Repairing The Cracked Spokes On The Crawler Crane Track System - Irreplaceable Parts Repaired 

I usually use the air gun when boring and blow the string through the spindle. I have seen many cool applications for nylarron. I know a guy who makes gears out of it.

I have found it can be brittle and can chip. It is a joy to machine. I assume you are using Nylatron -GS? There are many grades to choose from.

@larryblount3358 gs and GSM are my go to. It holds up great.

MHS, from the spark test he did it looks like cast low carbon steel so standard 7018 wire ought to do fine, let's assume that wire was in his MIG welder and again an assumption on my part he uses Ar/CO2 as his shield gases and he used low amps to continue his low distortion low hydrogen process. All temps used are °F of course since he did not state C or K. If it was cast iron, of one of the three types that can be hot worked he might have used torch brazing with sil-bronze and flux, but again with the pre and post heating and temp management throughout as was shown. The high stresses laterally seem to be the reason for the cracks, hard to add strength since this is cast steel sections near to the hub and without checking for wobble in the system supporting the hub/wheel who knows if this repair will last for the next hundred years. Poor maintenance and bad work habits (moving and turning with high side stress) seem to have been the reason for the failure stresses to begin with. Lots of crane operators are not the owners and do not care about doing it right to begin with.

While brazing would have worked, it was cast steel and completely weldable. Having done several repairs like this, with zero failures, I am confident it will work for my needs.

Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed the video.

I'm almost always against paint. Paint doesn't make it work better. In most cases makes it last shorter due to trapping water. Paint doesn't pay the bills.

Lol.

I think the engine with minimal resonators in the exhaust will give all the thump you would want.

You and me both.

Plastics are awesome.

⁠The plastics and bonding agents that have become common in the past 40 to 50 years are amazing. When I started as an engine engineer at Ford in Dearborn, the word was cast iron. The switch to aluminum for cylinder blocks was challenging. Cast aluminum oil pans were tough too. Cast aluminum doesn’t have great impact strength and stuff hanging down low tends to take hits. So the guys who decided oil pans could be made of plastic - let’s just say they graduated from a different engineering school than I did!

That little table has been a lifesaver, and it's been really useful for all kinds of things.

I've seen so many things fixed incorrectly, and then be absolutely unrepairable. With irreplaceable parts, I don't have that luxury

The plastics are direct bronze replacements. Whilevindontbknow about dirt contamination, it's wear characteristics is similar or better than bronze.

I was surprised when considered replacing my mini excavator bucket bushings I found that the allowable load on plastic vs bronze was only about 10 to 20 percent less than some bronze. I would have guessed it was less than half. I did it because at the time all I had on hand was delrin in the size I needed, 3 years later and they are holding up great

I did a second die penetrant test after the video was done. All good.

I'd have to go look, but it is the onevthat was recommended to replace bronze bearings.

I don't know, but it does. Plastics have been replacing metal bearings for a lot of things, and lasting way longer.

Thanks a lot! I'm glad you enjoyed the video.

Call a plastics supplier and they should be able to help you out.

Exactly. As a working restoration, I want it to look like a field fix.

I doubt Josh is a celcius guy

99% of Americans use Fahrenheit

Fahrenheit

@hinz1 with the process used, it is unlikely to Crack again. You stated it is cast iron, that is incorrect. It is a steel casting, and the process used is an approved weld process. The heating and cooling processes remove the hardening as you called it. It is a stress relieving technique to start hot and cool slow. Had it been cast iron, the process would he much different.

@@TopperMachineLLC If it's real steel casting and not some meehanite type ductile iron stuff, welding should be fine. Front wheel fork on my abused pallet jack cracked as well and I was in the assumption, they only could use cast steel there, welded it, cracked soon again ;-) Likely was some kind of ductile iron stuff.

This is definitely a steel casting. I knew before I hit it with the grinder. Any cast iron or ductile would never hold up to the rolling forces.

Why are you looking at my Johnson? I'll have to double check my zipper before filming. Lol

I did respond. Send me an email.

@@TopperMachineLLC Sorry...must have missed it.

It has been handy.

The mig wire I use is equivalent to 7108. It has proven itself many times. In reality, I think most people are scared of mig welding or are ill equipped to do this work. Most people use that garbage flux core wire. Mig with proper shielding gas will always be better. Stick welding is always going to be the best field repair method.

I do not, but worth a try.

Cost and time. The closest sandblasting place is an hour away. Remember, I am in an extremely economically depressed region. There isn't much left here, and more leaving.

No idea what caused it, but I'd bet it was some kind of hit.

In this case, no. Repair is the best method. If it were far worse, yes, new would be best. I would use way better material than a car rim. Probably start with 1" plate and burn out the rings, solid bar for the center. No spokes, just solid plate.

