By: Tom McIntyre
You’ve already read about the importance of regularly inspecting your grouser track parts, grouser bars, and every inch of your dozer before and after each use. And you’ve also learned about when to set the correct track alignment on your dozer’s undercarriage. Now it’s time to go into even more detail about how to ensure your heavy equipment is ready for any major construction job.
Here are a few more ways that dozer operators can ensure their equipment is ready for field work.
Make sure that the construction site ground is safe for use
Although most dozers can handle rough terrain, make sure that the majority of the construction site can be easily worked on. Try to develop a plan that will minimize operation time on extreme sloped ground conditions in order to decrease wear on rollers, idlers, and guide lugs. Also, avoid traveling on ground that is severely uneven or with any obstructions.
Be careful to avoid over-acceleration while operating the dozer
Try to avoid going too fast in the machine, as well. If you accelerate too much in the dozer, you will wear out the machine’s bushings, pins, and sprockets. In addition, make sure to make (a few) horizontal maneuvers throughout the day to get the most out of the dozer and avoid asymmetrical wear.
“Sharp turns and counter rotation have their place but must be minimized as they increase stresses in the undercarriage components and reduce expected life,” said Bruce Boebel, a senior product manager for tracked products. “Certain wear patterns can be traced back to certain operator techniques.”
Use quality grouser bar material
Typically, dozers will use single grousers, which have only one tooth. Although there are a few other options, it doesn’t even matter if the grouser bar material is too poor quality. It’s essential that every piece of equipment involved with your dozer is of the highest quality to ensure long-lasting performance. From grouser steel tracks to the actual material of the grouser bar, make sure you’re using the best pieces of equipment.
Hopefully these tips helped prepare you for better dozer operation. If you want to learn more about how to ensure your equipment is ready for field work or find quality grouser bar material, contact 4NCorp.
