Best Material for Excavator tracks

[Lil Giants]

Are you intending to make your own? Most guys use aluminum of varying grades of hardness.

Others have used K1 attachment chain & then either bolt or pop rivet aluminum or steel pads to the chain.

[Rvjimd]

Bigo,

Good question, glad you asked, I'm wondering the same thing. I'm planning on a scratch dozer and a crawler crane and had the same question.

I was going to use aluminum, because I have a lot of experience with it, I thought it would be hard enough to take the stress and abuse, and quite easy to work with compared to steel, and I think it might be cheaper that any of the other materials you mentioned.

I was planning to attach the pads to chain as joe suggests, using the chain with the K1 links. I would use standard 3/32" rivets for the the fastener since I have a pneumatic squeezer.

Interested to see if others have thoughts on this topic. I don't have a mill or lathe so I will probably find angle or channel that will easily cut down to a scale size pad.

Jim