I have a 2008 John Deere 4320 four wheel drive that is leaking axle fluid around the front right spindle area. It appears to be coming from the top seal just below the housing. It is not a big leak, maybe 2 to 3 drops a day is all. Wondering what could be causing this and if there anything that I could do to stop the leak? Is this something I need to take to a dealer and have checked out/fixed or is it something that I could repair in my shop. I am not a mechanic by any stretch but can do simple repairs on things as long as it doesn't require special equipment and the steps are pretty straight forward. Thanks in advance for any advice.
/ '08 4320 compact leaking fluid around spindle. Help!!!
There have been a few threads on leaking spindle seals on here. If I knew how, I would put a link in this thread for you.
You might scroll down to May 18th in this section. Azchopper changed one on his 4300 and took a few pics. Not sure if the 4320 is similar. I think he said the seal was a 2 part seal and cost $57. I'm sure a dealer would charge a couple hundred.
My 4310 is leaking. Started with a few drops a month ago now I'm getting several. I might get the courage to change it this fall. It doesn't look like a big deal.
You can also google search "4320 leaking spindle seal" or however you want to word it and it will probably link you back to a thread on this site. I can't figure out how the search works on this forum.
Good luck and take some pictures while you're at it so I can learn from your experience.
/ '08 4320 compact leaking fluid around spindle. Help!!!
Thanks 4310!! That was very helpful. Looks like the 4300 spindle is very similar to what mine has. He also had a diagram in a previous post he had that shows how it all goes together. I will study this for a while and try to build the courage to fix it myself.
Does anyone know if there could be anything besides a bad seal that could be causing it to leak this way. I doubt it but just wanted to check before I decide to do anything.
Thanks again 4310!
/ '08 4320 compact leaking fluid around spindle. Help!!!
Thanks! I am located in north bama, Marshall county. Probably be a little while before I get a chance to do anything to it. I just like to study up on things and get advice from others that have more experience with stuff like this before I dive in. Any help is greatly appreciated!
/ '08 4320 compact leaking fluid around spindle. Help!!!
I decided today to tackle this job since I really need to use my tractor a good bit in the next few weeks. Here is what I did. I studied what azchopper posted a few weeks ago and made sure I understood each step he did. Everything he said in the post is spot on!!! I also got me a picture diagram that showed all the parts and how they go together and studied it till I could put it all together. Just make sure the diagram is for your specific AXLE. Mine was slightly different from azchoppers but not much. You will need a set internal and external snap ring pliers for this job. And azchopper is right about the external snap ring (big one) cause it don't play. Please keep in mind that this is really not a one man job. Taking everything apart was easy for me to do by myself but I can't imagine trying to put it all back together by myself. The second person is mainly going to have to hold things in place while you do the step. All in all I am glad I did it. Saved a ton of money (called a dealer and they said they charged around 5 hours for the job plus parts, but they were also extremely supportive and helpful with questions when I said I was going to try it myself). Remember this is a 2 piece seal (they are sold together). Also it is a good idea to go ahead and buy the bottom plug because you will most likely mess it up getting it off. Total cost for everything was $58. I am going to try to check in more regularly than I have in the past so if anyone is thinking about doing this feel free to send me a message on here and I will be glad to help out if I can.
Thanks again to everyone who helped and expecially azchopper for his post!!!!!
/ '08 4320 compact leaking fluid around spindle. Help!!!
It took me around 5 hours but that is with me taking several breaks (90 degrees here), 2 trips to the parts store, and waiting on help to arrive when it was time to put it back together. I also took my time and cleaned every part with diesel fuel before putting it back together. Again I am not a mechanic by any means so I am not the fastest. I am pretty sure I could do it again in probably 2-3 hours if I had to. Probably 30 to 45 minutes was wasted because I left one of the bearings out on one of the steps. I knew something wasn't right but could not for the life of me figure out what I was doing wrong. Once I figured out what I was doing the rest went pretty smooth. I was scared a little too when the dealership said 5 hours but the more I looked at it I thought there is no way. I am positive that with the tools and equipment that they have it could easily be done in less than 2 hours.