Construction and other equipment - Welding on track roller/flange M Crawler

Welding on track roller/flange M Crawler

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Category: Allis Chalmers
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Topic: Welding on track roller/flange M Crawler

Posted By: nowaktj
Subject: Welding on track roller/flange M Crawler
Date Posted: 14 Dec 2013 at 7:16am

Hi guys

I have several track rollers that the flange is gone from one side.

I have had some mild steel rings (1/4" steel) made that I plan on
welding on to these rollers.

Any tips on welding this mild steel to the steel cast roller material? I really don't want to disassemble the roller and I'm worried about whether or not I need to preheat them.

I have 0.035 wire feed & was thinking of doing skip welds and then coming back after the roller had cooled down to fill in between skips.

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D19D, D17D, WD, WC, Snobee, #83 Plow, SC Blade, 14' disk, 400 series planter, B , Terra Tiger, M Dozer w/Baker Blade, TL-12, 42S Grader, G

Replies:

Posted By: Dozer
Date Posted: 14 Dec 2013 at 7:49am

I did the same thing many years ago. I used hard facing rod. I think I put more heat in the roller than you will be able to with your wire welder. Anyway I didn't preheat and I didn't crack anything. The mild steel rings are going to rust rapidly. The fact that the flanges are gone on one side means you have an alignment problem that needs fixing.
Good luck

Posted By: sandman2234
Date Posted: 14 Dec 2013 at 7:50am

Good luck with it!!
David from jax

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A proud member of the Allis Express movement!
Northeast Florida

Posted By: Dozer
Date Posted: 14 Dec 2013 at 8:02am

Yes welding cast iron is dificult. The hard facing rod I used was for cast iron. Some cast iron cracks as the weld cools. It is likely that I had good luck because I was using a stick welder that put down a lot of metal and sl*g. Because of the large amount of metal I was putting down it cooled slowly and didn't crack. When in doubt try it and see how it goes. Take pictures and let us know.

Posted By: Coke-in-MN
Date Posted: 14 Dec 2013 at 11:31am

Seems there will be a seal and a bearing and lube of some kind involved - heat may destroy these items

Are the rollers cast or are they forged malleable iron. Welding on cast can be done by first laying down a cast alloy rod base (buttering) then overlay with a steel base rod - 7018 / 7024 then finishing with a facing rod of higher wear properties .

So if you stick weld or use a stainless wire first - then weld up with E70S wire it would work if cast.

Take your grinder and test base metal for composition, check spark color when grinding - red - yellow - or ? it will tell you the base material - check those sparks against a known metal or you new rings .

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Faith isn't a jump in the dark. It is a walk in the light. Faith is not guessing; it is knowing something.
"Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful."

Posted By: steve(ill)
Date Posted: 14 Dec 2013 at 11:52am

Rollers are not cast iron or they would be brittle and break. Edges wear and roll over, cast iron dont do that. They can be cast steel or forged steel. Either way, you should be able to weld on it with 7018 rod, or E70 wire feed. I saw a factory weld up rollers like this. They put the shaft on two VEE blocks and welded on the top. Had a pan of water on the bottom so when they turned it, it cooled down as they turned it. You dont have to worry about the oil and seal unless your over 250 degrees or so. I would not weld on them if they are outside and 20 degrees.. If you up to 70 degrees ambient or preheat them to that temp you should be o.k. Make sure you ground thru the roller and NOT thru the shaft and bearings. Dont want any bad spots on the bearings. I doubt a wire feed can lay metal fast enough to heat the roller over 250 degrees. STart with skip weld to get it tacked on and straight, then just weld 4-5 inches, roll 45 degrees, weld again, and keep going round and round.

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Like them all, but love the "B"s.

Posted By: steve(ill)
Date Posted: 14 Dec 2013 at 11:53am

Make sure the rings have a good deep VEE notch to fill with weld. IF you just put a couple passes on the top, it will wear off and the ring fall off.

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Like them all, but love the "B"s.

Posted By: everett048
Date Posted: 14 Dec 2013 at 2:35pm

Terry a good friend of ours did just what you are going to do his lasted about 3-4 years the constant hammering on the track chains flattened the rings and they came off.He is now looking for later track frames to put the larger diameter rollers on his M.