By: Tom McIntyre
Dealing with heavy equipment can be a difficult task, no matter what industry you’re in. If you’re working with large bulldozers, not only do you have to ensure that the machine itself is working properly, you have to make sure that every aspect of this large piece of machinery is strong and correctly maintained. From the grouser tracks parts to the undercarriage itself, it’s your responsibility as the dozer operator to ensure everything works correctly.
Here are a few ways to make sure that your dozer is working right and ready to perform on-the-job work.
Daily Thorough Inspections
“A good operator means everything when you are trying to achieve the lowest life-cycle cost,” said Tim Nenne, undercarriage market professional, to ForConstructionPros.com. “A good operator controls and considers the amount of unproductive movements of that track-type machine and maximizes every hour and every mile. A good operator controls the amount of track slip and thinks about not turning the same direction all the time, high-speed reverse, operating with the same side of the machine facing downhill all the time. A good operator understands the undercarriage wear and the things [they] can do to reduce it.”
According to For Construction Pros, in order for a large machine operator to be fully successful, its operator must spend several hours a day searching for potential problems, fix minor to major repairs, and ensure that everything is working properly. Without thoroughly inspecting every inch of a large dozer, from the grouser tracks parts to the metal bearings, you’ll be putting yourself, the machine, and everyone else at the construction site in danger.
Set correct track alignment.
The easiest way to ruin a dozer’s efficiency is to have improper track alignment. Misalignment can lead to serious injury if you’re not careful onsite, as well. Protect the undercarriage track links, carrier roller flanges, idler flanges, sprockets, and rock guards by monitoring track alignment. You should ensure that the tracks are properly aligned before and after dozer use and sometimes in the middle of longer jobs. Keep in mind that track chains should sag about 2 inches when a straight edge is laid across the grousers to the tip.
If you want to learn more about the importance of inspecting grouser tracks parts and grouser bars, contact 4NCorp today. Also, keep an eye out for part 2 of how to ensure that your dozer is field ready.
