05/26/2026
Tips and Tricks Tuesday: Maximizing the Life of Your Track Loader Tracks
The undercarriage is the backbone of your compact track loader, but it’s also one of the highest-wear components on any job site. Premature track wear and seized rollers can completely stall your production and drain your wallet.
Keep your machine rolling smoothly and save thousands in replacement costs with these three essential undercarriage tricks:
Daily Debris Clearing
Don’t let yesterday’s job site destroy today’s tracks. Make it a habit every single morning to clean out packed mud, trapped rocks, concrete chunks, and branches from the front and rear roller wheels. When abrasive materials get trapped and harden in the undercarriage, they act like sandpaper against your components, causing rapid, terminal wear.
Maintain Proper Track Tension
Tension is a balancing act. Your track should have a small amount of slack when pushed down hard with your hand, but it shouldn't feel completely loose.
Too tight? You’re putting massive stress on the drive motors, rollers, and bearings.
Too loose? You risk derailment or "ratcheting" (the drive lugs jumping teeth), which ruins the track instantly.
Sufficiently Grease & Lubricate Rollers and Tensioners
Metal-on-metal friction is the enemy. Without proper, consistent lubrication, your track rollers and tensioners can quickly seize up. A seized roller won't spin—it will slide against the track, creating a flat spot on the roller and wearing a groove straight through the rubber track. Keep them greased to keep them spinning.
At Chicago Machinery, we are the experts at keeping your machines up and running on the job. Our service department doesn't just specialize in ASV—we provide bumper-to-bumper maintenance, track replacements, and undercarriage rebuilds for all major brands, including Cat, JCB, Takeuchi, and more. Whatever you run, we have the parts, the tools, and the expertise to eliminate your downtime.
📍 Visit us in Lynwood, IL & Knox, IN
📞 Call our Service Team: 708-506-3016
🌐 www.chicagomachineryinc.com | www.cmirents.com