprocket teeth aren't rounded on either side. 1/8" square at end of teeth.

I did look into Pondhog's shop for turning pins and bushings. They are good people. Their cost is good, but factoring VT to PA transport two ways, I'm thinking I'll run it a while.

I got a price on new sealed chains of $1200 each, half again the cost of turning.
An optimist is usually wrong, and doomed to disappointment. he is unprepared. A pessimist is usually right, delighted to be wrong, and is well prepared.

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NWJD fan
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Turning pins and bushings

Post by NWJD fan » Mon Jan 04, 2016 2:25 pm

Some folks are of the opinion that turning pins and bushings on smaller machines is not very cost effective maybe not at all if you are already over 50% true measured wear on your current rails. Some shops are reluctant to turn pins and bushings on smaller machines as well. They say the likelihood of breaking links is too high.

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Stan Disbrow
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Post by Stan Disbrow » Mon Jan 04, 2016 4:00 pm

Hi,

The place we used was FloWeld on Route 9G in Germantown, NY. That would be about 40 miles South of Albany. I did a quick search and got lots of hits, but no website.

I guess that means they are still there. Now, what sizes of track presses they might still have? Last we used them would have been 1982 or so.....

Stan
There's No Such Thing As A Cheap Crawler!

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Willie B
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Post by Willie B » Mon Jan 04, 2016 4:21 pm

Thanks Stan,

I'm still on the fence about turning. Track chains show little wear. We'll put it back to running condition in a few days, and tighten the chains enough to get an accurate measurement. I think I'm going to find about 1/2" elongation in 9 pins. Maybe if they are worth turning, now would be the time. Prices I'm getting are about 2000 for both sides including new bolts, and nuts. I found new lubricated chains for $1149 plus new bolts, and nuts $2600 for new. I don't know about quality of the new ones. That being the case maybe I should run them till I can't.

Willie
An optimist is usually wrong, and doomed to disappointment. he is unprepared. A pessimist is usually right, delighted to be wrong, and is well prepared.

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notmeu
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Post by notmeu » Mon Jan 04, 2016 4:40 pm

Willie, like your mechanic said you have plenty of life left in the chains, I also have been finding out that even with 100% completely shot chains it takes a lot of time to wear them to the point where it is unusable. I have been putting off new chains and pads for years now because I have had no problems at all with my existing 100% worn setup. Just keep a eye on the chain tension and you wont have any problems. Turning the pins and bushings doesn't fix the chain from snaking. My pins and bushings were never turned either, but for the price of a new chain it isn't worth it. Save your money and use it towards the complete undercarriage rebuild down the road and do it write with new rollers, sprockets, chain, and idlers since doing one and not the other will just accelerate the wear on the new item installed. No matter what, its always going to wear, its all metal on metal contact.
1956 JD420, gearmatic 8a winch, custom 6 way blade and FOPS.

Willie B
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Post by Willie B » Mon Jan 04, 2016 6:28 pm

So noted, and appreciated. I'm likely being OCD about it. Thanks.

Willie
An optimist is usually wrong, and doomed to disappointment. he is unprepared. A pessimist is usually right, delighted to be wrong, and is well prepared.

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Post by Lavoy » Tue Jan 05, 2016 10:03 am

I would never turn pins and bushings if new is anywhere close to turning cost. If you are looking at doing it, buy the new sealed rails and sell your old ones for $600 and you are even money.
Lavoy
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Willie B
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Post by Willie B » Tue Jan 05, 2016 4:49 pm

Thank you, good advice.

Willie
An optimist is usually wrong, and doomed to disappointment. he is unprepared. A pessimist is usually right, delighted to be wrong, and is well prepared.

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Paul Buhler
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Post by Paul Buhler » Tue Jan 05, 2016 7:19 pm

Turning the pins and bushings doesn't fix the chain from snaking.
Tom: I agree. See my pictures from when I did my pin and bushing rebuild on another thread.

http://www.jdcrawlers.com/messageboard/ ... 20+support.

See my photobucket pictures p.3-5 Unfortunately, I modified my photobucket account after posting the original pictures, so the links don't work as expected.

http://s460.photobucket.com/user/pbuhle ... t=3&page=5

I have learned from others on the board that worn tracks can be useful well beyond the usual expected life.
I rebuilt mine based on my prior experiences in the spine of the Green Mountains (steep and rocky); go 20 miles away on gentler terrain, and side hill concerns and track snake are less of an issue, and tracks will do their job longer even when "snakey". Is that a word? Pin and bushing wear leads to snakey tracks, but that doesn't mean that the tracks won't serve their purpose of moving a dozer forward and back. It just means that they may thrown more easily;usually when most unwanted. The accumulated wear in pins and bushings will haunt us on side hills or challenging turning situations even when a turned set works better with the sprocket. Paul
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Jack-the-Ripper
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When to replace

Post by Jack-the-Ripper » Mon Jan 25, 2016 8:52 pm

I agree with Paul,

If you are throwing chains when turning and side hilling Its more about shoulder wear on chains, rollers and idlers. This caused me to replace the chains on the Komatsu.

I replaced the chains on the 450C when it had stretched enough that the roller was hitting the top of the nest sprocket tooth. Probably waited too long.

I drove 90 miles to pick up new cheaper model chains, had to remove and remount track pads. I think Trackman in Spokane cold have removed my chains and pads together and turned the pins. Don't know the prices as I didn't go that way.

I hauled the chains home in a trailer behind me car. Would have had to take the while dozer the other way, even though I have the truck and trailer to do it. Seems like its just a pain either way.
JD450C (Jack the Ripper), JD450B (Jill the Wench), KomatsuPC120 (Ursa, The Big Dipper), Case580E (Ida Hoe), International 4400 Dump Truck

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