Challenger 35, Challenger 45 and Challenger 55 Agricultural Tractors Caterpillar

Track Gauge Spacing

Usage:

45 3BK

Note: See the following publications for detailed information about changing the gauge: Special Instruction, SEHS9982, "Procedure to Change Track Gauge" and Video, SEVN3762, "Procedure to Change Track Gauge".

Before you change the gauge, clean the undercarriages so that the undercarriages are free of excess mud and free of debris.

Park the machine on a hard, level surface. There should be an adequate work area around the machine.

Gather all of the required tooling. You may need to assemble some of the tooling. Place the tools in the work area before you change the gauge.

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Illustration 1	g00529798

Remove the three bolts that secure the guard for the drive wheel.

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Illustration 2	g00326163

Remove seven consecutive drive wheel bolts (1). From the opposite side drive wheel, remove seven bolts from the same radial positions as the first side.

Drive the machine forward or drive the machine rearward until the locations for the removed bolts are behind each reaction arm.

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Illustration 3	g00492432

Remove plug (2) from the undercarriage on each side of the machine.

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Illustration 4	g00326192

Disconnect the wiring harness for the track tension switch.

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Illustration 5	g00326165

Position a hydraulic jack under hard bar (3). The hydraulic jack should have a minimum capacity of 90 kN (20,000 lb).

Position wood blocks under the hydraulic jack. The wood blocks should not interfere with the location for the second stand. You will position the second stand later.

Raise one side of the machine off the ground approximately 51 mm (2.0 inch). Measure the clearance between the bottom, inside edge of the grousers and the ground.

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Illustration 6	g00492433

On the side of the machine that is raised, place adequate support under flat area (4) on the frame rail just behind the weights. If necessary, place shims on top of the stand until there is approximately 13 mm (.5 inch) of clearance between the shims and flat area (4) .

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Illustration 7	g00492435

On the side of the machine that is raised, place adequate support under drawbar support (5). Place shims on top of the support until there is approximately 13 mm (.5 inch) of clearance between the shims and the drawbar support.
Note: The supports are used for safety. The supports do not support the weight of the machine. The weight of the machine is supported by the hydraulic jack.

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Illustration 8	g00492436

Remove the guard above the reaction arm. Insert wooden wedge (6) between the drive wheel and the top of the reaction arm. Insert another wooden wedge (6) between the drive wheel and the bottom of the reaction arm.

Position one stand from the FT-2536 Undercarriage Support Group between the machine and the inside of the undercarriage. Position the stand so that stand is in line with the rear mounting hole.
Note: See Special Instruction, SEHS9982, "Procedure to Change Track Gauge" for instructions for fabricating the FT-2536 Undercarriage Support Group .

Insert the tube from the FT-2536 Undercarriage Support Group through the rear mounting hole.

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Illustration 9	g00492437

Position stand (7) over the tube until stand (7) is flush with the end of the tube. Tighten the two bolts that secure the stand to the tube.

Position the stand and the tube at an adequate distance from the undercarriage. This distance will vary because of the available combinations of spacers and of belts. Use the following guidelines when you position stand (7) :
- The stand should not touch the edge of the belt when you reinstall the undercarriage.
- Provide clearance for removal of the hooks when you install the undercarriage.
- If you remove spacers in order to shorten the gauge, extend the tube inward. The tube should accommodate the width of the removed spacers. Extend the tube far enough into the undercarriage so that there is enough tube for installation of the undercarriage.

Place shims under stand (7) so that stand (7) rests as solid as possible on the ground. Use shims that are as wide as at least the base of the stand.

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Illustration 10	g00492439

On the outside of the undercarriage, install second stand (8) over the end of the tube.

Position stand (8) on the tube so that you have an adequate work area for the installation of the come-along and for the removal of the undercarriage.

Place shims under the stands so that the stands rest solidly on the ground. Use shims that are as wide as at least the base of the stands.

Tighten the bolts that secure the stands to the tube.

Connect a 1U-9058 Hose Group between the quick coupler on the tension cylinder and the raise port for the #3 implement control valve or for the #4 implement control valve.
Note: A 1U-9058 Hose Group is available from any Caterpillar dealer. Also, the 1U-9058 Hose Group can be fabricated by using the instructions in Special Instruction, SEHS9982, "Procedure to Change Track Gauge".

In the cab, locate the control lever for the implement valve that was selected in Step 24. Move the control lever into the FLOAT position.

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Illustration 11	g00492480

Use a 13 mm wrench in order to open valve (9) on the belt tensioner. Slowly turn valve (9) by a maximum of 1/4 turn in order to open the valve. Opening valve (9) will release the pressure of the belt tensioner.

Release the pressure until there is approximately 19.0 mm (0.77 inch) between the midwheels and the belt.

Tighten valve (9). Place the control lever in the HOLD position. Remove the 1U-9058 Hose Group.
Note: Also, you may relieve the track tension on the opposite undercarriage. When you remove the track tension on the other undercarriage, you relieve the tension on the hard bar's bearings. This release of tension allows slight side-to-side movement of the hardbar. The movement makes undercarriage removal and installation slightly easier.

Remove fifteen bolts from the drive wheel. Leave one bolt in the drive wheel. Also, remove eleven bolts from the hardbar. Leave one bolt in the hardbar.

Slowly lower the machine so that the weight of the undercarriage is transferred from the machine to the tube and to the stands. Make sure that the machine does not rest on the front support or on the rear support.

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Illustration 12	g00492481

Install a guide bolt into the top, center hole of the drive wheel. Also, install a guide bolt into the top, center hole of the hardbar. Remove the remaining bolts from the drive wheel. Also, remove the remaining bolts and plate (10) from the hardbar.
If the removal of the bolts is difficult, you may need to perform one of the following procedures:
- Raise the machine slightly.
- Lower the machine slightly.
These procedures will transfer the weight of the undercarriage from the bolts to the tube.

