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Frequently Asked Questions

What are TUFPADS^® Track Pads?

TUFPADS^® track pads are polyurethane covered steel track pads used on track vehicles to:

• Protect the surface track driven vehicles work on or drive over.
• Provide better traction than bare steel tracks on hard surfaces.
• Last up to 2 to 4 times longer than the conventional rubber pads.

When do I need to use protective "street pads" on my track vehicle?

There are a large variety of applications using protective street track pads and new applications are being developed daily. You may want to consider the use of protective street pads if:

• your application requires working your track vehicle on any surface you do not want to damage. Surfaces may be inside or outside such as flooring, asphalt, concrete, grass or other delicate surfaces.
• your application requires the convenience of working the track vehicle in dirt and on occasion needing to walk over damageable surfaces like sidewalks, driveways, parking lots, curbs, etc.
• your application requires relocation of the track vehicle short distances without the expense of having to use a truck and trailer.
• your application requires your track vehicle to have improved traction on hard surfaces like asphalt or concrete.

If you have any of the above needs you should consider the following BLS protective street pad options:

• TUFPADS^® track pads
• BLS POLY-MG^TM track pads
• HQRPADS track pads
• ARTLINER-BLS track pads

All track pads have their unique advantages, having been used in a variety of applications.

When should I select Artliner-BLS Rubber Clip-On or Bolt-On track pads?

If your job or application requires you to have the ability to change quickly from working a steel track machine on non-damageable surfaces like dirt to working with protective street pads on surfaces that you do not want to damage, like asphalt, concrete, grass, or indoor flooring, then Artliner-BLS rubber clip-on or bolt-on track pads may be your selection.

Artliner-BLS track pads can be installed or removed in a matter of hours, not days, and are made to be installed directly onto clean steel triple grouser track shoes on over 1000 commonly used track machines.

What kind of surfaces are TUFPADS^® track pads designed to protect?

TUFPAD® track pads allow your machines to be used on asphalt/concrete streets, driveways, curbs, sidewalks, and floors; also grassy areas and even the wooden decks of boats and barges.

How do TUFPADS^® track pads protect the surfaces my machine will be walking over?

TUFPADS^® track pads provide more surface area to distribute the weight of the machine evenly over the flat surface of the pads. Without TUFPADS^® the weight is put on the very small surface of the sharp steel single, double, or triple grouser "teeth", thereby increasing the pressure on the surface and increasing the likelihood of damage.

What kind of TUFPADS^® track pads do I need?

Due to the wide variety of applications of track vehicles, TUFPADS^® track pads are manufactured in different styles, lengths, widths and bolt hole patterns. There are two different styles:

• Polyurethane bonded to a steel triple grouser", which is attached to the drive chain links with four bolts just like the original plate.
• Polyurethane covered, studded bolt-on pad", which has the polyurethane bonded to a flat metal plate with bolts as studs to secure the pad through pre-drilled holes in the steel shoes.

How easy are TUFPADS^® track pads to install?

The customer can easily install most TUFPADS^® track pads by unbolting his current steel track pads from the chain and bolting the TUFPADS^® track pads in their place with the same tools using the same hardware (if the hardware was not damaged in removal.) Studded bolt-on pads are bolted to the steel plate on his machine through holes that may already be there, or the customer may have to drill holes in the steel pads to accommodate the studs on the TUFPADS^® track pads. The current bolts can be reused in many installations.

Do I need to provide BLS with steel grouser shoes?

BLS can save you money by bonding polyurethane to your existing steel triple grouser shoes, even if they are slightly worn. You ship your grouser shoes to BLS; BLS will process them and bond polyurethane to them. This normally takes about three to four weeks for the entire process. When using your steel grousers is not economically feasible, due to shipping cost and down time for your machine, BLS provides the complete, polyurethane-covered steel grouser or bolt-on track pads using BLS's metals. In most cases orders for the common sizes can be shipped the same day from BLS's extensive inventory. Many customers using the most popular sizes can save money by returning their used pads for core credit; BLS will pay the shipping of the returned cores in most cases in the U.S.A. The steel cores are cleaned and recycled into new TUFPADS^® track pads.

When do I need to select polyurethane track pads over rubber track pads?

Polyurethane TUFPADS^®­­ track pads are what you want to select if you are involved in an application where durability is a prime consideration. Certain applications, like asphalt milling, require that the steel tracks of the machine be in motion most of the time. Milling machines also need great traction to help them push the machine to mill up the old asphalt. TUFPADS^® will outlast rubber pads by two to four times. If your application is one in which the machine's tracks will not be moving a large amount of the time or it is not a long term application, then you may wish to buy rubber HQRPADS track pads or rubber Artliner-BLS removable track pads, which, though they will not last nearly as long as TUFPADS^® , may last long enough to suit your needs.

What are BLS POLY-MG^TM polyurethane track pads and when would I choose them?

BLS has responded recently to some customer's need for a product with the strength of polyurethane combined with the affordability of rubber. The result is a new type of polyurethane track pad called BLS POLY-MG^TM. This new product is available in the bolt-on and triple-bar grousers configuration, and is being targeted at light to medium weight asphalt pavers, like Mauldin, Gilcrest, LeeBoy, Miller Formless, and Power Curbers. BLS recommends premium grade polyurethane TUFPADS^® track pads for heavier machines and long term applications.

What makes TUFPADS^® track pads different from other track pads?

• BLS molds the polyurethane to approx. 1" above the top of the steel grouser. Other companies may only mold approx. 3/4" or less above the top of the steel grouser.
• BLS has the largest selection of track pads available, making both polyurethane TUFPADS^® track pads and rubber HQRPADS track pads. Because making long lasting track pads is our business, we have the most molds to make the most sizes to suit your needs.
• BLS offers two different polyurethane versions of TUFPADS^® track pads: black pads for improved traction and longer life, and red/orange pads for even better traction when the machines are used on wet surfaces. We also offer our new medium grade BLS POLY-MG^TM track pads.
• BLS has a large inventory available for same-day shipping.

What information do I need to supply to BLS to facilitate my track pads order?

In some cases, BLS will ask you to submit to us a Customer Track Pads Worksheet. This sheet, when filled out by you, will give BLS critical dimensions regarding the track of your machine. Using these dimensions, your BLS sales representative will be able to quote you accurately and to ship your order with confidence, knowing that the TUFPADS^® will fit your machine perfectly.

Click here to access the Customer Track Pads Worksheet.