Track pin and bushings

Sberry

Member
I have a JD350B. I looked a little but couldn't really find anything with a price list to get pins and bushings.
 
You don't say if you just need one or two or are looking at completely doing your tracks. If you only want one or two your JD dealer might be able to help you. JD might be able to get you full sets as well but you can check with Berco and some of the other that advertise chains.

Most people are replacing the chains rather than turning or replacing pins and bushings on this size machine now, as the cost difference isn't much compared to the labor of doing the pins and bushings. How do your chains rails measure up? Do you have a track press and the equipment to replace them? Check with a shop that has the equipment to replace pins and bushings, they should have a source.
 
new track chains make a lot of sense. If the old chain edges are worn badly (something you can hardly tell by eye) they let the sprocket come out of the chain when you're sideways on a hill, making it come off the track. This is bad. If it needs pins & bushings, there's a good chance the track chain is worn out also, since they quit making that machine in 1973.
 
New rails are probably about the same price as pins and bushings and labor, has been for years.
Lavoy
 
(quoted from post at 08:30:51 09/25/18) New rails are probably about the same price as pins and bushings and labor, has been for years.
Lavoy
I just started this adventure. I am not sure if the bushings are worn thru yet, I was wanting a ballpark price to see if I could get in to it. I would think that a deal would be 15 a set. I was hoping someone had done it recently.
 
Pins and bushings are considered 100% worn well before a bushing is worn thru. You need to take a measurement of 4 links, 5 pins end to end and compare it to a chart---worn pins and bushings increases the pitch of the track which can severely wear the sprocket

23.57 inches=100% worn
 
You say you are just starting this adventure, so I take that to mean you don't have much experience with undercarriages. A crawler undercarriage is a system, pins and bushings are just a part of it. You can mix and match new parts to old parts, but you can't expect to get the best life from the system that way. You won't be happy if you put new pins and bushings in just to break a link soon after.

Here is a link (HTTP://WWW.TPAKTOPC.NET/FILES/UNDRCARGUIDE.PDF) that will get you to a good tutorial, on Lavoy's jdcrawlers website, that will help you understand more of what is involved and the measurements to take to evaluate your whole undercarriage. It is a Dresser document; but the principals and measurement methods are the same for most all undercarriages. You can get the dimensions needed for your 350B from your JD service manual (TM1032 for a 350B I believe). If you don't have a technical manual start by getting one. A good source is HTTP://WWW.JOHNDEERETECHINFO.COM . They have printed, CDs, or downloads available.

Off the cuff, my thoughts are you should plan on spending several (at least 3 to 5) thousand dollars to get all the parts needed for a typical undercarriage your size, and you do the work yourself. That is shopping for the least expensive parts and using replacement chains. This is why many owners run the undercarriage and chains until they won't stay on. Studying this info, and questions you ask, will help you make the decision that best fits your needs. Hope this helps.
 
The last time I looked into pins and bushings for a 350 I found that a new Berco chain,ready to bolt my pads onto,was $77.more than just buying the pins and bushings.I don't think you will find a guy with a track press that will press them out and in for anywhere near that.
 
I would be surprised if you can even find new p&b or rails and sprockets for that size crawler anymore.
good luck. If this is a machine you are considering to buy, I would check out undercarriage availability first. JD construction dealer would be a good start. They should also be able to check on after market parts also.
Dennis
 
Yes, I have a manual, hadn't considered measurements. The rest of its pretty good, might be inclined to put new sprockets on it. It wont work hard. I see the bush goes all the way thru the link, so they not worn thru yet. The sprockets are not terrible, front weel is nice, all the rollers work. I need to figure out how to deal with the adjustors, they are so rusted, need new really or some conversion from the grease type to a screw.
 
I am going to look at the book, I had wondered where "worn" was.
a281079.jpg

a281080.jpg
 
Your machine looks good. My thoughts on your tracks: Looking at your photos I see how close the idler bracket slide is to the front of the track frame and the large amount of sag you have in your tracks (more than it should have), I would say they are beyond what is considered 100% worn. It is hard to see the sprocket well, but it appears worn considerably.

Not recommending eBay but for an idea there is a listing on eBay for a pair of aftermarket 350 track chains for $1591.00 plus shipping. Then you have to buy new track bolts to swap your pads over to the new chains. Aftermarket sprockets on eBay are about $202.00 each. If you measure up the rest of the undercarriage you will likely find it is beyond the 100%worn.

This is where you have to decide how much you use it, and how much you want to spend. Even if you decide the idlers and rollers look good to you; I would recommend new sprockets with the chains so they fit the chain pitch right and don't accelerate the wear on new parts.

These crawlers did not have screw adjusters, so you would be doing a design build project. Repair your hydraulic (grease) adjusters, they are much better than the screw adjusters, in my opinion having dealt with both. If you don't have a parts catalog (PC 1169 for the 350B crawler, your blade parts catalog should be PC 916) use the free on line catalogs at HTTPS://JDPARTS.DEERE.COM/SERVLET/COM . You can find the John Deere part numbers for the parts you want and do on line searches to get an idea of prices. Hope this helps.
 
Nice looking dozer you have.
Jim.ME is on it. Sprockets and chains (rails) should be changed together if you can find them. Take your adjusters apart and see what you need. They should be repairable.
Dennis
 
The chain cost isn't bad. I saw some sprockets in that
price range which is pretty good. Since its worn
already alost could take a link out to get it to adjust
and wear it out some more.
 
