Track Bolts and Hardware: Torque, Grades and Removing Seized Bolts
Browse bolt and nut product information.
Track and shoe bolts are the cheapest parts on the machine and the ones most likely to cause expensive damage: a bolt that backs out takes the shoe with it, and a seized one turns a two-hour job into a day. This page covers the hardware. It sits inside the Rubber Tracks guide.
Grades and head types
Why grade 12.9 outperforms grade 8.8 and square versus hex heads cover the specification; what keeps bolts from failing and deep-thread design cover the engineering.
Torque and tension
The proper torque specs and the socket size for tension bolts are the two numbers to have in hand; preventing loosening during rock work is the practice that follows.
Removing seized and damaged bolts
Removing rusted or stripped bolts and removing seized bolts from aged hardware are the two field cases, with thread-pitch degradation for why it happens.
Why cheap bolts cost more
Cheap bolts and undercarriage damage and reusing stretched bolts make the case for the small spend.
FAQs
Can I reuse track bolts?
Not where they have been stretched or corroded. Reused bolts fail at the head or back out, and both take the shoe with them.
What torque should I use?
The machine's specification for that bolt, not a general figure. Too little and it backs out; too much and it yields.
More in this cluster
- What Socket Size Fits Excavator Track Tension Bolts? (Universal Size Chart, Step-by-Step Installation & Preventative Maintenance)
- Why Do Grade 12.9 Track Bolts Outperform Grade 8.8 in Excavators?
- How to Prevent Track Bolt Loosening During Rock Work: A Canadian Heavy Equipment Guide
- What Are the Proper Torque Specs for Track Bolts on Excavators?
- How to Remove Rusted or Stripped Track Bolts Safely on Excavators?
- Square Head vs. Hex Head Track Bolts: Which for Your Excavator?
- How Do Cheap Track Bolts Cause Massive Undercarriage Damage Costs?
- How to Read Track Bolt Head Markings: Visual Guide for High-Tensile Steel Identification?
- Why Are Automotive Grade Bolts a Safety Risk on Tracks?
- Why Do Old Track Bolts Back Out? Thread Pitch Degradation Explained
- Can You Ever Truly "Clean" a Used Bolt? Scraping vs. Cleaning Track Hardware
- How to Effectively Remove Seized Track Bolts from Aged Excavator Undercarriage Hardware?
- What keeps your heavy machinery track bolts from failing?
- How does AFT Parts manufacture high-strength track bolts at volume?
- How does AFT's deep thread design benefit Kubota track bolts on farmland?
- How does reusing stretched track bolts cause rapid undercarriage failure?
- Where Can You Find a Trusted Mattracks Dealer in Ontario?
- Bobcat MT100 Track Tension Bolt Size and Complete Undercarriage Guide
- Track Bolts & Nuts: Secure Your Excavator Undercarriage for Reliable Performance (June 2026)
- What Torque Should Track Bolts Be Set To?
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