A Look At Parts That Typically Have To Be Replaced On Asphalt Paving Machines

The average asphalt paving machine will cover many miles of paved surfaces before the motor wears out. With diesel engines, the majority of the motors on these heavy equipment pieces are built to withstand many years of use. However, there are several other parts on a general asphalt machine that may have to be replaced with time and use. Here is a look at just a few of the asphalt machine parts that you may have to replace on occasion to keep your machine in good working order. 

Rubber or Steel Tracks

Tracks are some of the most commonly replaced parts on asphalt paving machines, simply because these components have a lot of direct contact during operation. Even though tracks can definitely outlast most tires, both rubber and steel tracks may have to be replaced at some point during the ownership of your machine. Typically, tracks have to be replaced when they start wearing to a point that they are either slipping or not offering enough traction. A good general rule is to stick with OEM replacements for tracks just to ensure you get a proper fit for your equipment. 

Roller Chains and Feeder Bars

Roller chains and feeder bars are part of the conveyor system on an asphalt paving machine. These parts serve the important purpose of keeping the conveyor in motion when you are distributing asphalt. Since the chains and feeder bars go through a lot of everyday use, they do wear down and do sometimes have to be replaced. You may start noticing that your conveyor is not moving as quickly as it should or seems to be slipping when you have issues with these asphalt machine parts. 

Screed or Floor Plates

The screed, which is essentially a floor plate on a paver, is used for leveling out the asphalt once it is distributed. Therefore, the screed does tend to need to be replaced more often than many of the other parts on the asphalt machine. You may need to replace these floor plates if they are showing signs of wear, have grown misshapen, or are deteriorating to a point that asphalt gets pushed through seams in the plate itself. 

Auger Drive Chains, Bearings, and Sprockets

The auger obviously keeps the asphalt material mixed so it is easily distributed. The different parts of the auger drive system may have to be replaced, such as the drive chains, bearings, and sprockets. These asphalt machine parts often wear due to the heavy amount of wear and tear they can undergo during operation.