49 replies to this topic

[huntingtome1]

Does backdragging wear dozer sprockets, bushing and pins prematurely or is that just another myth orginated by Cat?

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[sdunston]

It wears the bottom of the blade!!! would say its easier on the machine than pushing
thanks Sam

[dieseldoctor]

Generally, good dozer operators will hesitate to back drag. Most track shoes were designed to pull hard in a forward direction only. In forward, the grouser pulls the track link against the rollers, while in reverse, the load pulls the track link away from the rollers, and then slams the link back against the rollers, as the roller runs over the grouser, causing accelerated wear on both kinks and rollers. A machine with the tracks on backwards will also wear out undercarriage very quickly. Also the dozer is meant for pushing only, backdragging damages the treaded ends of the cutting edge bolts, and premeturely wears out the frog of the blade. (The part that the cutting edge bolts to)

[sawmill]

Once in a while even a good operator
will use the back of the blade to drag
dirt out of a hard to reach spot. Then
he will spread it going forward. Yes
if you backdrag enough it is hard on
undercarriages and dozer blades. If
a cat was built for working dirt in reverse
it would have cutting bits and face on
back of dozer. Dozer blades were built to
take the stress from pushing not dragging.
Backdragging is hard on the braces,pins,
bushings,and trunnions on the blade.
It is a trade mark of an inexperianced
operator. What Cat instigated myths have
you heard?

[mike_newman]

------or if some dumbarse truck driver drops his load of expensive metal, in a heap, on the bush road, and you have to scratch it back onto the carridge way---as to not waste it

without a grader, and with little material to play with, back blading, with an angle blade, on float, but still using the tilt rams---you can make a ghee whizz job-----it is acceptable in some cicumstances

when you see a neat finish, with grouser marks printed all over, it sure looks good-----

Mike

[RJ-AZ]

I have been known to backdrag but mostly with the blade on float or with an old D7 cable lift blade. I did operate a D7E in the Nat. Guard thathad swing away rippers on the rear of the blade that would dig on the backstroke and fold away when dozing forward. They only stuck down about 18" below the blade and were not much help at all.

[captain_crunch]

Sawmill
You trying to tell me you are supposed to use the front of the blade Thought the front was for rolling things out of the way so you could back drag it

[R-Cubed]

Back dragging is easier to smooth out loose dirt than going forward. Due to the shape of the back of the blade you obviously can't dig fresh dirt going backwards so how can you hurt anything? There is one thing worth considering. Going forward the forces go from the sprocket to the track and directly into the dirt. Going backwards the tension is on the top of the track and tends to pull the front idler back against the tensioner. Any heavy backwards load like pushing a scraper with it going backwards could cause trouble by causing slack, etc. I've been trying to figure out how the forces act on Cat's stupid high drive system but haven't had the time to work it out.

[bordercollie]

did ya ever try cutting your steak with the knife upside down? it doesn't work all that well. Also try and distribute your turns evenly, by this I mean not always turning one direction all the time, also when working on side hills, try and give each track a equal time on the uphill side, these things will make your undercarriage last alot longer.

[MOChad]

Well, I've been around some excellent operators, and was even accused of being adequate once , but I've yet to see an operator that didn't backdrag something, somewhere, if for no other reason than not to leave grouser marks in fresh work. But as others have said, it's always in float to just distibute a little loose material. If you're needing to do more than that in reverse, you probably need a little more time in the seat.

Chads