350c thrown track

[Gwilkrrs]

So when it rains it pours…….
I threw the driver side track today. I loosened the jamb nut and took the bolt all the way out and tried pushing the front idler back to loosen the tension but the idler wouldn’t move back.

Did I do something wrong?

How do you reset the track?

[Al Swearengen]

So when it rains it pours…….
I threw the driver side track today. I loosened the jamb nut and took the bolt all the way out and tried pushing the front idler back to loosen the tension but the idler wouldn’t move back.

Did I do something wrong?

How do you reset the track?

Never thrown a track, but on my 450G I removed the grease zerk/ball that allows adjustment, and placed a block of wood between the track and my 6 way blade (when I put on new rails), released all tension easily.

[Jim B]

There is supposed to be a steel check ball under the bolt you removed. Be careful not to lose it, you need it to seal the hole when you put it back together. The ball is the seal the bolt with locknut holds it in place. The ball often comes out in the grease, that will push out when you collapse the adjuster, and doesn't get seen and is thrown out with the grease.

You may be able to use the bucket roll and a heavy block (like a 6 x 6) to push the idler back. If that doesn't work, use a block and hydraulic jack between the bucket and idler. Getting the track itself back on the idler is bars, com-a-longs, jacks, chains and maybe using the loader. Another machine may help. There is no one fits all answer, sometimes they go back on easily, sometimes not.

[Gwilkrrs]

ok-
so take the bolt out (look for small check ball) and brute force slides the idler back- i guess i was thinking that the idler would come back easier......
i will try the block and jack-

[B Town]

It is possible your adjuster has perished and is frozen. Try compressing the idler and adjuster. But if it doesn’t compress with reasonable force, the adjuster will need serviced, rebuilt, replaced.

Best regards, Bruce

[original possum]

And if brute force alone doesn't collapse it then make sure exposed portion of ram is clean and pepper the tube part with a medium sized hammer while applying that force. Enough to shock it but not enough to deform it. You can draw a line on the ram to see if it moves. Worked for me a number of times.

[Gwilkrrs]

So I was able to add grease and have it extend a little and then retract with force back to where it was ……..
I have it off the rail and vertical so I could have the tube upright and soak it with penetrating fluid to see if that helps……

And there wasn’t a bb below the bolt to hold in greese

[Jim B]

Unless it has been changed to something other than a JD adjuster, or someone has replaced parts incorrectly, it should have a 3/8" steel ball under the set screw that lets the grease out. See item key numbers 7, 8, and 9 in the parts drawing.

https://partscatalog.deere.com/jdrc/sid ... ion/pgId/7

[The Jug]

Had problem moving mine till i used blade to raise front end to take pressure off track tensioner . OOPS

[Gwilkrrs]

Mine is a loader so I can’t use the blade to push back

I was able to take track off all way and block loader up off the ground- I then wrapped a chain around sprocket hub and front idler and used a chain binder to force the piston in some- it moved in!

I put tension on the chain and then “bumped”the housing with a sledgehammer and every time I bumped it grease posed out a bit so I kept repeating this-
The chain tightening itself wasn’t enough tho-

I ran out of time so I left the chain on tight until I try again to see if it compressed enough

[jimmydiesel]

Heating the housing / cylinder may help. 150-200 degrees.
Don’t over heat it.

[Gwilkrrs]

i ordered the $5 BB even though mine didnt have one installed when i took the bolt out- i see an indent at the bottom of the bolt where the BB would seat into so the bolt is right.......
hoping to get back to working on this this weekend

[Gwilkrrs]

I couldn’t find or figure out the master link on the track so I fought the whole track.
I was able to use come along and chain which ratcheting binders- after 3 hours (trial and error and first time) lots of blood and 2 broken fingers (track weight was too much for the first comealong)- the track was put back on and I was able to tension it

So happy.

I now need to figure out how to get the stuck bolts out for the rock guard over the spring and patch it to reinstall

[77 Ford]

The first time I threw a track it took me hours to pop back on. The last time I threw a track it took 30 minutes (not including the time to get the tools)..... you learn alot doing that.

[LeonardL]

The first one I helped with was on a fire line in Shannon county Missouri. Nothing like having a fire creeping up to motivate your progress.