(quoted from post at 19:44:24 09/26/18) The chain cost isn't bad. I saw some sprockets in that
price range which is pretty good. Since its worn
already alost could take a link out to get it to adjust
and wear it out some more.
The front wheel looks great, the hubs on the rollers are all square. Repaired adjusters and removing a link would likely run long time for me. I really dont run it much but it's scrap as it is.
 

Now you are at where most non-commercial users end up. The amount of use of the crawler doesn't justify the cost of an undercarriage rebuild. Others have removed a link and gone for years. I have heard of people making bolt-in spacer blocks to go between the head of the adjuster cylinder and the brackets that hold the idler shaft, to have more track adjustment, rather than removing a link. When the tracks just plain won't stay on, then they do something.

As far as the idler and rollers looking good, that is fine and they will likely run for years for you if you proceed as you posted. Check them for play and leaking seals, repair as needed and they will run a long time. If you were to measure them by the manual I'd be surprised if they are not past the 100% worn point. Loss of diameter on the idler, sprocket, and rolls increases travel needed by the adjuster, just like changing to a smaller pulley diameter on a belt drive. Looks and measurements don't always agree on the technical side.

If you haven't been watching for loose mounting bolts around the engine, bell housing, and power train to frame mounting bolts; add that to your normal maintenance checks. Many have had them loosen up and cause driveline issues. Good luck and have fun. Jim
 
I don't know if it's me,or just the picture,but I'm seeing a gap between the parts of the front idler yoke.There should be two bolts on each side,with maybe some shims to adjust the tracking of the front idler.From what little I can see of them the sprockets don't look like much.The important things on that machine to look at are,the front beam,right under the top rollers.Make sure the rivets are tight where it mounts to the frame,and the bolts are good where they go into the track frame.I don't believe that machine has rubber in the clamps,I believe just the first year did.(1965)Make sure the rear beam,(round one)is clamped tightly to the tractor.They DO loosen up,a lot.Make sure the side frame rails are tight against the trans housing at the rear.If run loose they will crack the castings they are bolted to.Tracks are like tires,wear them out and replace them.If the machine is tight it is worth fixing,if it is not,it is like putting perfume on a pig,or chrome on a Mack.A waste of money.
 
I am a career mechanic and fabricator and ben in everything on this machine. We had some work done on it when I was busy and they let kids do the install, wrong dirty loose bolts in it everwhere. Broke a bunch of stuff. The problem I go long time in between repairs and not an expert in all phases and I like hearing about the cost'reman etc.
I agree that would make it simple vs pressing it all especially since I have a one unit job. I got enough rig ups I wont ever use now.
I also added spacers on one side. This is super good too know.
My sprockets are really good and fit this chain. All this is running square, it doesn't come off if it can be adjusted and,,,,,, since the chain is junk or can be replaced easier than press out there is absolutely no downside to running it by getting adjusters in it.
It would take some brackets but was thinking a guy might add some bracket/mod and put a 20T bottle jack in it?
I drive a dozer like a maniac and want it done now, I should let toers drive.
 
I don't know if it's me,or just the picture,but I'm seeing a gap between the parts of the front idler yoke.
You would be correct, I put shims in it to increase the adjustment. It was tracking nice and square.
 
Sorry, I missed the shims you already added. If you decide to build something for adjusters you should design them to keep the recoil springs in the adjustment system. Having no "give" in the idlers could lead to a lot of damage of other components, i.e. bearings and final drives.
 

Ya, since the chain is on the downside there doesn't seem to be any reason I cant take a link out and wear it till it fails. I was reluctant to fix it if I had to replace it all right now. The adjuster is too rusty to let back in to take a link out this side and finally blew right out the other day. I thought about taking it apart and seeing if a seal gave way, grease pours out and it wont hold.
I drove it back to the truck, was careful and loaded it, would have never thought it would have stayed on that loose. It wont tighten, blown.
 
The inside of the adjuster may be fine, I didn't look to see how hard replacing the rod might be. I brought it home and washed it the other day and wasn't real committed to buying a gob of new stuff but I could go for a cobble job and run the old chains.
Seems I had considered this before but decided it wasn't such an easy feat.
 
If you plan on taking a link out you will have access to fix the adjuster while the chain is apart. Take a look at it in the parts catalog. I believe you can clean the rusty part of the piston rod you see outside of the cylinder enough to get by for quite a while. You can clean it up more and better when it is apart. The outer "seal" you see is a wiper, lip faces toward the rear of the tractor, to keep dirt and water out; it does not hold the grease hydraulic pressure. The actual seal holding the grease is on the inner end of the piston rod up inside the cylinder. If the inside of the cylinder will clean up with a little honing you should be able to reuse it. If you do take a link out of the chain the piston rod will be fully in the cylinder, where the cylinder is likely better, instead of near the outer end as you were. If you clean the exposed rod up with a wire brush and some emery cloth, oil it up, you should be able to use the angle function of your blade, with some blocking between it and the idler, to push the adjuster back in. When you remove the set screw beside the grease fitting, to let the grease out prior to pushing the adjuster back, remove the check ball that is under it as well so it doesn't get lost.
 
I ordered a new piston, after I did it I figured out a fix and made another new one for the other side as the tube was nearly rusted thru there too. I would or should have made 2 but I ordered 2 seal kits, hones the cylinders and it all works well now.
I should have got pics, took a link out and its already all dirty from pushing up a burn pile from a building we demo.
 

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