Idler Weld Build Up

no need to turn them down.

especially if using abrasicord 600 or 650 it will wear in on its own.

the cat roller machine rotates the roller so the bead is concentric to the roller.

I used 60-13 rod and just ground down any real high spots with my angle grinder

I've wondered about that, which is that although it's not required to grind down the weld, there would still be some impact from the high spots hitting the idler surface and the roller surfaces, and I was curious if that impact is material or not?

Not an apples to apples comparison but I did the track chains and one bottom roller on my d2 and am amazed at how fast the welds find their own level. I've only run up and down the driveway a few times and I can already see the difference. A friend who has done undercarriage work before also says that the weld doesn't just wear off but also gets peened into the low spots. I did grind some of the high spots but unless they are very excessive I probably wouldn't bother with the grinder again.

I have thought about having a strap of steel rolled into a circle the right size to fit the idler then welding it to the idler where the chain runs ,but haven't yet tried it.

I have thought about having a strap of steel rolled into a circle the right size to fit the idler then welding it to the idler where the chain runs ,but haven't yet tried it.