How to maintain the rubber tracks on your machinery

Rubber tracks are an excellent choice for machinery such as mini excavators and compact track loaders (CTL), reducing operational costs and providing you with a smoother work experience overall. By outfitting and maintaining your rubber tracks properly, you will increase your uptime and year-round operation, whether your machinery is being used for light excavation, construction, landscaping or something else entirely.

Outfit your rubber tracks correctly

Mini excavator tracks usually aren’t going to be dependent on specified tread patterns to work well with your machine. When it comes to mini excavator rubber tracks, it is far more important to ensure that they are the same size as those provided by the original equipment manufacturer, reducing the risk of de-tracking during use, and helping prevent the need for significant undercarriage maintenance in the future.

For compact track loaders, specific tread patterns are crucial to get the best performance out of your machine, depending on your needs. Block treads with variations are excellent patterns for general traction, performance and wear. Zig-zag patterns come in a variety of types and perform better in less stable terrain, such as ice, snow, sand and mud. As with rubber tracks for mini excavator machinery, it is vital that the new tracks are the same size as the original equipment from the manufacturer.

Check your tracks frequently 

Whether your machine is being used for excavation or on a farm, tracks should be checked frequently for signs of damage or deterioration. Before using the machine, conduct a quick check for exposed areas, cuts or cracks in your rubber tracks. You should also rinse and remove debris from the undercarriage on a daily basis to maintain the quality of your tracks.

A more thorough check of the undercarriage and tracks is necessary once a week. Check the individual parts and take a close look for tread wear, changing any components that show signs of significant wear. On a monthly basis, you should have a full inspection of the tracks and some undercarriage maintenance completed. This includes a thorough cleaning, which can be completed with a pressure washer. This is also a good time to test the tension of the tracks, ensuring they are adjusted to the specifications set by the manufacturer.

Extending the life of your rubber tracks

The importance of undercarriage maintenance cannot be overstated. In fact, it is probably the most important thing you can do to extend the life of your rubber tracks. The undercarriage has several parts that will wear down over time, all of which need to be regularly examined and replaced based on the manufacturer’s recommendations. Include any necessary undercarriage maintenance with your monthly check to help prevent issues such as extreme vibration, early breakage, de-tracking and excessive wear. 

It’s important to keep the worksite clean of hard debris as it can cause significant damage to your machine and its tracks, particularly if it gets between the tracks and the undercarriage. Such debris can include timber, bricks, stones, cinder blocks and steel.

Ensuring that you have drivers that are properly trained will also help keep your rubber tracks intact longer. By using drivers who know how to avoid debris, curbs and obstacles, you reduce the risk of de-tracking and extreme damage. Trained drivers help keep your machine, your driver and your worksite safe.

Get in touch with Tradefaire International

If you are in need of agricultural rubber tracks, tracks for skid steer machinery or anything in between, Tradefaire International is here to help. As an accredited distributor of tyres and tracks, our products include high-quality rubber tracks, OTR tyres and more for whatever machinery you need outfitted. 

To get the right equipment for your machinery, contact the Tradefaire International team on 1300 915 078 or submit an enquiry form today for a free quote.