LT40 lower track roller wiper??

[Ga Mtn Man]

Does anyone know (or have an educated guess) what the purpose is in lubing (felt wipers) the lower track rollers? 

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Anytime 1 part is coming in contact with another part and there is movement involved, it is wise to lubricate it with ATV. It will cut down on friction and give a smooth movement.  ;D

I soak my felt pad at the beginning of the day and wipe down the bottom rail with ATF.

[Ga Mtn Man]

At the risk of starting an argument with a goat, I have to disagree with your logic.  There must be friction between a wheel and the surface upon which it is rolling or the wheel won't turn, which is not a good thing.

[Brucer]

Yep, and as long as there is more friction between the rail and the roller than between the inner and outer race of the bearings, the roller will turn -- even when the track is oiled.

What you've got is a curved surface (the rail) at right angles to another curved surface (the roller). That means there is a single, very small point of contact. And that means extremely high pressure (or stress) at the contact point. On the molecular level the two surfaces will try to fuse together and start to chew each other up. The film of oil minimizes this.

I only wipe my bottom rail down once in a while. The roller is oiled and that should be enough to get a film of oil between the two surfaces. If I were pulling the mill on the highway a lot I'd be oiling the bottom rail regularly.

[Ga Mtn Man]

Hmmm...that does make some sense.  My apologies to the OG  ;).

Of course it does bring up an obvious question:  Why use a round rail instead of a square?

[Magicman]

Maybe less chance of sawdust buildup.   ???

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

There's only one thing a Goat hates.....having his chain pulled!  :D :D :D

Love ya Paul!  :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

[backwoods sawyer]

There's only one thing a Goat hates.....having his chain pulled!  :D :D :D

 

tug tug time to cool the old goat off ;) you can swim can't you?

[Brucer]

I'll go with Magicman on that . Even though the top of a round rail is nearly flat, just a little vibration will cause the sawdust to slide off the sides. If the rail scrapers are a little high and some sawdust manages to stay on the rail, the roller will tend to squish it out to the sides.

[barbender]

If I don't lube the top rail (felt wiper) sawdust sticks enough to get ran over by the rollers, and then it sticks and affects your power feed.

[drobertson]

I think you said the lower track roller?  I believe it's mainly to reduce the risk of rust and a loss of ground.  If I'm missed something sorry,  I need to add, check the dust build up on the springs as well to ensure a good sliding fit on the ground contact.  A little lube on them is not a bad idea, something like a very thin spray oil.