HI, After fighting the removal and reinstall of one of the tracks on my T200, I tried a different approach on the second one. It took me about 40 minutes total including some liquid refreshemts to keep me going. (Note: all of the specialized tools mentioned are available from my shameless rip off division. See www.getscammed.com .) Step one is to get the tensioner fully retracted. Jack up the machine. The Harbour Freight 10 ton jack would only lift the machine part way, so I dug out my trusty old 5 ton USA made jack and up the machine went. I used the bucket to lift the front of the machine. Now I took tool #4x4x18 and jammed it into the track as shown and then ran the track forward: http://www.4shared.com/photo/yelcKSze/track_001.html This did not retract the tensioner fully. This shows the piston is not fully retracted. Tool 4x4x18 suffered a little compression damage, but was still fully usable. http://www.4shared.com/photo/2xew2U-O/track_003.html Now, I took the same tool and jammed it in to the front roller and ran the track backward. http://www.4shared.com/photo/xhjveCE8/track_002.html http://www.4shared.com/photo/t8FfWHAx/track_004.html This worked as the tensioner is fully retracted. That is an impressive spring: http://www.4shared.com/photo/UFlDOCqf/track_005.html I then used multiple tools #2X2x14 by laying them on the track and running the track in reverse to lift the track above the front roller: http://www.4shared.com/photo/r-R0Vugh/track_006.html This made it very easy to hook a chain around the track and just pull it off. No crow bars or any sweat at all. ( Beer break now that we are 1/2 done) http://www.4shared.com/photo/pinbcD5l/track_007.html I used another skid to lift the track off the machine after I pulled the old track off the front roller. I used the same skid to lift and place the new track most of the way on the T200. Again no lifting or crow bars. http://www.4shared.com/photo/yS_QR5dw/track_009.html http://www.4shared.com/photo/Sd0PWQtN/track_008.html I ran the track in reverse to pull tools 2x2x14 up onto the front roller. Again I am lifting the track up so it will slip over the roller. You must use a full compliment of tools to get the track to completly clear the front roller, as you can see in the second photo. http://www.4shared.com/photo/xdOQV3d3/track_010.html http://www.4shared.com/photo/W9dWToLM/track_011.html Now a gentle push with the second skid and the track is in place. http://www.4shared.com/photo/zaPw93U6/track_012.html I cheated by using the second skid, but I was alone and have a torn rotator cuff and back problems. So, I did no lifting other than lifting the specialized tools and jacks. The beer helped as well.. Total time was about 40 minutes including beer. Dave
That's pretty much the way I do rubber tracks, except I typically use steel pipes, they slide real easy on that steel idler. Nice job.
That's a good idea! Thanks!
When working with rubber tracks this size...pry bars are useless. Have to use a forklift or skid loader with forks to handle them. It was changing a track on one of these that gave me the idea of using lengths of pipe lodged between inner track guide bars to lift track off of idler, then they'll just slide off or on.
Yep a cheater bar/pipe works pretty good, my choice for this task Cheater pipes are good uses for: tightening snap binders, removal of rubber tracks and keeping the hooligans in line. Be sure and remove the grease nipple on the tensioner before inserting your choice of tool (metal or wood). I usually place the cheater pipe in a cog of the sprocket and rotate the tracks around, compressing the tensioner and usually squirting a good bit of grease on the ground. I guess this method might stretch the tracks so I only do this when removing worn out tracks.