Alright, I tightened up the tracks a little. What do ya'll think? Go a little tighter or leave it? :beatsme BTW check out the threaded tool I made to tighten them. Couldn't find the ratchet tool so I made this. Just took a trip to Home Depot and about 45 minutes. Beats the heck out of using a come-along.:cool2
Looks great toomacho.I like your "track-jack" tool.I have alot of tools that I have made over the years for different jobs.Good luck with the track's.
Your "track jack" looks like something we built to extract the bushing out of a hydraulic hammer - well not really but same idea. I would suggest taking a few more links up on the tracks. It has been a while since I have ran OTT metal tracks but when we did, I usually ran about 1" - 2" or so of slack measured from the center of the tracks with a piece of mason's twine pulled tight over over the top of both tires. (A 3/4" galvanized pipe 90 works pretty well tied to either end of the string, you can measure it by your self that way. That is how we measure tracks on the 953.) What I found was if the tracks were too loose and working in mud the tires would spin inside the metal tracks.
Nice tool :drinkup I would get them a little tighter It will tick you off if you get into some serious mud and the tire spins
Keep going still to loose, like CM1995 said take out 1 if not 2 more links. I believe they recommend 1-3" of sag I just put a 2x4 across the top and measure down. They will spin inside and to me it's just more stress on drivetrain pullin the extra slop around.
On my list of things to do this weekend, tighten tracks! Thanks for the input. :drinkup
Smart to keep your machine covered with a tarp to keep the weather out!
To anyone who is interested... A ratched-type chain binder with open hooks works really well for this.
You got them tightened yet?
Thanks for asking! I tightened them up one link and that seemed to do the trick. I only had the tires spin inside the tracks ijust little bit yesterday when I was digging a little around a small stream. I want to make a few watering holes around it for the wildlife in case we go through aouther drought. I still would like to know what the heck brand name they are...BUT, they work geat so, I guess it doesen't matter.:yup So far so good! :thumbsup