Just looking for advice on the best way to swap the very front (nearest idler) bottom roller on my d6t, its system one btw. Thanks in advance
You want to replace a worn-out/damaged/broken #1 roller with a new one, or are you planning on swapping the more-worn #1 roller with a less-worn one from somewhere in the middle.? Does the tractor have a ripper.?
Hi Nige No I have got a collapsed one that needs replacing I have a new genuine cat one to go on in place, the tractor doesn't have a ripper and is lgp
Does it have track roller guards.? If so they need to be removed first. Slack off the track tension as much as possible. Use a towbar pin in the sprocket if necessary to get the track tensioner cylinder back right to the stops. The more slack that you have in the track the easier it is to get the roller out. Then raise the blade and block the push arms. Crack the four bolts on the roller, you can remove two of them (one inside, one outside) if you like. Remove the blocking and raise the front of the tractor using the blade, with blocks under it if you need to generate more height to remove the roller. Then block the tractor under the front belly guard - DO NOT leave it only supported by the blade lift cylinders. You should have a big sagging length of track hanging below the rollers. You should be able to remove the last two bolts and lower the roller. Fortunately with it being a D6 they aren't that heavy, only 54kg or so each. Two people ought to be able to do the job reasonably comfortably. Tighten the track roller cap bolts to 385 ft lbs. Always tighten the bolt on the cap that butts up to the track frame first, and the one that has the 3mm gap in it second. If there are track roller guards involved the bolts (1 & 2) on the guards are tightened to 420 ft lbs.
Brilliant Nige thanks for that couldn't ask for a better explanation, there are no track guides at the front it only had the one in the middle guess it makes the job a bit easier.
So how would one know which bolt to tighten first? Is there something on the cap the identifies that? Or does it matter by direction on the track frame?
The track roller shaft cap will only go on one way round John. If you snug up the bolts gently it will be obvious that one side of the cap is butted up tight against the track frame, and the other side will have a gap. That’s the same order you tighten up the bolts. Idler caps are the same but most have two bolts on one side and one on the other - the two bolts get tightened first.
I didn't know that. That probably tells you how long it has been since I had to do the wrenching on a track frame.