SALT VS Grease Chains - Undercarriage Spare Parts

Your track machine has one of two types of chain. It is important to know the difference, as having one style over the other can cost you money in the short or long term, depending on how you use your machine.

Most bulldozer and excavator owners have SALT (sealed and lubricated track) chains on their machines. Some machines have what are referred to as 'dry' chains. SALT chains use pins with an internal oil reservoir that flows through a radial hole in the pin and into the annular space between the pin and bushing. Seals in the link retain the oil. As long as the 

seals remain effective, the oil reduces wear between the pin and bushing when the pin rotates within the bushing during operation.

Dry or 'greased' chains are assembled with heavy grease between the pin and bushing. However, the seals in greased chains are usually less effective than those in SALT chains and eventually leak, allowing wear to occur between the pin and bushing. Greased chains start to show signs of wear after around 2,500 hours.

Dry chains cost about 15% less than SALT chains. For this reason, many machine owners trying to save money will opt for dry chains. However, the accelerated wear on these chains will ultimately cost machine owners more in the long term.

Most aftermarket companies offer both dry and SALT chains. Customers can save up to 50% compared to dealers such as CAT, John Deere, Komatsu, Kobelco and Volvo.

The quality of the aftermarket chains is comparable to that of the dealer's product, making the investment a good one.

Products	Part No.	Set	Weight : kg/pc
Grease track chains	D6H/R/T	41L	648
Grease track links	D8N/R	44L	1100
Grease track links	D9R	44L	1562
Grease track links	D11	41L	3260
Grease track links	D475	39L	3250

YASSIAN Manufacturing Process of Undercarriage spare parts track Chain

1.Material selection

Choose high-trength, wear-resistant steel (e.g., high-manganese alloy steel) or other alloy grades that meet the load and corrosion requirements of the excavator’s undercarriage.

2.Raw-material preparation & cutting

Steel plates or strips are cut to the required length for chain links, rollers and pins. Precision cutting (laser or shearing) ensures dimensional accuracy.

3.Forming of components

Link plates & rollers are formed by stamping or forging, followed by cold-bending to obtain the final shape of the chain links.

Pins and bushings are forged and machined to precise tolerances

4.Heat treatment

The forged/pressed parts undergo quenching and tempering (or medium-frequency induction hardening) to achieve the required hardness and toughness.

Some parts may receive additional surface hardening such as carburizing or nitriding for enhanced wear resistance

5.Surface finishing

After heat treatment, components are shot-blasted or sand-blasted to remove scale and improve fatigue life.

A protective coating (e.g., zinc plating, phosphate coating, or oil‑based paint) is applied to prevent corrosion

6.Precision machining

Critical surfaces (e.g., pin holes, roller tracks) are ground or milled to meet tight tolerances and ensure smooth operation

7.Assembly

Link plates, rollers, pins, and bushings are assembled in sequence on an automatic or semi‑automatic line.

The assembled chain is subjected to a pre-tensioning step to eliminate residual stresses and verify proper pitch.

8.Quality inspection

Dimensional checks, hardness testing, impact/bend tests, and visual inspections are performed on 100 % or a statistically representative sample.

Any defective parts are rejected or re‑processed before proceeding.

9.Lubrication & final treatment

A lubricating oil or grease is applied to the assembled chain to ensure immediate protection against wear and rust.

Sealed‑lubricated chains may have a grease‑filled seal installed to retain lubrication during service

10.Packaging & shipment

The finished chain is cut to the required length, wrapped in moisture-proof material, boxed, and labeled for delivery to the excavator manufacturer or end-user.