What Makes a Good Excavator Track Chain — And How to Spot a Bad One

Because If It Snaps, So Does Your Deadline.

Let’s be real: your excavator's track chain isn't glamorous. It's not roaring like the engine, or flexing like the boom. But without it? Your machine ain’t going anywhere — except maybe into the mud.

A worn, stretched, or cracked track chain turns your 20-ton beast into a useless hunk of steel, perfectly positioned to destroy deadlines, budgets, and your reputation.

So today, we’re talking track chains — what makes a good one, how to spot a bad one, and when it’s time to call Vikfin before your machine eats itself alive.

First, What the Hell Is a Track Chain?

It’s the spine of your excavator’s undercarriage — a connected series of links and bushings that hold the track shoes and roll over your sprockets, idlers, and rollers like a massive metal conveyor belt from hell.

It does the dirty work:

• Carries the full weight of your machine

• Handles extreme tension and torque

• Crawls over rock, mud, bushveld, and the occasional forgotten shovel

And when it wears out? You’re slipping, tracking poorly, chewing up sprockets, and grinding money into dust.

What Makes a Good Excavator Track Chain?

Here’s what separates a solid track chain from a glorified necklace of metal failure:

✅ 1. High-Quality Steel (Not Recycled Junk)

Good chains are made of heat-treated, hardened steel. We're talking tougher than your ex’s new boyfriend.

The metallurgy must handle:

• Constant impact

• High friction

• Corrosive environments

At Vikfin, we don’t touch track chains unless we know the metal grade, the bushing hardness, and how they’ve been treated.

If your supplier can’t tell you this? Walk away.

✅ 2. Precision Bushing Fitment

Bushings are the soul of the chain. They're what pivot inside the links and keep everything moving smoothly.

A good chain has:

• Tight bushing tolerance (no wobble)

• Induction-hardened surfaces to reduce wear

• No visible cracking or egging out

If the bushing is loose, you’ll get:

• "Snaking" tracks

• Poor tracking accuracy

• Accelerated wear on the sprocket teeth

Which means? More parts, more downtime, more swearing.

✅ 3. Proper Lubrication (Especially for Sealed & Greased Chains)

Greased chains are filled with high-pressure lube during assembly. A good one has:

• Sealed ends

• No visible leakage

• Still feels tight after 1,000+ hours

If it’s dry or leaking?You’re basically dragging rusted shackles through sand.

✅ 4. Link Wear within Spec

Even used chains can be decent — if link height is within spec.

At Vikfin, we measure:

• Link height

• Pitch (distance between pin centers)

• Side wear

If it’s more worn than a 1998 bakkie seat? Move on.

✅ 5. Uniform Wear Pattern

No weird high spots. No one-side-only damage.

Uneven wear usually means:

• Bent undercarriage

• Bad tension

• Misaligned idlers

And if the track chain’s uneven? It’s going to eat everything else alive — fast.

How to Spot a Bad Track Chain (Before It Wrecks Everything)

❌ 1. Visible Cracks or Fractures

Cracks = death sentence.

Check:

• Links

• Bushings

• Pins

Even tiny hairline fractures can cause a catastrophic failure when you're halfway through trenching a pipeline or loading boulders at the quarry.

❌ 2. Loose or Missing Pins

Pins should be pressed in tight as hell.

If they slide out with a rubber mallet, your chain’s one hard bump away from going full kamikaze.

❌ 3. Flattened Bushings

Run your finger along the bushing.

Feel a flat spot? That’s wear from pivoting over time.Too much, and your sprocket will slip and skip.

Result? Poor tracking, increased vibration, and a really bad mood.

❌ 4. Uneven or Crooked Links

Lay the chain flat and look at the shape.

Does it snake like a drunk python? That’s bad.

Bent links = major stress on idlers and rollers.Fix one, and the rest go next. Like dominos. Angry, expensive dominos.

❌ 5. Weld Repairs (AKA “Death Patches”)

A welded link is a red flag.Even if it looks solid, it’s probably lost:

• Tempering

• Structural integrity

• Your future trust

We don’t sell repaired chains. If you see welds? Walk away. Or call us and we’ll tell you why you dodged a bullet.

New vs. Used Track Chains: What Should You Buy?

🆕 New Track Chains

• Longer life span

• Peace of mind

• Full factory spec

• Perfect for high-use or leased machines

💰 Cost: R40,000–R70,000+ (depending on make/model)

🔁 Used Track Chains (Reconditioned)

• Affordable (40–60% cheaper)

• Great for backup machines, older units

• Quick to source

• Still inspected and measured

💰 Cost: R15,000–R30,000💡 Pro Tip: Ask for measurement specs before you buy. We give full breakdowns at Vikfin.

Why Track Chain Failures Cost You More Than You Think

Downtime:

Can’t move = can’t work = R10,000+ per day lost

Collateral Damage:

Bad chains destroy:

• Sprockets

• Idlers

• Final drives

Suddenly that “cheap chain” just cost you R100k in repairs.

Lost Reputation:

You show up with a dead machine? That jobsite manager won’t call again.

Real Story: Track Chain From Hell

A plant hire operator near Nelspruit bought a cheap second-hand chain off Gumtree.

It “looked fine.”Until it snapped mid-job, throwing the track off and damaging his final drive casing.Total repair bill: R96,000

Had he called Vikfin? He’d have spent R22,000 on a tested, guaranteed chain.And still had money left for a case of Black Label.

What We Do at Vikfin to Keep You Moving

• Inspect all used chains link-by-link

• Provide spec measurements

• Offer new, aftermarket chains for most major brands

• Can fit chains on-site or at our yard

• We carry Komatsu, CAT, Hyundai, Doosan, Volvo, Hitachi, and more

We even have low-hour OEM take-offs from machines we strip ourselves.

Key Takeaways

✅ A good track chain:

• Is straight

• Has tight bushings

• Is made of hardened steel

• Shows even wear

• Comes from a reputable supplier

❌ A bad one:

• Has visible cracks

• Feels loose or dry

• Snakes like a dodgy deal

• Comes from that one oke on Marketplace with zero reviews

Not Sure What You Need?

Snap a pic of your undercarriage.Send it to us on WhatsApp or email.

We'll help ID it, measure it, and quote options based on your:

• Budget

• Machine model

• Application type

Vikfin’s been saving operators money (and headaches) for years.We know what works — and we’ve seen every way it can go wrong.

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