Weld on grousers

[truck209]

I was thinking about getting new pads for my 1975 350c dozer. Had to change plans when I had to replace pellet stove. Now thinking of welding on grousers. Have found grouser bar locally with price. I,ve heard of people welding on grousers that are shorter than pad and they stagger them like two on one then one then two. My pads are 14" If this is so could I go two 4" with a space in between. Then a 4" or a 5" in middle then two 4" with space in between. I only use dozer around camp here in southern Vt. And friends use it at log landings and water bars. Have recently replaced chain-sprockets-idlers-track adjusters. Would be thankful for any imput on this. Thanks again Bob

[Lavoy]

Only reason to stagger the bars is frozen ground and/or winter use. Other than that, I would put full length bars on.
Lavoy

[LeonardL]

It depends on the original design of your pads. If it is a standard single grouser pad then I would only weld back to the original toe of the pad. If you add a toe or grouser to the "Heel" of the pad then you are putting additional strain on the weakest point on the pad. What happens is they will simply break the heel of the pad off. If you weld to the center of the pad you're not really gaining anything. It will cause the pad not to scour out as it should while moving. You want what ever material you are working in to leave the pad as it comes back up on the back of the sprocket. We all know that this doesn't always happen and pads will slick over with mud and debris so you loose traction. Adding another grouser will not help you gain any more traction and will only cause the mud to collect even quicker and stick tighter and your pad won't scour. This is for the standard pads.

If you happen to have the dual or even triple grouser pads then the pad is designed to stand more strain at the heel of the shoe and you can go ahead and re-toe it. Personally I have never been a big fan of these style of pads. Simply because they don't really give you anymore traction and they will cause what is known as "Track Strain". Track Strain is usually caused by having your tracks adjusted too tight. Sometimes it can happen when working in sandy conditions or in snow and ice. I've seen soupy mud build up inside the track bushings and freeze in winter and cause track strain. Anything that will add additional weight or expansion of the tracks is not what you want. You want your tracks to work free of strain, free of debris and rolling over the rollers and not binding against them. A lot of guys run their tracks tight because they are afraid of the track coming off. All they are doing is killing the full potential power of their machines.

I have seen guys take "Loader Pads" or "Street Pads" which are basically flat and add a toe to the front lug on that style of shoe and they swear by them. Again though they are only putting the grouser on the front of the pad where you get all of your traction to begin with. These style pads are a little thicker from front to back and are typically a little narrower.
I'm sure there are conditions and terrain where these style pads would work great. But for general purpose, I prefer the single grouser standard pad for most conditions. But this is my opinion and experience. I'm sure some of these other guys will have something different and that's great. That's what this forum is for. That's my dollars worth! Hope it helps!

[LeonardL]

And once again I have misunderstood part of the question...... But I would still weld the full length of the grouser as staggering is of no real value. As Lavoy said, maybe snow and ice.

[Paul Buhler]

Here in VT it's common to add caulks to grousers for winter use. As Lavoy says, they help with penetration into frozen ground or ice reducing slides (particularly when side hill). The grouser stiffens the pad , so if worn down, a full grouser build up will help keep the pad flat a bit longer until it's worn out. I've caulked 350s using 2" X 1" caulks staggered as suggested, and 3" x 1" also staggered on 450s since they are heavier. The idea is to get good penetration into the ground. If the caulk is longer, the penetration is reduced, and as also stated, you might as well do a full buildup.
Be sure to use a good rod ( I like 7018) and get good penetration when welding, or the caulks will break off as you drive out of the shop. Hope this is helpful. By the way, caulked tracks become quite aggressive and tear up the ground a lot - not bad in the woods, not so good around the house and lawn. Paul