Does working near the sea or with salt damage the undercarriage?

Expert_Answer

Salt does not change the wear rate of hardened steel surfaces much, but it aggressively corrodes everything else: exposed pin ends, bolt heads, roller and idler seals, the track adjuster rod and any bare metal where paint has worn off. Corrosion pitting on seal surfaces leads to oil loss and then rapid internal failure of rollers and idlers. On rubber tracks, salt itself is fairly harmless to the rubber but corrodes the embedded metal cores where cuts expose them. If the machine works on coastal sites, in de-icing salt or in brackish water: rinse the undercarriage with fresh water at the end of the day, pay extra attention to seal areas during inspections, and touch up damaged paint on structural parts.

Answered by VANROCK specialists · Published 7/25/2026