I've been told by many that this practice is rarely done anymore because of the low cost of new links. That seems a little crazy to me. I need to service the undercarriage on one of my machines (probably more than one). It seems to me that turning the pins if it hasn't been done before is a good idea.
The problem is not turning the pins per se. It's the fact that often after turning a small percentaqge of pins will experience leaking seals and premature wearout. All it needs is one "leaker" and the track has to be pulled off and the damaged joint repaired. That is a major cost. We run our chains to destruction (125% wear) instead of turning pins and bushes at 100% wear (on one side obviously). For us it has proved more cost-effective to do this rather than run the risk of seals leaking on turned pins & bushes.
I think it's likely a combination of chain cost vs labour cost. Is it economical to spend the time turning the pins vs buying a new chain? (Either way you have the labour of removing and reinstalling the chain, so that's a wash.) Andrew
Can i just do new pins and save the links? Seems like that would save a lot of money and not require exactness like turning might
Well it would be pins and bushings you would have to buy as if the bushings are worn that much may as well do the pins while its apart. Never heard this being done and I'm guessing because by the time you buy pins, bushings, seals and labor to do it all it will be cheaper to buy a new set complete. Also depending on the machine and it's operating conditions how much are the links worn ? If they are thin they will start to crack and break before you get full life of your new pins and bushings. But hey depending on the brand and shop that does it i'm sure it can be done but if you buy new and have any problems you should have some warranty but maybe not so with old links being reused. Yes it seems crazy but it's the same reason we replace entire water pumps when just the impeller seal is leaking - labor rates going up and exchange programs getting better.
Well the more i think about it the more likely i'm going to just go for a new chain. Maybe put a couple of new sprockets on and wait 6 more months. I'll stop eating lunch so I can save up for it!
With quality SALT tracks you don't get the internal wear that was a major reason for turning pins and bushings. Dry tracks wear internally and get longer and longer as they wear. Turning essentially moves the worn portion so the slack is taken out of the chain making the pin center to center distance or pitch dimension like new, along with putting the unworn side of the bushing against the sprocket. If the seals hold up on a SALT track the only thing you gain is moving the worn outside of the bushing around and putting the unworn side against the sprocket, but as Nige says the process is likely to create leaky seals which defeats the whole purpose. With SALT chains just be sure to keep good sprockets against the bushings so you don't wear through the bushings prematurely. Now if you have a dry sealed track, or we're talking about an excavator chain, that's a whole 'nuther story. I do know my way around a track press, so I got lots of stories, LOL
A lot more to rails than just P&B, link height, link and roller width, rolled edges on the links that tend to walk up idlers or a taper that rolls off the lower rollers when turning under load, potential for cracking or out and out stress failures. Run the rails to destruction and replace, rebuild the undercarriage and go again and it will probably actually save money.