Not looking forward to it, but its gotta be done.
Replacing a front Torsion Axle on my ASV RC30
- Thread starter GeeVee
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You Tube videos sometimes help. Service manual if you need it.
https://tractormanualz.com/wp-conte...30-Track-Loader-Service-Repair-Manual-PDF.pdf
https://tractormanualz.com/wp-conte...30-Track-Loader-Service-Repair-Manual-PDF.pdf
The axle just showed up on a freight truck, so I'm on it tomorrow. Thanks for the link, I have all the manuals. I've owned Pedro for 17 years, and do all the work on him which is just filters and oil changes. I break off alot of hydralic hoses off the grapple, but thats been it, Never a pump or motor failure. One alternator in all those years, and I did put new tracks on him two years ago, and a new exhaust system.
In the picture above, you can see the minimal clearance between the front track and the chassis. The left side track has a grove cut in it now because I took so long to purchase and install the new torsion axle. The clearance now is more like 3.5 inches. We think the left side stub axle was bent.
Removing the entire track and rail assembly was really hard. The torsion axles fron and rear radiused in opposite directions, and with hardened grease on the 8" long stubs, and wear grooves from metal on metal, it didn't just slide off as it might have in the YT viideos. (They get in on Jack stands, and used a forklift to pull it off)
I didn't have to undo any hydraulic lines, which was good. But 6' long prybars and even bottle jacks, weren't going to ge the assembly as one unit off the axles, leading us to think the stub was bent on one side. The axles opposing each other didn't help. The "axle socket" on the rails are welded to the rails, making them fixed distances apart. The installed axles then were different lenghts front to rear depending on how you jacked and cribbed either the machine or the tracks.
We wound up having to cut both stubs on the front axle with a torch, and they literally jumped out of the sockets, and the rear axles just slid off the sockets easy. The four points was just oo bound up. The ONE thing we all arrived at. (there were about five friends that dropped by the shop of my good buddy who helped, along with my middle son (who insisted from minute one, once we moved the unit off the axle about three inches out of the 8 on each side, that we were going to have to cut it apart) was the manufacturer did ono one enay favors, by not spec'ing a brass wear bushing. So from here on out, when I wnat to grease these things, it get a floor jack and releive the pressure on the axle being greased, so every bit of grease you can get into it, will get in on top where the wear is. The "socket" is a bit egg shaped if you can imagine it.
I have a few bogies out of 24 total to run some new bearing in, but they are not at all difficult.
(One of the visitors- actually all of them, had to be convinced the track did not need to come off, and the track under tension had Zero to do with the binding that prevented the rails just slip off. the rail is solid in length, the sockets are welded, the drive sprocket and motor are on a hinge and tension is made with a jack screw and locking nut. Unlike a dozer that has a two piece rail with the rear bogey beoing an actual drive motor and sprocket, and track tension is done with a grease and a piston.) All but one eventually got it, excecpt for one guy, but he may have been contrary because the fridge has only golden sodas, and he made many trips to visit it.
Removing the entire track and rail assembly was really hard. The torsion axles fron and rear radiused in opposite directions, and with hardened grease on the 8" long stubs, and wear grooves from metal on metal, it didn't just slide off as it might have in the YT viideos. (They get in on Jack stands, and used a forklift to pull it off)
I didn't have to undo any hydraulic lines, which was good. But 6' long prybars and even bottle jacks, weren't going to ge the assembly as one unit off the axles, leading us to think the stub was bent on one side. The axles opposing each other didn't help. The "axle socket" on the rails are welded to the rails, making them fixed distances apart. The installed axles then were different lenghts front to rear depending on how you jacked and cribbed either the machine or the tracks.
We wound up having to cut both stubs on the front axle with a torch, and they literally jumped out of the sockets, and the rear axles just slid off the sockets easy. The four points was just oo bound up. The ONE thing we all arrived at. (there were about five friends that dropped by the shop of my good buddy who helped, along with my middle son (who insisted from minute one, once we moved the unit off the axle about three inches out of the 8 on each side, that we were going to have to cut it apart) was the manufacturer did ono one enay favors, by not spec'ing a brass wear bushing. So from here on out, when I wnat to grease these things, it get a floor jack and releive the pressure on the axle being greased, so every bit of grease you can get into it, will get in on top where the wear is. The "socket" is a bit egg shaped if you can imagine it.
I have a few bogies out of 24 total to run some new bearing in, but they are not at all difficult.
(One of the visitors- actually all of them, had to be convinced the track did not need to come off, and the track under tension had Zero to do with the binding that prevented the rails just slip off. the rail is solid in length, the sockets are welded, the drive sprocket and motor are on a hinge and tension is made with a jack screw and locking nut. Unlike a dozer that has a two piece rail with the rear bogey beoing an actual drive motor and sprocket, and track tension is done with a grease and a piston.) All but one eventually got it, excecpt for one guy, but he may have been contrary because the fridge has only golden sodas, and he made many trips to visit it.
74inchshovel
ArboristSite Member
i have always struggled with putting the tracks back on this machine, would welcome any suggestions/advice you might have. Thanks
OEM, I dont buy anything generic or Amaazon. particularly these tracks.
getting it on stands at just enough height to slip the tracks under the bogeys.
