Category: Blog
Date: March 3, 2022

Cat® Excavators are known for their outstanding performance and durable construction. However, to ensure that your excavator continues to perform as you want for years to come, then you must maintain the machine in the right way. Different components that make up the excavator need to be maintained differently. One of the most important components that should be maintained with a great deal of attention is the undercarriage. It is the part that takes the most beating and hence, it is more prone to wear and tear. Let us take a look at some of the effective ways in which you can take care of the undercarriage of your excavator machine.

Tip #1: Keep the Undercarriage Clean

This might sound a bit insignificant but it is one of the useful things that you can do. At the end of each workday, operators should take time to clean out dirt and debris. For the stubborn spots, you can use shovels and pressure washers to clean the undercarriage properly.

If the undercarriage is not properly cleaned, it might leading to premature wear of the components. Dirt and debris can start to rub on the bolts, and that in turn would loosen the guiding and seize up the rollers, leading more wear later on. Cleaning the undercarriage, therefore, helps prevent unnecessary downtime, due to such issues

Debris can add also significant weight to the undercarriage, and that would have a detrimental effect fuel economy of your excavator.

Tip 2: Proper and Regular Inspection

The undercarriage contains a lot of components that are critical for the proper functioning of your machine. So, a thorough inspection should be conducted at regular intervals to check for excessive or uneven wear, and also to look for damaged or missing components.

The following components should be checked on a routine basis:

  • Drive motor
  • Drive sprockets
  • Track bolts
  • Track chains
  • Track tension
  • Track shoes
  • Rock guards
  • Main idlers and rollers

When you are conducting a walk-around inspection, you should check the track to see if any of the components look out of place. This is often an indication of a loose trackpad or even a broken track pin. You should also check the rollers, idlers and drives for signs of oil leakage which might have resulted from a failed seal

Tip 3: Maintain Proper Track Tension

Incorrect track tension often leads to increased track wear. Therefore, it is important to maintain proper tension. It is widely recommended that if you are working in soft, muddy conditions, you should run the tracks slightly looser.

If steel tracks are too tight or too loose, it can greatly accelerate wear. A loose track can also cause the tracks to de-track.

Tip 4: Use Rubber Tracks for Sensitive Surfaces

Certain compact excavators contain rubber tracks. For example, the Cat® 304E2 CR mini excavator comes with rubber tracks that make it suitable for a range of different tasks. Rubber tracks give you provide good floatation, and that allows the excavators to travel across and work on the soft ground efficiently. They also create less ground disturbance on delicate surfaces like concrete and grass. Visit https://www.albahar.com/aftermarket/pcc/ to order rubber tracks parts you need.

Tip 5: Follow Proper Digging Process

An excavator operator should follow basic operating procedures as detailed in the manufacturer’s operation and maintenance manual. This would help you to avoid excessive wear and track degradation

These are some of the tips that you can follow to maintain the undercarriage of your Cat® Excavator in the right way. It is always a smart idea to commit to an annual maintenance plan that will help you to take care of the overall excavator maintenance. At Al-Bahar, we offer a comprehensive Customer Value Agreement to maintain your Cat® machines. Click here to know more.