I am having trouble keeping chains on the rear tires of my JD 240 skid steer when I do hard pack removal. Sometimes the chains last as short as 20 minutes, then a link in the cross-tread breaks. These chains were made from new military HUMVEE chains and are real heavy duty, and I have them as tight as I can get them. When I called the Bobcat dealer (talking new loader) and asked about their chains, he recommended I get the ones I already have, as theirs break so much they won't put them on rentals any more. Yes, to break out the hard pack I spend a fair amount of time doing a wheelie, but I still don't see why the chains break so easily. Maybe I am expecting too much? Anyone else having difficulty using chains on hard surfaces? FYI: I do not have anything across the outside of the tire to keep the chains tight in that direction, except two bungie chords. Is there some kind of turn-buckle setup that might help there? Thanks. john
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OldMachinist
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They do make heavy duty adjusters for tractors and loaders check out this site.
http://tirechain.com/tractor-grader-springadjuster.htm
http://tirechain.com/tractor-grader-springadjuster.htm
All the chains i have seen have like a ring that holds the chains to the side wall if the tyre so when you turn you can't pull the chains off the tyre, that setup sounds very strange. I can't see how they could stay in place when turning with only elastic straps holding it in place!
skidsteer.ca
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You don't need bungees if they are install with the siderail chain tight. If you are breaking them and they are not catching on the machine somehow, they must be too light or a poor grade of chain. What size chain are the links made from 5/16" 3/8"
1/4 " would be marginal imo.
Ken
Ken, et al: I have the chains as tight as I can get them, ( but maybe still not tight enough) and wiggle and strain and fiddle as much as I can to get the chain over the treads, etc. I added the bungies only because my neighbor did and he said it helps "keep them from flopping around". Frankly, I don't see how they do much, and certainly they don't do stink for any strength, but I took his word temporarily. The chains are only about 1/4", maybe 5/16"; they sure are not 3/8"! I will check into those tighteners mentioned above. My new machine is coming w/ JD tire chains, so I hope they are more skookum than what I have; maybe those tighteners will help, too. My front tires do well, but those back chains have been left off because they just brake anyway. Thanks all for the info.
Try this outfit:
www.rudchain.com/ http://rudchain.thomasnet.com/viewitems/heavy-equipment/skid-steer-chains?&forward=1
bloody expensive, but you get what you pay for. I have heard nothing but good things about them.
skidsteer.ca
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Chains don't have to be super tight. Just tight enough to not fall off and not fly out and catch the frame of the loader.
But if you breaking cross chains you won't be able to keep them tight anyway.
I'm sure 1/4" chain would be hopeless, it is just to small, ok for limited use on cars and 1/2 tons
Take your open end wrenches and see which one fits over the link material you have.
If you go to buy a set in person take a file with you if they can be filed they a pretty soft steel.
Look for a place that sells tire chains for semi trucks and get one to fit your tire size but with comparable link size. They will ride a little rough on hard surfaces, but you will wear them out instead of tear them up. They should not break until they are worn 60 to 75% through.
Good chains are expensive, but last for years for most people.
Ken
Ken: You guessed it; I went out to the shop tonight. 1/4" chains, side rails and cross links. No wonder. I hope the new ones from JD are heavier when they get here; if not, I'll sell one pair and go to a truck shop, like suggested, and get something w/ some horsepower. Thanks for the opinions, all. j
CARP! I drove my new 332 for a few hrs before I broke a rear tire chain cross link, again/still/as usual. These chains came w/ the loader, right from the dealer, and are 5/16". I SWEAR I am trying to baby the machine by not driving hell-bent and not spinning around like a deranged fruit fly. I just don't get it. My neighbor has a machine about the size of my old one, had the same chains as my old machine, and has many hours on his without a break (all four tires are chained, too). Periodically, of course, the front wheels are off the ground so I can scrape hard pack w/ the bucket, but I just can't imagine that that adds so much pressure on the chains that they should be breaking. Other than going to 3/8" on the rear, does anyone have any ideas not yet mentioned? I am a tad frustrated. Thanks again. john
I run heavy truck chains on my 8875. I take the tires off, deflate them, put the chains on as tight as possible then air them back up so the chains are very tight. I have about 100 hours on it so far in the mud, snow, ice, dirt and gravel with no problems. How are you putting the chains on? When mine are on the tires they are so tight you can't move them around at all. John
8875: What is an 8875? How heavy are your chains; 3/8"? Deflating the tires; never thought of that, and it sounds like a very good idea. Thanks. j
If you have a military surplus or maybe you can find on the net chains for the six -by with 20" wheels they work pretty good.I get a pair for seventy-five dollars and they hold up better than anything I've tried and I've tried them all. They are long so you have to cut to length. the links have hooks connecting to the side chains so when you break a link it's easy to replace. all the extra links and hooks I carry in the truck and a few in the bobcat. The links are long enough to allow the side chains to to lay further down the sidewall. If the links to the pictures work you will see that the chain links are loose so they don't break as easy when you spin the tires or try to turn .I do use bungees as a rule but you don't have to.I can usually get two seasons out of a pair with I buy a pair each year and rotate the rear chain to the front and put the new ones on the back. With the extra links you could add links between the ones already there but I've found I didn't need to.
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg301/LANDTEKK/CHAINSGEHL1Small.jpg
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg301/LANDTEKK/CHAINSGEHLSmall.jpg
Land: Thanks. The link to the pic does not work, but I am certain those are the first kind I tried. A guy bought a pallet full at an auction, cut them to size and is re-selling them; they lasted, on the rear, from 1-4 hrs. I even begged a few extra cross links from him, but finally just took them off the back. My neighbor uses them w/ good luck, too, which further mystifies the carp out of me. I am going to repair the one cross link that I broke on these new JD chains and try them again; maybe I just had one abnormally wimpy link. I am ready to SCREAM. j
Links fixed
Yep. Those are the same chains I tried at first. They sure looked good, and easy to repair.
jkklingel, maybe you just have too much power to the wheels,ha ha.Seriously the extra pieces are the trick cause you can replace as they break. scott
Scott: That is a nice feature about those chains, but I was breaking them so fast I got PO'd and just took 'em off. I am going to try to find out who made the present chains, and what grade steel they are. On that note, does anyone know who could look at/grind on/whatever on a chain link and tell me what grade these are? They could just be pretty cheap, low grade chains, made by some inferior process in some remote land.... no names mentioned, of course, as I'd hate to compromise the Olympics.