Consider using three cheap furniture movers from HF,to slide the bottom in.
OR, putting carboard under the track. to help slidng them under.
Take the right number of bogeys off the rail, maybe even all of them on the outside.
Use bananas as a lubricant for the rubber on rubber/
Take the entire jack screw out an off the rail, so the drive sprocket motor can aly down as far as it can.
6' prybars. Use load tie down ratchet straps to help pull the track onto the inner bogeys.
Use a sawzall to cut the old ones off saves alot of fighting and time.
smaller carpenters prybars, an assortment, even PLASTIC almost disposable 1" putty knifes are good for slip wedging rubber on rubber. Cutting a 5 gallon bucket open also makes great slip wedge for that rubber on rubber contact like the front and rear bogey and track. uses the curved sides, maybe 6" wide strips out of the side of the bucket.
Have a young buck or two on hand to wrestle the Rubber Beast..... but by no means, pay a dealer to do this, its fully a DIY.
Ensure you check the bogey's bearings, as cheap as the bearings are, do them while you are down there. Even if it means taking the tracks off, then ordering the number of bearings. BUT- if you have to change out a bearing or whole bogey, unless they are the ends, you can put a 1/2" square of Plywood 3x3" in front of the bogey on each side of the one you want, and drive onto them or if jacked up, rotate the track so the plywood spacers wind up directly under the bogeys on each side fo the one you are changing, it will take away rubber on rubber, and give you clearance. Do mark the end bogeys you take off, they use a tapered roller bearing, while the middle bogeys use cheaper ball bearings= why I dont know? The tapered roller bearings are 11 bucks each, the Ball are 3 bucks.
I was able to do this axle swap without removing the hydraiulic lines.
I've used these guys to order all my parts, I ordered the axle and two complete bogeys loaded with bearings and diust cover snap ring and nut, on Monday at noon- RL freight had it to me on Wednesday at noon Atlanta to Central Florida.
https://www.trackloaderparts.com/diagram-491.html
74inchshovel
ArboristSite Member
Thanks for the response
The 5 gallon bucket idea is great, will definitely try it. I’ve done this 6-8 times always a ***** and will be doing it again in the next few weeks. When I do I’ll show you a pic on how I modified front and rear wheels to greatly prolong life
The 5 gallon bucket idea is great, will definitely try it. I’ve done this 6-8 times always a ***** and will be doing it again in the next few weeks. When I do I’ll show you a pic on how I modified front and rear wheels to greatly prolong life
Yeah, kind like a shoehorn?
74inchshovel
ArboristSite Member
That’s how I understand it, great tip! How many hours on your 30?
1500. I've owned it since new in 05, pre Caterpillar buyout.
I rebuilt my CAT 257B2 undercarriage in Nov 2020. Definitely some labour involved in that process.
Nice work Jim, Your brief documentary was pretty neat too. The comealong proll saved the day on the torsion axles, All my "helpers insisting on taking track tension off, just couldn't understand the way it works. I was fortunately to have 10 "sets of jack stands of different sizes and need many of them, and two really nice floor jacks one on each end, to constantly raise or lower, or be able to move a set of stands around under my machine to provide some access UNDER my machine. being only 4' wide with 11 inch tracks, its a small space between them. I used the weight of the machine on a jack to load somme weight on one end or the other to change the lenght of the axles, when I went to put the rails (unit) on. With the amount of dried grease and rust on my axle stobs, and a bent stob on one or both fronts, they weren't coming off more than 3 inches, but thats when the torch came up. Cutting the stobs off the front, the rears just backed out of the rails socket simple, and the backs were able to be pulled off by hand.
I think you and I and 74Inch all can agree, WHY do they put the axle on the socket with no brass bushing? Why does none of the axle stob have no grease track for an 8 inch long shaft, or more than one zerk? Im going to be in the habit of jacking the front with the bucket to get grease on the top of the socket and into the axle, and a floor jack in the rear. I had to use a grinder with a cut off wheel to cut the bearing races friction welded on to the bogey axle and its a delicate task, not wanting to cut into the axle shaft, but it gets done, going to be tougher to do on the inside, when I change some out with the small space. I may wind up either borrowing my mechanics car lift to be able to stand under it, or build a timber ramp and stand about 30" high and full length. I have the skilll to build something post and beam and diagonally braced to make it plenty secure so I can at least sit upright under it to do the work.
Here's one more tip as I am thinking about it. Minimum, some rubber pads on the floor, plus, skateboarders kneepads that have a hard plastic knee cap, for being on the ground. If they cost 50 bucks, its worth it, Even tile layers knee pads are better than nothing.
SPeaking of engineering, there is lots of space behind the dust cap. (I had the cap pushing back because of air trapped and the grease loaded, it would push the cap back as I was trying to get the snap ring in.) WHY don't they recess the cap enough to put a ZERK in them so you can grease the open ball bearing cassette, like a dexter trailer axle? WHY? I may experiment with an old dust cap, carefully "dimpling" the cap face, and tapping in a zerk, just to see what happens. The dust caps arent that thick, but we shall see, I think there is more than one way to skin a cat here. No pun Intended.....