I can't believe you have the audacity to share your safety opinion.

I gouged deep enough and welded past the Crack end. Most of the cracks were fully through, so it wouldn't matter if drilled. The ones that weren't were gouged extra deep at the ends.

Not yet. Been looking at them. Not enough work in this region to justify the expense.

Basement trolls would never take this on or even succeed. They'd go crying ro mommy when the failed if attempted. Too much work is killing my fun. Lol

Several years now. Use it often.

Paint doesn't pay the bills. This is a mechanical restoration, it needs to function.

I will be proving it next summer. Got big plans for this thing. Deep holes.

That would be awesomevb

It's much cheaper.

Unfortunately these projects have to be pushed back. As much as I would love to just get it done, I still have bills to pay.

@@TopperMachineLLC yes I understand your position, just thought I'd comment

Idk, my guess no. Nylatron is what was recommended by the plastics supplier.

They come out real easy with hydraulics. As it was, it only took about 3-4 tons.

Gotta be ready for everything. It will be especially useful for govt inspectors.

Absolutely, just a different filler metal and weld process.

Unfortunately, he quit last week. He probably wanted a little time with friends before shipping out.

It's great stuff

Cast iron would never hold up in this application

Closest place to get that done is an hour away. Add in the cost to do it and it's not worth it. I've had to learn how to adapt in this economically depressed region.

I'm planning on doing that. Hydraulic hose is expensive. I no longer use air hose in the shop. It's all Hydraulic hose.

Thanks for watching!

Covered in the video.

I'm getting ready.

Already got one.

42 and I'm going to dig holes and lift things. More details in other videos.

The other one is fine. I'm guessing someone turned hard into something. Or hit it with another machine.

@@TopperMachineLLC Hmm...maybe the other bushing stayed well lubed and this one didn't. My experience with bushings is they are good until they aren't and then they just get much worse after that. The broken spokes theory makes sense. Too much side loading would have cracked them. How did a quicky grind on the metal tell you it was cast steel instead of cast iron?

@@de-bodgery spark test. Steel sparks, cast iron makes dust

Covered in the video.

Good question. Not that I have seen. This will be the true test. At the cost of bronze, I wanted to try this out. I can always make new ones in bronze if they don't hold up.

@@TopperMachineLLC Delrin has been pretty good to me, but nothing even close to that kind of pressure. It will indeed be an interesting test once you get the tracks back on it.

I wear ear plugs. I already have a lot if hearing loss and I am working hard to keep what I have left.

@@TopperMachineLLC After I posted my remark, I did wonder if you were indeed wearing ear plugs, they weren't visible, so my bad,

Steel sparks, cast iron makes more dust than sparks.

@@TopperMachineLLC Thanks.

Thanks!

Yes, and it is something I plan to do. Problem is that I use hydraulic hose for air hose, so cost is a huge factor. Regular air hose just doesn't hold up to the abuse in a shop setting.

@@TopperMachineLLC hydraulic hose definitely would be more robust and last longer. I wonder if it would be beneficial for short whips from regular air hose that would be considered “consumable “ items. Might need to replace couple times a year depending on abuse that it sees. I’ve taken to using old school wire tie to repair hoses. Much better than hose clamps, and cheaper than ferrules, if you can find the right ones to replace OEM. I tend to repair stuff, but if you’re in a workplace and time=$ and you are always busy billing high hourly rate then it probably just pays to buy new and save time. But I like to save where I can in my hobby shop.

@@TopperMachineLLC Interesting. On my air hammer I have a ... goodyear?... rubber hose whip which seems to be high quality but I honestly don't use the air hammer all that often. Before I put the whip on, it absolutely beat the fittings to death with just an hour or so of use.

While sandblasting would help the closest sandblasting place is an hour away. Remember, I am in an extremely economically depressed region. There isn't much left here, and more leaving.

@@TopperMachineLLC I see a blast cabinet in the background. Too small to fit the wheel into?

Too small and too slow. It's going away shortly.

Thank you

Thank you.

Thx for teaching me how to repair things on a budget. Farming has been difficult the last few years too.

Everything has been difficult the last 4 years.

the noise over the computer hurt my ears...at 74 I have a bundle of harbor freight red ear cuffs at 4$ or so all over my shop and hanging on every tractor and mower at the ranch...makes every job pleasurable...my hearing doctor said...cuffs only...those little cigarette filters in your ear are better than nothing..but cuffs are way better..

In my ears, you can't see the ear plugs unless at the right angle.

@@TopperMachineLLC good to hear it, no pun intended, there are many old timers who wish they had used something, ear plugs are better than nothing but the big clumsy ones are better.