548 / 2440
Hydraulic
Excavators
7
Edition 47 7-219
Shoe Selection
Ground Pressure
EXCAVATOR SHOE SELECTION
Undercarriage life can be extended by equipping the
machine properly for the application.
Many excavators work on pavement or flat, soft
ground and experience few undercarriage problems.
But if those same machines (usually equipped with
wide track pads) were placed in severe underfoot condi-
tions, undercarriage destruction could occur very rapidly.
The rule, used for other track-type machines —
“When-
ever possible use the narrowest shoes available” —
is even
more valid for excavators.
The best general purpose track shoe is the triple grouser.
It has a good section modulus and offers the best com-
promise between traction and minimum disturbance to
paved surface.
The double grouser shoe has a better section modulus
and is more aggressive than the triple grouser section.
Single grouser shoes are offered for maximum traction.
Some users like single grousers for added mobility in hilly
terrain.
The following table lists ground pressures for various
width shoes (reach boom, medium stick and bucket):
Model
ShoeType
ShoeWidth
Pressure
mm
in
kPa
psi
300.9D
Rubber Belt
180
7
24.10
3.50
301.4C
Rubber Belt
230
9
—
—
301.7D
Rubber Belt
230
9
29.42
4.27
301.7D CR
Rubber Belt
230
9
27.50
3.98
302.2D
Rubber Belt
250
10
28.44
4.13
302.4D
Rubber Belt
250
10
28.44
4.13
302.7D CR
Rubber Belt
300
12
—
—
303E CR
Steel Double Grouser
300
12
—
—
Rubber Belt
300
12
32.20
4.60
303.5E CR/303.5E2 CR
Steel Double Grouser
300
12
—
—
Rubber Belt
300
12
32.10
4.70
304E CR/304.5E2 XTC
Steel Double Grouser
350
14
—
—
Rubber Belt
350
14
29.60
4.30
305E2 CR
SteelTriple Grouser
400
16
—
—
Rubber Belt
400
16
30.50
4.40
305.5E2 CR
SteelTriple Grouser
400
16
—
—
Rubber Belt
400
16
31.90
4.60
307E2
SteelTriple Grouser
450
18
36.80
5.30
308E2 CR SB/
308E2VAB
SteelTriple Grouser
450
18
36.80
5.30
Rubber Belt
450
18
36.80
5.30
SteelTriple Grouser
600
24
27.00
3.90