Rubber Tracks Guide: How to Choose, Fit and Buy in Canada

Every rubber track is decided by three numbers printed on its sidewall: width in millimetres, pitch in millimetres, and the number of links. Get all three right and the belt fits, tensions and lasts; get one wrong and the machine either will not run straight or will not tension at all. This page is the starting point for everything we publish about rubber tracks - what the size code means, which tread and compound suit which ground, how to confirm the belt for your machine, and what to insist on before you buy one in Canada. It is one of eight guides: if you are still working out which component is due, start with the excavator undercarriage parts guide, and the other six component guides are linked from there.

Last updated: October 6, 2026

What the size code means

Take a belt marked 400x86x49. 400 is the width in millimetres, which sets ground pressure - how much the machine sinks into soft ground and how much surface it marks. 86 is the pitch, the distance between link centres. 49 is the link count, which is the belt's length. A letter, where one appears, describes the tread pattern rather than the fitment.

Of the three, pitch is the one that cannot be worked around. It has to engage the drive sprocket exactly, and a belt with the wrong pitch will destroy the sprocket and itself in short order. Link count is nearly as unforgiving: a belt one link out will not tension correctly, and the adjuster sits at the end of its travel on the first day. Width is the only one of the three that is sometimes a choice rather than a specification, and only where the machine was offered with more than one belt.

The sizes, by machine class

The small end of the range covers mini track loaders and mini excavators, and the large end covers compact track loaders.

Class	Typical size codes	Examples
Mini track loaders	180x72x39, 230x72x39, 250x72x45	Bobcat MT50, MT52, MT55, MT85
Mini excavators	230x48x66, 300x52.5Nx74 to Nx92	Bobcat E16 to E42, 320 series, 325, 328, 335
Compact track loaders	320x86x49 to x53, 400x86x49 to x52, 450x86x52 to x60	Bobcat T180 to T870, 239D, 249D, 864
Compact excavators	350x52.5Wx86, 400x72.5Wx72 to Wx76	Cat 304C CR, 305C, Case CK35, CK52

Two machines in the same list can still take different belts, and one machine can be offered with a choice: a T650 appears against both the 320 mm and the 400 mm belt depending on specification. The marking on the belt that is on the machine is the only reliable answer, and the machine's manual or parts book for that serial number is the confirmation.

Tread patterns, and which ground they suit

C-pattern is the general-purpose lug: staggered, self-clearing enough for mixed sites and reasonable on hard surfaces. Z-lug / zig-zag opens more channel through the tread, which is what pulls a loaded machine out of mud, sand and loose soil, at the cost of a rougher ride and more marking. Block or BD pattern uses a heavier, more aggressive lug for rock, spoil and demolition, where grip and abrasion resistance matter more than surface finish. Smooth and non-marking profiles are for turf, paving and indoor work, where the priority is leaving the surface as it was found.

Two rules cover most choices. The channels in the tread matter as much as the lugs, because a packed track loses grip and starts cutting its own tread. And the more aggressive the pattern, the more it costs you on hard ground - a demolition lug on turf is slower and noisier than the belt the machine came with.

Compound: the choice that is really about Canada

Abrasion resistance and cold flexibility pull against each other in the rubber compound, so a belt formulated for broken concrete is a different product from one that has to stay flexible on frozen ground. That makes the compound's published temperature band a specification rather than a detail for anyone working a Canadian season.

The other item worth asking about by name is the cord. Steel cord and the number of inserts are what hold the belt's pitch under load and heat; a belt described only as "reinforced" has told you nothing about what is inside it.

Confirming the belt for your machine

Three sources, in this order: the marking on the belt you are removing, the machine's manual or parts book for that serial number, and the supplier's fitment listing for the model. Where two of the three agree, order; where they do not, resolve it before the belt ships.

Measurement is simpler than it sounds. Width reads straight off the sidewall; pitch and link count come from the same code. If the marking has worn away, the serial number is what lets a supplier look the fitment up - which is the reason to keep that number on file rather than trusting the badge on the machine.

When a belt is finished

The order is predictable. First the lugs round off and the machine spins where it used to bite. Then cracks appear at the base of the lugs or across the belt's face, and the belt starts losing tension between adjustments. A cord strand visible at a cut, or a bulge in the belt, is the end - that belt can part under load and take the undercarriage with it.

