A heavy-duty equipment technician is inspecting the track undercarriage of a bulldozer. They notice that the track links are showing excessive wear on the inner side of the track shoes, and the sprocket teeth appear to be worn to a knife-edge profile. What is the most likely cause of this wear pattern?

Question: A heavy-duty equipment technician is inspecting the track undercarriage of a bulldozer. They notice that the track links are showing excessive wear on the inner side of the track shoes, and the sprocket teeth appear to be worn to a knife-edge profile. What is the most likely cause of this wear pattern?

Answer options:

• Track tension is too loose. ✅ Track tension is too tight.
• The machine is operating consistently on level, soft ground.
• The idlers are worn beyond service limits.

Correct answer: Track tension is too tight.

Explanation: Excessive inner link wear and knife-edge sprocket wear are characteristic signs of operating with track tension that is too tight. Overly tight tracks increase friction and load on all rotating components, leading to accelerated wear.