4 wheel drive is hard to engage and disengage on JD4120

[crimsondad54]

My John Deere 4120, is a 2010 with only 110 hours. The 4 wheel drive is getting hard to engage and disengage at times. It acts as if it is stuck or the lever needs greasing.

 

[beenthere]

Welcome to TBN

Don't know for certain, but it sounds like you just need to reverse direction and take the 'wind-up" load off to ease the binding.
I keep some pressure on the lever and then reverse the direction. Works good that way for me.

 

[crimsondad54]

Thanks for the reply. I want to make sure i understand what you mean. Whenever i am in 4 wheel forward drive loading or moving dirt and when i am complete and want to pull the orange lever up to disengage it then i should stop and put in reverse gear to release some pressure and then it should pull. I will try that.

 

[RoyJackson]

Another thing to try is lifting the front end with your loader.

 

[9973720wb19]

also turn the front wheels all the way to the left then to the right and it will come right out of fwd

 

[PILOON]

All front wheels lead the rear by usually 5% or so causing build up torque. This is more apparent on paved or hard surfaces.
As the frt tires wear down the 'wind up' lessens. On grass and soil because some slippage occurs the wind up effect is less apparent.
The previous poster suggested one method to overcome this normal phenomenon but the best is to avoid 4X on hard surfaces unless slippage occurs.
In fact use in 2WD as much as possible keeping 4X for mud, hills and snow.
Personally I only travel in 2X and use 4X only plowing snow in winter or when stuck in mud.

Roy's suggestion is also good.

Once forgetting I did a fair distance in 4X and the wind up was so noticeable that I sheered a small roll pin that connected the lever to the shift shaft leaving me with only 2WD until I came up with a method to replace that wee roll pin without splitting the tractor as that 5 cent pin was inside the tunnel area between the transmission and clutch area.
(And naturally it was -25 deg at that time.)

 

[beenthere]

Once forgetting I did a fair distance in 4X and the wind up was so noticeable that I sheered a small roll pin that connected the lever to the shift shaft leaving me with only 2WD

On which JD was that?

 

[dusty3030]

My 4120 is smooth as silk to get in and out as soon as you have it's "feel" down. If the drivetrain is in the slightest bind it is almost impossible.
I can feather the forward or reverse ehydro pedal while either pushing down to disengage or pulling up to engage so that the tractor doesn't move at all it is just enough to get it out of a bind.
So, longwinded way to say that what you are running up against is normal.

 

[PILOON]

On which JD was that?

Not on a Deere, was just quoting an extreme example, however I'd suspect that the technology of using a roll pin to lock a lever, arm or shifting fork is quite common in many transmissions.

In my case the 2/4 shift lever was located down near the right foot and I stupidly used my foot to kick it from 4 to 2WD and due to considerable 'wind up' sheared the roll pin.

I meant it as caution not to use excessive force.

 

[Luckyman1]

All front wheels lead the rear by usually 5% or so causing build up torque. This is more apparent on paved or hard surfaces.
As the frt tires wear down the 'wind up' lessens. On grass and soil because some slippage occurs the wind up effect is less apparent.
The previous poster suggested one method to overcome this normal phenomenon but the best is to avoid 4X on hard surfaces unless slippage occurs.
In fact use in 2WD as much as possible keeping 4X for mud, hills and snow.
Personally I only travel in 2X and use 4X only plowing snow in winter or when stuck in mud.

Roy's suggestion is also good.

Once forgetting I did a fair distance in 4X and the wind up was so noticeable that I sheered a small roll pin that connected the lever to the shift shaft leaving me with only 2WD until I came up with a method to replace that wee roll pin without splitting the tractor as that 5 cent pin was inside the tunnel area between the transmission and clutch area.
(And naturally it was -25 deg at that time.)