How To Put A Track Back On A Skid Steer: A Master Technician's Field Guide

Throwing a track on a compact track loader (CTL) or skid steer halts jobsite productivity instantly, but understanding hydraulic track tensioner mechanics allows operators to safely remount the track in under thirty minutes. Success relies on relieving grease cylinder pressure, safely elevating the undercarriage, and correctly sequencing the realignment of the sprocket, rollers, and idlers.

Pre-Operation & Site Preparation Checklist

A thrown track rarely happens under ideal conditions; it usually occurs in deep mud, frozen clay, or abrasive gravel. Before attempting any mechanical intervention, secure a safe working environment and assemble the correct heavy-duty tooling. Working on a multi-ton machine requires strict adherence to safety protocols to prevent catastrophic hydraulic failure or machine tipping.

• Essential Tools and Equipment:
  
  
  • Industrial floor jack or bottle jack rated for at least double the operating weight of the skid steer.
  • Heavy-duty jack stands capable of supporting the machine frame securely.
  • Standard grease gun filled with multipurpose lithium or extreme-pressure (EP) grease.
  • Large socket set (typically 15mm to 24mm) and a ratchet.
  • Long-handled breaker bar or pry bars (minimum 36 inches).
  • A block of heavy timber or a wooden railroad tie.
  • Personal protective equipment including heavy leather work gloves, steel-toed boots, and safety glasses.
• Prerequisite Knowledge & Safety Standards:
  
  
  • Familiarity with the machine's specific grease valve location, usually housed inside the lower frame rail near the front or rear idler.
  • Understanding of high-pressure grease injection risks; never stand directly in line with the grease relief valve when loosening it.
  • Park the skid steer on a hard, level, and dry surface whenever jobsite conditions permit before starting repairs.
• Time and Budget Benchmarks:
  
  
  • Estimated time for an experienced operator: 20 to 45 minutes.
  • Estimated time for a single operator in heavy mud: 60 to 90 minutes.
  • Financial investment: Zero if tools are on hand; rental or purchase of a high-capacity jack may cost between fifty and two hundred dollars.

Step-by-Step Track Realignment and Tensioning Procedure

Step 1: Clean and Inspect the Undercarriage

Clear all mud, rocks, and debris from the sprockets, front and rear idlers, and bottom rollers using a shovel or a stiff wire brush. Inspect the rubber track's inner guide lugs, steel embedded cables, and the drive sprocket teeth for signs of accelerated wear, cracking, or structural damage.

Warning: Never use your bare hands to clear packed rocks or frozen mud from the pinch points between the track and the frame; use a pry bar or shovel to prevent severe crushing injuries.

Step 2: Relieve the Hydraulic Tensioner Pressure

Locate the track tensioner grease fitting and relief valve housing, which is shielded behind an access plate on the inside of the track frame. Using an appropriate wrench, slowly loosen the grease relief valve counterclockwise by no more than one full turn to release internal pressure from the tensioner cylinder.

Pro-Tip: Wrap a clean shop rag around the grease relief valve before loosening it to catch any expelled grease and prevent hydraulic fluid or contaminants from spraying onto your clothing or the machine frame.

Step 3: Compress the Front Idler Cylinder

Insert a heavy-duty pry bar between the front idler and the track frame or use the machine's weight by pushing against a solid object to force the front idler backward. As the idler slides inward, trapped grease will evacuate through the loosened relief valve, creating the slack required to slip the track back over the components. Once fully compressed, securely tighten the grease relief valve to manufacturer torque specifications.

Step 4: Elevate and Support the Machine Safely

Position an industrial bottle jack or floor jack under the designated lift point on the side of the skid steer frame where the track is thrown. Pump the jack until the undercarriage is raised high enough to suspend the tracks completely clear of the ground. Place robust steel jack stands under the frame immediately to ensure secondary mechanical safety backup before reaching beneath the machine.

Step 5: Align the Track Over the Rear Sprocket and Idlers

Drape the top portion of the rubber track over the top carrier rollers and engage the inner drive lugs securely with the teeth of the drive sprocket at the rear. Pull the bottom loop of the track forward and guide it over the top of the front idler wheel while maintaining tension with a helper or a pry bar.

Step 6: Walk the Track Onto the Remaining Rollers

Start the skid steer engine and idle it down to low revolutions. Slowly and carefully jog the drive control lever in reverse if the track is hanging off the front, allowing the sprocket teeth to bite into the rubber track drive lugs and pull the remaining section onto the bottom rollers. Alternatively, use a long pry bar as a lever against the track tread to walk the final edge over the flange of the front idler.

Step 7: Re-tension the Track Assembly

Attach a grease gun nozzle directly to the track tensioner zerk fitting and pump fresh grease into the cylinder until the track sags to the manufacturer's specified clearance limit. Measure the sag distance between the bottom of the frame roller and the inside of the track tread, adjusting until it matches the exact threshold listed in your machine operator's manual.

Skid Steer Undercarriage Specifications and Maintenance Parameters

Common Undercarriage Failures and Field Fixes

• Frequent Track Derailment:
  
  
  • Root Cause: Excessively worn drive sprockets, loose track tension, or heavily worn front idler flanges allowing the track to walk off sideways during sharp turns.
  • Actionable Fix: Replace worn sprockets and idlers immediately, and verify that track tension is maintained at the tight end of the manufacturer's acceptable tolerance range.
• Inability to Compress the Front Idler:
  
  
  • Root Cause: Clogged grease relief valve, hardened dirt packed inside the sliding idler cavity, or internal piston binding within the grease cylinder.
  • Actionable Fix: Remove the relief valve entirely to clear internal debris, flush the port with a solvent, and apply penetrating fluid to free the sliding slide box.
• Rapid Premature Edge Wear on Guide Lugs:
  
  
  • Root Cause: Operating across excessive side-slopes, turning aggressively on hard asphalt surfaces, or traveling with severely under-tensioned tracks.
  • Actionable Fix: Alter operator habits by making wider, multi-point turns, avoid operating on steep side hills, and check track tension weekly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I put a skid steer track back on without a jack?

While it is technically possible to remount a track using only the machine's drive power and a pry bar in an emergency, using a jack is strongly recommended. Lifting the machine removes the load weight from the undercarriage, making it significantly safer and easier to compress the tensioner and align the track lugs.

How tight should skid steer tracks be adjusted?

Skid steer tracks should never be pulled completely taut; they require a specific amount of vertical sag, typically between half an inch and one inch depending on the specific machine model. Over-tightening puts extreme stress on the drive motors, idler bearings, and final drives, while under-tightening causes frequent track derailments.

What causes a skid steer to throw its track repeatedly?

Repeated track throwing is usually caused by incorrect track tension, worn-out sprocket teeth that fail to engage the drive lugs cleanly, or a buildup of tightly packed mud and debris inside the undercarriage frame. Inspecting and replacing worn components prevents chronic track alignment issues on the jobsite.

Is it safe to use a grease gun to push the idler back out?

No, a grease gun is used to pump grease into the cylinder to push the front idler forward and tighten the track. To push the idler backward and loosen the track, you must loosen the grease relief valve and use a pry bar to force the idler inward, which forces the old grease out through the valve.

Keep your compact track loader operating at peak efficiency by scheduling routine undercarriage inspections and maintaining proper hydraulic track tension before every shift.