Replacing on condition beats replacing on an hours figure. Ground, load and the state of the steel decide how long a set lasts, so the useful record is the size code, the hours and the terrain each time a set goes on.

Buying in Canada

Four channels sell these belts. Undercarriage specialists and track retailers list by machine and by size code, hold the widths they advertise and can talk about pitch and link count. Machine dealers supply OEM belts with the manufacturer's backing at the highest price and often the longest wait. Marketplaces and auctions offer the widest choice with the least verification. Importing directly can reduce the unit price in exchange for weeks of lead time and a return path that costs nearly as much as the order.

Whichever channel you use, four items belong in writing before the belt ships: the size cross-reference for your machine, the specification as supplied (cord construction and tread depth for the belt that will arrive), the warranty terms as a period plus an operating-hours cap, whichever comes first, with freight responsibility named, and the stock position with a delivery date. On a machine that is down, that last line is usually the one that decides the purchase.

Fitting and care

A track is the visible part of a system, and it lasts as long as the steel around it allows. Inspect the sprocket, idler and rollers whenever the belt is off, because a hooked sprocket or a grooved idler wears a new belt from the inside out. Set the tension to the figure in the machine's manual rather than by feel, and re-check it after the first few hours, when a new belt has taken its initial stretch.

The rest of this cluster goes into each of those steps in detail: how to size a belt for an excavator, finding the right belt for a machine, fitting a set, how long a set should last, what extends belt life, whether tracks are directional and how rubber and steel over-the-tire tracks differ.

By machine and by decision, the most-read pieces are replacing tracks on a Bobcat, the standard Bobcat track size, choosing tracks for Bobcat equipment, matching tracks to a project, aftermarket skid steer tracks in Canada, Takeuchi TL140 tracks in Canada, where to find tracks for sale, what mini excavator tracks are used for and rubber track solutions for excavators. Everything in stock, by size, is in the rubber track collection.

Ordering the right belt the first time

Most wrong-belt orders fail in the same three ways, and all three are avoidable before the payment goes through. The first is ordering from the model name: two machines that share a model line can run different belts, and a machine that has been re-tracked may not be running the belt it left the factory with. The second is treating the belt as a standalone part rather than the last item in an assembly - a belt that arrives and then will not hold tension is usually telling you the tensioner, the idler or a roller is finished. The third is accepting a size that is close rather than exact, which in practice means a belt that runs for a while and then takes the sprocket with it.

Three habits prevent all of them. Write the size code on the order, not just the machine model, and ask the supplier to confirm it back. Photograph the sidewall marking before the old belt goes in the scrap, because it is the only record of what actually fitted. And order the steel in the same conversation whenever the inspection says it is due, because the access work - supporting the machine, releasing tension, walking the belt off - is the part of the job that costs time.

When the belt arrives, check it before it goes on: the size code on the sidewall against your order, the tread pattern as supplied rather than as advertised, and the cord at any cut edge. That five-minute check is the difference between a claim that stands up and an argument three months later, because a belt that has been run cannot be returned as the wrong size.

FAQs

How do I know which rubber track size my machine takes?

Read the code on the belt that is fitted now - width, pitch and link count - then confirm it against the machine's manual or parts book for that serial number. Where the marking has worn off, the serial number is what a supplier needs to look the fitment up.

What is the difference between C-pattern, Z-lug and block tread?

C-pattern is the general-purpose lug for mixed sites, Z-lug or zig-zag clears better in mud and loose soil, and block or BD tread is the heavy pattern for rock and demolition. Match the tread to the ground the machine actually works on.

How long should a set of rubber tracks last?

Condition decides it rather than an hours figure. Tread depth, cracks at the lug base, loss of tension between adjustments and exposed cord are the indicators, and abrasive ground or constant turning on hard surfaces shortens the interval considerably.

Are rubber tracks directional?

Most are, and the direction is marked on the sidewall. Fitting a directional belt backwards changes how it clears material and how the lugs wear, so it is worth checking before the belt goes on rather than after.

Can I replace one track instead of the pair?

If both have run the same hours on the same ground, replacing the pair is the better decision, because the machine steers against the older belt and wears the new one faster. A single belt is reasonable when one has been damaged early on an otherwise sound set.