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Illustration 13	g00492482

Connect one end of come-along (11) onto the hook on the outside stand. Connect the pulley hook on come-along (11) to the plate that is below the tube on the outside of the undercarriage. Connect the third hook of come-along (11) onto the pin on come-along (11).

Ratchet come-along (11) in order to pull the undercarriage along the tube. The undercarriage is slightly heavy toward the rear of the undercarriage. You will need to pivot the undercarriage so that the grousers do not drag on the ground.
Note: On some machines, you may need to help the drive wheel off the pilot surface on the rear axle.

Move the undercarriage until you have an adequate working area between the undercarriage and the machine.
Note: Spacers with dowels and with through holes may stay with the undercarriage when you remove the undercarriage. Make sure that the spacers with dowels stay with the machine on the guide bolt.

Remove the guide bolts.

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NOTICE

Three clearance holes are provided in the drive wheel spacer to accommodate the three socket head screws that fasten the drive wheel to the hub. When adding spacers, make sure that the clearance holes in the spacer are positioned correctly to accommodate the drive wheel hub socket head screws.

Remove spacers for the drive wheel and/or spacers for the hardbar or install spacers for the drive wheel and/or spacers for the hardbar. See the Special Instruction, SEHS9982, "Procedure to Change the Track Gauge" for the following components that are required for the gauge: spacers, bolts and belts.
Note: Some widths of spacers for the drive wheels use temporary bolts. Pay attention to the orientation of the drive wheel and of the spacer in order to allow proper alignment of the holes for the temporary bolts.
Note: Some gauges use a combination of spacers with flanges and spacers with through-holes. When you install a combination of spacers, place the spacer with through-holes between the spacer with flanges and the undercarriage.
Note: Before starting the installation procedure, clean the mating surfaces of the spacers, hardbar, flanged rear axle, and undercarriage. Also clean all bolt threads and holes. Add lubrication to the bolt threads and under each bolt head. Engine oil or any other anti-seize compound may be used. If you install spacers with dowels in the hardbar, clean the holes for the dowels.
Note: The flanged, rear axle and spacers with flanges for the drive wheel have a pilot surface. The pilot surface centers the drive wheel to the flanged, rear axle or to the spacer.

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Illustration 14	g00326190

If you did not install guide bolt (12) into the hardbar or into the spacer for the hardbar, install guide bolt (12) into the top, center hole of the hardbar or into the spacer for the hardbar.

Install dowel pins if the dowel pins are required.

Install another guide bolt (12) into the top, center hole of the flanged, rear axle or into the spacer for the rear axle.

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Illustration 15	g00492483

Attach the hook of come-along (11) to the plate on the outside stand.

Thread the hook at the end and the hook with the pulley between the second midwheel and the third midwheel. Attach the hook with the pulley to the plate on the inside stand.

Attach the end hook of come-along (11) to the plate on the inside of the undercarriage. When all of the hooks are attached, ratchet come-along (11) in order to pull the undercarriage toward the machine.
The undercarriage is slightly heavy toward the rear of the undercarriage. In order to align the holes in the undercarriage with the guide bolts, you may perform one of the following procedures:
- Raise the machine slightly.
- Lower the machine slightly.

After you align the holes in the undercarriage and guide bolts (12), pull in the undercarriage far enough for the installation of several bolts into the hardbar and into the drive wheel. Install plate (10) .

Tighten several bolts in the drive wheel in order to pull the drive wheel onto the pilot surface.

Remove guide bolt (12). Install the remaining bolts in the drive wheel. Tighten all of the bolts to a torque of 810 N·m (600 lb ft). The seven bolts behind the reaction arm will be installed later.

Install the remaining bolts in the hardbar. Remove the guide bolts. Install the remaining bolt. If you installed the spacers with dowels, tighten all of the bolts to a torque of 810 N·m (600 lb ft). If the spacers do not use dowels, install the bolts in the hardbar. Do not tighten the bolts in the hardbar. The washers should remain loose on the bolts. The bolts will be tightened later.

Remove come-along (11) from the stands and from the undercarriage.

Use the hydraulic jack that is positioned under the hardbar in order to raise the machine. Raise the machine until the stands are off the shims. Remove the shims that are underneath the stands.

Loosen the bolts that secure the stands to the tube. Remove the outside stand from the tube. Then, remove the tube from the undercarriage.

Remove the inside stand that is underneath the machine.

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Illustration 16	g00492436

Remove wooden wedges (6) that are between the drive wheel and the reaction arm. Remove the front support and the shims. Also, remove the rear support and the shims. Replace the guard above the reaction arm.

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Illustration 17	g00326192

Lower the machine. Remove the hydraulic jack. Reconnect the harness for the track tension switch. Store the excess harness in the undercarriage behind the plug. Then, install the plug.

Tension the belt. See Operation and Maintenance Manual, "Track - Tension and Detension".

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NOTICE

Do not operate the machine with an accumulator that is low or has no nitrogen charge. Damage to the undercarriage and steering difficulty could result.

After you tension the belts on sides of the machine, make sure that you remove all of the tools. Drive the machine forward or reverse in order to expose the seven bolt holes that were behind each of the reaction arms.

Install the remaining bolts in each drive wheel. Tighten the bolts to a torque of 810 N·m (600 lb ft).

If the machine has spacers with dowels for the hardbar, the gauge change is now complete. If the machine does not have spacers with dowels for the hardbar, drive the machine back and forth for a short distance. Drive the machine back and forth after you tighten the spacers for the drive wheels. Driving back and forth seats the bolts for the hardbar in the undercarriage.