Does it make any difference which way the grouser rib is traveling on the track? Forward on the shoe or at the rear?
My Deere 450B. My track shoes have offset holes so they can only me mounted one way. I believe the orientation is suck that dirt/mud don’t squeeze up though... Darryl
Post a photo of the track showing the chain and the track shoes as the track passes over the top of the front idler.
The machine is 350 miles from me but one side has the rib forward on the shoe and the other side has the rib on the back side of the shoe! Which one would be correct?
That would be my reasoning, also.
Are you certain the whole chain isn’t installed backwards? It does happen. I believe this is why Nige posed the question he did.
From your description the side with the grouser at the front of the shoe is correct. The other side it sounds like someone has put the complete track assembly on backwards.
Maybe this photo will help. This is the LH side of a machine viewed at the sprocket end. The direction of forward travel is per the arrow. As you can see the pins in the track link and the grouser of the track shoe are at the front end of the link.
This reminds me of a dozer I went out on to check an electrical problem. The customers mechanic had just put on a new set of rails (S&L) on their JD750. I noticed right off that one was on backwards and I contemplated even mentioning it. I did, and the mechanic then wanted to argue the point that the Lube holes in the ends of the rail pins are supposed to be easily accessible. I argued that he had all the lubes holes facing the outside of the machine which in turn had one of them installed backwards. After about 5 minutes of arguing and the dude just about to lose his temper......…..I said "EFF IT" and walked off.