Track Tractor Undercarriage
Bogie Wheel and Mid Roller Rebuilds for Rubber Track Tractors
Worn bogie and idler wheels made like new again. We strip, resurface and inspect your steel core, then compression mold a new Agrathane™ urethane tread in our Salinas plant. Drop the wheels at any Green Rubber Kennedy Ag branch and pick them up rebuilt.
The problem
A rubber track tractor runs on urethane. When it wears, the whole machine waits.
Challenger MT series and other rubber track tractors ride on a set of urethane covered bogie wheels, also called mid rollers, midrollers or track rollers, plus front and rear idlers. The steel hub lasts for years. The urethane on it does not. Salinas Valley vegetable ground, with its dirt, rock, moisture and long hours in season, chews through the covering, and once the urethane chunks or separates from the steel, the track starts eating itself.
A new wheel from the dealer means paying for a steel hub you already own, and often waiting on it. Rebuilding puts new urethane on your hub, cast and cured for the load and abrasion it sees, and gets the tractor back in the field.
Signs a wheel is due
- Urethane chunking or missing along the edge of the tread
- Separation between the urethane and the steel hub
- Flat spots, cupping or uneven wear across the face
- Cracking at the shoulder after a hot season
- Track guide lugs rubbing where the wheel has worn down
How a rebuild works
Same process on every wheel, whether it is one idler or a full set.
Drop off
Bring the worn wheels to any Green Rubber Kennedy Ag branch, or ship them to the Salinas plant. Tell us the tractor model and how many wheels.
Strip and inspect
Our technicians strip the old urethane off completely, then clean, polish and inspect the core for cracks, bearing fit and damage before it goes any further.
Resurface and bond
The core is resurfaced and re balanced so the new tread has a true foundation, then blasted and primed with a bonding agent so the urethane grips the steel. Bonding is where cheap rebuilds fail.
Mold the tread
Agrathane™ urethane is compression molded onto the core at the formulation and temperatures that set the right hardness, matching the original factory tread profile or a custom profile made to order.
Machine and inspect
The wheel is turned to size on the lathe, the profile is checked against the original, and it is inspected before it leaves.
Pick up
Collect the rebuilt set at the branch you dropped it at, or we ship it. Bearings supplied and pressed on request.
Tractors and wheels
What we rebuild
Bogie wheels, mid rollers and idlers for rubber track tractors working California and Arizona ground. Tell us the make and model and the wheel position and we will confirm the fit.
- Challenger MT800 series
- John Deere 8RT row crop and 8000T tractors
- Case IH Quadtrac, 3 step, 2 step and in bore
- Case IH Rowtrac
- Front and rear idler wheels
- Other tracked machines and custom profiles by special order
If we have not cast your wheel before, we will measure yours and cut a mold. Once the mold exists, every rebuild after that runs on it.
Rebuild or replace
When a wheel can be rebuilt
Rebuild when the steel hub is sound: the bearing bore is in spec, there are no cracks, and the bolt pattern and flange are undamaged. That describes most worn wheels, since the urethane fails long before the steel does.
Replace when the hub itself is cracked, bent, or worn at the bearing bore. We will tell you which it is when we strip the wheel, before any urethane is poured.
Plan undercarriage work for the off season. A set dropped off after harvest is back before planting with no field downtime.
In the field
Built for Salinas Valley ground
Drop off at the branch nearest the field
Green Rubber Kennedy Ag branches take in worn wheels and hand back rebuilt ones, so a set never has to ride to Salinas in your truck.
Questions growers ask
Can a bogie wheel be recovered, or does it have to be replaced?
Most can be recovered. The urethane wears out long before the steel hub does, so as long as the hub is not cracked or worn at the bearing bore, it can be stripped and recast. We check every hub after stripping and tell you before pouring.
Is a rebuilt wheel as good as new?
The hub is the same part you bought from the dealer. The new urethane is cast and cured in a compound built for abrasion and load, and bonded to blasted steel. The bond is what decides how long a rebuild lasts, which is why it is the step we spend the most care on.
Do I need to send the whole set?
No. Send what is worn. Many growers rotate a spare set so the tractor never sits.
How do I get the wheels to you?
Drop them at any Green Rubber Kennedy Ag branch or ship them to 1094 Harkins Road, Salinas. Tag each wheel with the tractor model and position if you can.
What about bearings?
We can supply and press bearings as part of the rebuild. Tell us when you drop the wheels off.
How long does it take?
It depends on the number of wheels and the season. Ask when you request a quote and we will give you a date. Off season drop offs move fastest.
A Division of Green Rubber Kennedy Ag
Get a Rebuild Quote
Tell us the tractor make and model, how many bogie wheels and idlers, and which branch is closest to you. A photo of a worn wheel helps.
Challenger is a trademark of its respective owner. Urethane Specialists is an independent rebuilder and is not affiliated with any tractor manufacturer.