Recently, we were approached by a used equipment dealer specializing in importing machinery from Asia. He had a few mini Yanmar VO27 excavators with steel tracks, which posed a challenge when selling them. Many mini excavators are frequently used in urban environments, where they need to cross asphalt and concrete, making rubber tracks a preferred option.
Can these Yanmar VIO27 steel tracks be converted to rubber?
The dealer’s question was straightforward: Can these steel tracks be converted to rubber?
When converting from rubber to steel tracks, the steel tracks are often designed to fit rubber-track undercarriages without the need to replace sprockets, rollers, or idlers. However, converting in the opposite direction—from steel to rubber—is more complex, particularly with used equipment.
Extra attention needed on used imports!
This particular Yanmar VIO27, with over 3,500 hours, also had offset steel chains attached to steel grouser shoes, adding another layer of complexity. Offset chains require specific rubber tracks with a guide different from standard ones. Moreover, the U.S. market version of the rubber-tracked VIO27 has a different sprocket, making it crucial to select compatible parts to avoid issues with alignment.
For used machines, the track chain may have also been altered by removing a few steel shoes to tighten it once the bushings wore out. This alteration can make identifying the correct rubber track size challenging, as the steel shoe count may be off. (No Yanmar VIO27 manual was available)
To ensure compatibility, it’s essential to consult the equipment’s technical manuals and work with a reputable distributor experienced with rubber and steel tracks. Mismatched tracks can lead to issues like rubber tracks rolling off the idler or rollers not aligning properly with the steel inserts on the rubber track.
In this case, we carefully measured the inner guide of the steel chain and the rubber track to match them as closely as possible. Despite being about 90% certain, we wanted to be absolutely sure before installation. To prevent potential issues, we assisted with the installation onsite, using a crowbar carefully to guide the track over the idler without causing damage.
The result? A seamless fit and a happy customer, confident in the new rubber tracks on their Yanmar VIO27 excavator.
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