What rubber track tread pattern do I need on my skid steer?
The Skid Steer Loader is a versatile machine found on most job sites around Australia. Operating in a range of applications from earth-moving, landscaping and agriculture the Skid Steer machine is an important piece of machinery.
Just as important as selecting the right type of skid steer for your next job is regularly maintaining it. From checking the oil and hydraulic fluids, inspecting air filters and lubricating the pivot pins and lifting arms. It’s also important to maintain the under carriage and rubber tracks regularly too to ensure your machine is performing to its optimum standard.
Maintenance of your skid steer rubber tracks is crucial, but so is having the correct rubber tracks fitted to your skid steer. A question we often get asked is
“What rubber track tread pattern do I need on my skid steer?”
It’s always important to know the application in which your Skid Steer will be operating. This includes the job requirements, materials and environment.
Skid steers spend over 90% of their working life ‘walking’, which means that your tracks need to be durable against different terrain and regular turning. Skid steer rubber tracks need to have low ground pressure to prevent damage to the operating surface.
Skid steer rubber track tread patterns are designed to be closer together. This lends itself to be more durable when turning as the ‘S’ shaped tread pattern works to ensure that the track doesn’t jump from one side to the other when turning.
The S-wave tread pattern offsets one side of the rubber track to the other. You’ll notice in the picture that this tread pattern ensures that part of the track is always on the ground when the machine is walking.
This significantly reduces stress on the track and under carriage which allows for smoother operation, reduced vibration and extended operating life of the tracks.
Importantly the tread pattern supplied on a skid steer rubber track has been designed to optimise the size and meet the requirements of the skid steer.
For more information on rubber track tread patterns, call us on 1300 335 528, email [email protected] or drop into our branch for a one-on-one discussion.
