My friend was having a little too much fun with the D4 - did a backup and turn across a narrow creek and the right track came off the idler. The creek is mostly dry right now.

The plan is to dig out the front of the track and lever it back on the idler. I am thinking I will need to pull back on the recoil spring with a come-along. How much force does it take to compress the spring?

There is some slack in the track now. I don't think the track is broken, but I haven't dug it all out yet.

Any words of wisdom from those who have done this before? I know I need to make sure the D4 is well supported as I unload the front of the track.

Thanks
Clint

Get out your big wrench for adjusting the track tension and back off the track adjuster nut. You should be able to run back into the track without too much of a problem. You do not compress the spring to put the track back on. You back off on the track tension adjusting nut to take the tension off the tracks. Look in your manual on how to do it. The last time that I threw a track on our D4 7U, I was backing over some mean vine maple. I had to use a come a long to help pull my track back in line so that I could drive back into the track. It went easily back on. Afterwards, I re-adjusted the track tension.

Steammer is correct. Take the rock gaurds off, and back off the track adjuster nut. My brother through the track off my 7u last fall. The track went to the inside and against the side of the engine. We backed the idler off, used another piece of equipment and a chain to help get it back on, and the tightened the idler nut again. It was about a three hour job.-glen

Hi, Folks,
Which is why you ought to occasionally - and not TOO occasionally - make sure that the idler adjusting nut is NOT seized. After all, how long does it take to check that it will turn - as compared to how long it might take to free it up when you a NEED for it to turn and it won't? I have seen one or two owners have that experience. They weren't happy little vegemites. LOL.

Hope it all goes well for you.

Thanks very much to all for the info.

I actually figured I would not be able to use the adjuster nut on this old cat. But when I dug out the area and took a look, I found the adjuster nut has been split into 3 segments. They are held together with a muffler clamp. It looks hokey but it looks like it has worked. I am hoping I will be able to chisel the nut segments off the spring bolt and proceed as advised. Probably won't get back to it till the weekend.

Thanks
Clint

One also has to first loosen the idler arm nuts so that the idler adjusting nut can be turned. The idler adjusting nut has it's hex split into three segments from the get go. The adjusting nut shouldn't need a muffler clamp to hold it together because the nut's collar is not split all the way through and the nuts's collar is still attached to the split hex nut. Get started by soaking the adjusting nut with your favoirte penetrant oil. I haven't seen an idler adjusting nut not come loose yet. Sometimes a little heat from a torch also helps. If your adjusting nut is broken, now would be a good time to fix it. Without the three nut segments attached to the collar, it would be tough to turn it if it was rusted solid.

Just buttin in here to say how much I appreciate the knowledge shared here. The track popped off my D4 - I didn't do nothin' till after I had run home and studied this website.
I was on a bit of a sidehill, between a tree and a stump, so I jacked that side of the cat right off the ground and loosened the tensioner nut. I had to build a 2 5/8" wrench with a 5" offset then it was easy. Then I used the old Cockshutt, a comealong, a crowbar, and a couple young guys and the track went on real easy !! Tighten up the tensioner again and we're back in business.

just be carefull, i had the track come off the idler and when we tried putting it back on. even with the loader we had it fall off the back.

thansk
KoO
Published Author

Back on track and back on high ground.

Thanks again for the help. Did get the adjuster nut to turn eventually, but the nut and the recoil spring bolt were so rusted and worn that the muffler clamp on the nut was necessary give it enough bite to move the idler. Also could have been a problem because I am near the max limit of adjustment. Some new parts are needed to make the next adjustment easier. Don't know if Cat still sells recoil bolts and adjuster nuts - if not, they should not be too hard to find/make - winter project.

Clint

Gday Clint,

Good to see you got it sorted, i am not sure if your D4 has the large spring for the track adjuster, but if it does, just a word of caution

Don't what ever you do try to undo the main spring locking nut on the track adjuster from the large threaded rod, This is under high tension, and if something fails it will take your arm off or worse,

to replace the main threaded shaft, the whole track adjuster unit, must be put in a large Hyd press to take up the tension before the locking nut and rod can be replaced ,

Mine were rusted on the threads pretty bad and I had the local CAt dealer install a new rod and nut

Cheers Simon