Frequently asked questions 

The rubber tracks of your undercarriage will eventually wear out, which cannot be avoided if you use your excavator often. It is important to replace your rubber tracks in time when they are worn out, otherwise you may get damage to the machine or other undercarriage parts.  

You can recognise the wear on your rubber tracks in several ways, you can read all about it in our blog on the subject. 

Your rubber tracks will eventually wear out when you use your excavator a lot. This wear can be recognised by a number of factors, which you can read on the page about our rubber tracks. 

The difference in quality with rubber tracks is almost imperceptible, this is mainly in the inside. The quality of a rubber track depends on several factors:  

• The amount and type of cables used for the inserts 
• The composition and quality of the rubber used 
• The number and thickness of steel cables in the tracks 

AVT (anti-vibration tracks) contain cams in the form of wyberts, so there is continuous contact between the rollers and the cams. This has a number of advantages: 

• Up to 75% lower vibration level; 
• There is more comfort for the operator; 
• Less wear on the undercarriage. This is especially at the idlers, sprockets and top and bottom rollers). 

The lifetime of your rubber tracks depends heavily on a number of factors, such as the driving and running hours of your excavator, the surface you work on and the width of the track shoes. Read more about the lifespan of your rubber tracks in our blog. 

You may be in doubt whether your undercarriage parts need replacing already, or whether you can still work with them for a while. In our blog, we tell you how to recognise wear on chains, track links, rubber tracks, track shoes, rollers and more. 

Want to replace your undercarriage parts yourself, but don’t know exactly how to do it? We have a lot of blog posts on our website that might help you further. Still can’t figure it out? Then feel free to contact your local dealer. 

For the correct tension on your rubber tracks, it is best to look in the excavator’s user manual. This is because it lists the voltage the manufacturer describes as correct and the different ways you can measure it. 

Rubber pads are mounted on a steel undercarriage to prevent damage to the surface as much as possible. There are different types of pads, all of which can be used for different applications. Read in our blog which pads are best for your job.

To mount the track links in the right direction, it is important to know what the front and rear of the undercarriage are. The idlers are at the front of the excavator, while the sprockets and travel drives are at the rear.  

Then it is important to stick to the picture below. When the track link is open on the ground, it looks like the picture. A link has a narrow and a wide side. The wide side belongs on the sprockets side (back of the undercarriage) and the narrow side belongs on the idler side (front of the undercarriage). 

Still not quite clear? In our blog, we give more reminders that will help you determine the correct direction of travel for your track links. 

This question is difficult to answer. In fact, it depends very much on a number of factors, such as the driving and running hours of the machine, the surface it runs on and the maintenance you do to your undercarriage. You can read more factors that affect the lifespan of your excavator in our blog. 

VemaTrack’s portable track press makes it possible to quickly, easily and safely press a pin out of an undercarriage track link. Using the track press has some great advantages, you can read these in our blog. 

Want to know how the portable track press works? Then watch the track press video on YouTube. 

That choice depends on a number of factors. Both a steel and rubber undercarriage have advantages and disadvantages.  

For example, a major advantage of rubber tracks is that they do not damage the surface and make less noise than steel undercarriage. Moreover, driving on rubber tracks causes less vibration, which is more comfortable for the operator. However, rubber tracks are less suitable for driving on wet or muddy ground, and they are more likely to crack due to hard or sharp objects on the ground. 

If you drive your excavator a lot over soft or wet ground, then steel tracks are a better option. Moreover, steel tracks are more durable, as they are less likely to break down. However, steel tracks make more noise and cause more vibrations, which is less comfortable for the operator. In addition, steel tracks leave more marks on the surface. 

When looking for new rubber tracks, you usually don’t have a choice between short pitch or long pitch rubber tracks. This is because most excavators can only run on one of the two. 

Short pitch rubber tracks have shorter lugs, allowing the rubber track to engage each tooth of the sprocket. This reduces vibration and undercarriage wear.  

Long pitch rubber tracks have longer lugs, allowing it to skip a tooth in the sprocket each time. As a result, long pitch rubber tracks have less packing in sandy soil, which in turn is an advantage in certain operations. On the other hand, the excavator runs less quietly and the undercarriage will wear faster.