I'm no combine man for sure but here an idea on how we've done sugarcane harvesters before.

Get some sheets of UHMW and rivet it over the steel. UHMW is very flexible and wear's a lot better than steel does. We'd counter sink the rivets in and making the heads flush. I don't know what your clearances has to be but that stuff comes as thin as 1/8". It would be quick and easy to do when your in a bind like it sounds.

Rubber and Accessories is where I get the stuff from and they have great pricing and in stock supply. I had some air freighted to me in Hawaii cheaper than I could buy it in Honolulu with air freight charges included. They do a lot with the big sugar mills (FL and LA), phosphate mines, sand mills and concrete plants.