Can You Replace XCMG XE55U Rubber Tracks With Steel Tracks?
The XCMG XE55U may be classified as a mini excavator, but it is large enough to serve as a serious workhorse on demolition sites, ranches, land development projects and other demanding jobs.
Most XE55U excavators are equipped with rubber tracks. They provide a smoother ride, reduce noise and help protect pavement and other finished surfaces. However, rubber tracks can become expensive when a machine regularly works around broken concrete, sharp rock, demolition debris, stumps or other material capable of cutting and tearing the rubber.
The good news for XCMG XE55U owners is simple: the original rubber tracks can be replaced with steel tracks without changing the sprockets, rollers or idlers.
A Direct Rubber to Steel Track Replacement
Replacement steel tracks fit the machine’s existing undercarriage and operate with the original sprockets, rollers and idlers. This makes the conversion much more straightforward and allows an owner to choose the track type best suited to the machine’s work.
Before ordering, the machine model and serial number should still be confirmed to ensure correct fitment.
Why Consider Steel Tracks for an XCMG XE55U?
Rubber tracks are versatile, but certain working conditions can cause premature wear or sudden damage. A torn track can stop a machine immediately and create both replacement expense and lost working time.
Steel tracks may be the stronger long term choice when an XE55U regularly works in conditions such as:
- Demolition sites with concrete, metal and sharp debris
- Ranches with rock, stumps, slash and uneven ground
- Land clearing and land development projects
- Abrasive soil and rocky terrain
- Jobs where traction and track durability take priority over surface protection
Steel tracks resist many of the cuts and tears capable of ending the life of a rubber track prematurely. For owners using the XE55U as a production machine in rough conditions, that added durability can reduce downtime and repeated track replacement costs.
XCMG XE55U Equipment Overview
The XE55U sits at the larger end of the mini excavator category. According to XCMG’s North American specifications, the machine has:
- Operating weight of approximately 12,346 to 12,566 pounds, depending on configuration
- 41.2 horsepower Kubota V2403 Tier 4 Final engine
- Standard bucket capacity of 0.21 cubic yards
- Bucket digging force of 10,004 pounds
- Travel speed of 1.7 to 2.9 mph
- Compact tail swing and a variable angle boom
XCMG supplies the XE55U with rubber tracks as standard equipment. Its size, digging force and attachment versatility also make it capable of sustained work beyond light landscaping. That is where selecting the right track type becomes an operating decision rather than simply replacing whatever came on the machine.
Rubber Tracks or Steel Tracks?
Choose rubber tracks when the machine frequently crosses pavement, concrete, lawns or other surfaces where reduced marking is important. Rubber tracks also produce less vibration and generally provide a smoother ride.
Choose steel tracks when the XE55U spends most of its time in demolition, land clearing, ranch work or other harsh terrain where rubber tracks face a high risk of being cut, torn or worn prematurely.
VIQAN now supplies both options for the XCMG XE55U:
If you are uncertain which option is right for your application, contact VIQAN with the machine model and serial number or send us a photograph of the model plate. We can confirm fitment and help you compare the two track options.