Driving technique or malfunction?

Good Morning, I have a question or a couple of questions concerning an issue I had this past weekend and don't know if it was me or there was a legitimate problem. Since completing my restoration in my D25J sometimes when turning I would hear a 'bam bam bam' an obvious track noise, being a new operator of this machine I would stop, roll forward then back and it would stop. Until I finally threw the track this weekend. I rolled it back on with much work and verbal persuasion only to have it roll off as I was driving back to the shop. Got to the shop melted it off realized my most forward roller had lost a couple of bolts and my tracks were terribly slack. Replaced the bolts, went through the whole under carriage and tightened up all bolts then got out my book and white lab coat and tightened the tracks. I then tested it in some deep snow pushed some etc etc. When I went to park I drove into the woods a bit to turn around and in turning around I got that noise again. Just a couple of them. I then changed the manner of my turn and everything was fine. Long story but to the question... Should I be clutching AND braking in every turn or side movement? Would a more experienced Cat mechanic or operator view this as a mechanical problem or as a driver failing to operate the machine properly? Please weigh in on this, I'm not sure what to think. Also I have it all melted and cleaned off an if there is something I need to do I would like to do it now. Thanks for any advice.....

Sounds like your getting snow packed in the tracks and the sprockets are snapping.

Do you have "Snow Holes" in the track plates? They are supposed to let the packed snow go through the track instead of packing and tightening the track. In some snow conditions, even that won't help.

when you have snow packed in the tracks,sprocket idler and rollers it tightens the track up, which pulls the idler back and compresses the spring. What you here is the track tensioner assembly snapping back forward

I do have snow holes in my tracks. Holy cats that's some force to make such a sound. It doesn't sound metallic or "distructive" but it takes me by surprise. I'm just gun shy about throwing a track again. It was my first time as well. It was dusk after a day of snow removal, windy and zero degrees air temp. So i'm hoping to avoid a replay of that night...

that is many tons of force to compress that spring---just make gentle wide turns when working in snow to keep the tracks on

Thanks for the input everyone. I was truly hoping it was operator error as that is a lot easier for me to deal with than extra work right now. Have a good week...……