Properly maintaining the undercarriage of your heavy-duty equipment is critical for longevity and performance. Being able to identify any issues early on is important to preventing small problems from compounding into bigger problems over time that become more expensive to repair and risk your equipment failing and being sidelined when you need it. When carrying out your regular maintenance checks, here are 5 common and easy-to-spot signs that could be evidence of issues with your undercarriage or could lead to issues down the road.

Build-up of dirt and debris

Left unchecked, dirt and debris on your tracks or undercarriage can cause a variety of problems for your equipment. Debris and grit can cause resistance, which risks premature wear and abrasion to your undercarriage, as well as possibly jamming moving parts that could cause components to snap under stress. Furthermore, the added resistance can lower fuel efficiency, thereby increasing fuel costs. It is important to clean any dirt and debris during each maintenance check as it can become harder to clean and more damaging to the equipment the longer it is left to harden and compound.

Poorly lubricated grease points

Appropriate lubrication of the grease points of your vehicle helps minimise stress caused by friction. Applying the right type and amount of lubrication before you start using the equipment greatly increases its service life and helps to protect the undercarriage. Proper lubrication can also push out dirt and helps prevent bushing on the frames from wearing down, making it easier to maintain. If you find your grease points poorly lubricated during maintenance checks, this may contribute to undercarriage issues that also need addressing.

Cracks or damage on the tracks

Whilst the tracks and the undercarriage are technically separate systems, they work in tandem to support each other’s performance, making it crucial to maintain both. Tracks can be damaged from wear but will experience such damage noticeably faster if the undercarriage is not properly maintained. When you identify damage on your tracks, make sure to also check your undercarriage to see if it could have contributed by being damaged itself.

Tracks too loose or too tight

Much like damage and cracks, your tracks are more likely to lose their ideal tension faster if your undercarriage is not properly maintained. Refer to your operation and maintenance manual for the appropriate tension test procedures for your equipment and tracks, but if you find them losing their optimum tension more often than they should, inspect your undercarriage to assess if it could be at fault.

Oil Leaks

Lastly, oil leaks could be indicative of undercarriage issues. If your undercarriage is damaged, it leads to the parts that it should be protecting becoming exposed. This subsequently increases the possibility that they may be damaged, causing problems such as oil leaks more likely.

At Jaytrac, we supply a range of products and replacement parts for undercarriages as well as other parts such as fuel injectors and seals and gaskets for a range of heavy equipment brands, including Caterpillar, Cummins, Komatsu, and Volvo. For more information on how best to maintain the undercarriage of your equipment or other issues relating to your heavy-duty equipment, get in touch today on 01604 491 133 or send us an enquiry form.