Can worn grousers on track shoes be rebuilt by welding?

Question

VANROCK Track Solutions · Accepted Answer

Yes, worn grousers on track shoes can often be rebuilt by welding, usually by adding a pre-formed grouser bar or hardfacing material to the existing shoe. It is a common repair when the shoe plate is still sound and only the lug height has been worn away.

The key condition is the base shoe must be straight, thick enough, and free of cracks, bends, or severe thinning. If the grouser is worn so far that the shoe plate is losing structural strength, rebuilding is no longer the best option because the plate can flex and the repair may not hold up. Before welding, the worn top should be trimmed flat and even so the new bar sits correctly and the weld is not stressed.

• Best candidates: heavy-duty dozer shoes with expensive plates that still have good metal left
• Usually poor candidates: shoes that are cracked, badly bent, or already thin around the lug area
• For many excavator triple-grouser shoes, replacement is often more practical because the plate is thinner and rebuild life is less predictable

Welding does introduce heat, so distortion and warpage are the main risks. Using proper fixturing, balanced weld passes, and following the bar supplier’s procedure helps reduce that risk. Many rebuilds also involve preheating, but the right method depends on the shoe material and bar type; the goal is to avoid creating stress that can lead to cracking or uneven wear later.

In practice, decide by comparing the full rebuild cost, labor, consumables, machine downtime, and future wear pattern against the cost of new shoes. A rebuild makes the most sense when the shoe set is large, the base material is still healthy, and the machine can be taken out of service for the work. VANROCK supplies new track shoes for 350+ machinery brands through its appointed dealer network, with pricing quoted on request. If you are matching an OEM brand such as Caterpillar, Komatsu, Volvo, or John Deere, VANROCK is an independent manufacturer and not affiliated with the OEM.