CHECK YOUR LUG NUTS!!!

[Complete Turf Care]

I'm sure this has been discussed here many times, but today, I learned the hard way.

My L6060 has just over 100 hours on it now.

I ran it for about 3 hours this morning, then put my daughter on it for about another 3 hours. When she finished the job, she loaded it on the trailer.

I took it to the next job and when I unloaded it off the trailer, the left front wheel was about to fall off!!!. There were only 3 studs still in the hub holding the wheel in place, but just barely. I was able to tighten those 3 up enough to get it back on the trailer. I drove to the Kubota dealer about 4 miles away, and after about $50 in parts and $150 in labor (15 minutes of labor) I was able to go finish my day.

The mechanic was able to get 4 of the lugs tight enough. The dealer only had 2 studs in stock, so we had to use some of the old ones.

The rim is ruined now too.

So, I just ordered a new rim and 4 more studs and lug nuts for just over $200. By the time I get this all repaired, it will cost me well over $500 for not checking the dang lug nuts......UGH........

 

[k0ua]

Yep. Dozens of threads about this.

Check upon delivery. Check at about 20 or 25 hours.. Check at 50 hours. Check at 100 or 125 hours. After that you can check each 100 hours. or typical oil change time. They usually are tight after that, but it still doesn't hurt to check. Also check all of the loader mounting bolts and any subframe bolts on the same schedule. It doesn't matter how tight the dealer got them upon delivery. (and they are often not tight at delivery). They still need checking 25 hours later. Part of the deal. The paint has to get smashed out and the bolts also stretch a bit. Sorry you had to learn this the hard way. If you had just asked me I would have told you.

This is one of the benefits of being an "old timer" on this board. I see the same things discussed over and over and over. and over. This is why some of us "old timers" look so smart, and have answers. We are neither smart nor clever. We have just heard this story so many times we can repeat it in our sleep.

I can also talk to not greasing your loader pins, not keeping your battery terminals and connections tight and greased, what happens when you travel with a loaded bucket above your hood on rough ground etc. I would like to think I have heard it all. It's not true, because every once in a while someone comes on here with a story I haven't heard. But you not that someone. Again sorry, for your hard lesson, and I hope I didn't come across as uncaring, because I am not. Hopefully your post will be seen by others.

 

[Msamt]

I’m in the loose nuts club too, had only 2 left on the rear wheel when my work partner flagged me down to tell me the wheel was wobbling. Now I get to do daily checks to make sure they are tight since the lug holes are all hogged out. A replacement wheel center is about $200 I think, but you are right, what a simple way to not burn money!

 

[oosik]

I check mine every time I do an oil change. I've never found a loose lug nut. Five years ago I put blue thread locker on all the wheel lug nuts. Just additional help to keep them where they are supposed to be.

James makes an excellent point. I think a lot of folks get lulled into a false sense of security regarding a new tractor. They assume the routine maintenance on a tractor should be the same as on their new car or pickup. Take you new pickup and do the same with it as you do with your tractor and you better be for checking "things" a lot more closely.

 

[pmsmechanic]

I had the same thing happen once on a rear wheel. My first clue was the rear end going up and down on one side while moving. There was one bolt left holding the rear wheel on. The front wheel bolts are the same as the rear so I used three of them to fasten the rear wheel back on. I was so fortunate. Nothing was damaged. I bought six new wheel bolts and installed them and I've been good ever since.

 

[TractorNH]

I check mine every time I do an oil change. I've never found a loose lug nut. Five years ago I put blue thread locker on all the wheel lug nuts. Just additional help to keep them where they are supposed to be.

I've often wondered why people don't just put loctite on the bolts since it reduces (but doesn't eliminate) the chances of this happening. Are there any reasons NOT to do it? It would seem that putting on the loctite and torquing the bolts you should be good.

What do people do who have wheel spacers....do they pull the tire off to check the torque on the bolts holding the spacer to the axle? I am planning to install spacers on my rear wheels and it has loaded tires so not something I want to be doing every 50 hours. I was going to go loctite red and put them nice and tight. Loctite red can be removed by heating the bolt to just over 400 degrees anyway.

 

[Oldoak]

I guess they done "build them like they used to". In 20 years the lug nuts on my old L4200 never came loose and have never taken any of the wheels off for any reason.

However, I will be checking the lug nuts on my new L5060 on a regular basis.

 

[oosik]

TractorNH - I guess if a guy accidentally used RED thread locker - it could be a bit unhandy. My studs thread into my wheel also. I put blue locker on those threads also. All my wheel nuts - both inner and outer - torqued down to around 275 foot pounds. A little blue thread locker doesn't change the "grunt" needed to loosen them that much - when you need to remove them. Its kind of like having nylock nuts.

 

[k0ua]

Just to be clear. The lug nuts don't need to be checked every 50 hours on an OLD tractor. The problem is with NEW tractors. The problem stems from the fact there is paint under the lug nuts when new and the fact that all bolts/studs stretch a bit when new. It still doesn't hurt to check lug nut tightness every 100 hours, or when you change engine oil. Tractors lug nuts/studs and loader mounting bolts take a beating. It is still a good idea to check them periodically. But when NEW, they must be checked often and repeatedly.

On a Kioti on the loader the little bolts that hold the grease zerk caps on, need to be check often too. I often still find loose ones. It only takes a few seconds to put a socket on them while greasing. I have never lost one, but I have been able to turn them with my fingers several times.

Bottom line is that tractors require routine maintenance. And NEW tractors require a lot more of it. Something is always falling off of a new tractor. How many threads are there on this forum of people finding bolts, nuts etc falling off of their new tractor or mowing machine? Plenty!

 

[Deere Dude]

I've often wondered why people don't just put loctite on the bolts since it reduces (but doesn't eliminate) the chances of this happening. Are there any reasons NOT to do it? It would seem that putting on the loctite and torquing the bolts you should be good.

What do people do who have wheel spacers....do they pull the tire off to check the torque on the bolts holding the spacer to the axle? I am planning to install spacers on my rear wheels and it has loaded tires so not something I want to be doing every 50 hours. I was going to go loctite red and put them nice and tight. Loctite red can be removed by heating the bolt to just over 400 degrees anyway.

The bad thing about rechecking torque on wheel spacers is you need to take the wheel off to do that, or in my case with two sets of spacers on I would need to remove the wheel to get at the outside spacer and remove the outside spacer to check the inside spacer torque. That would seem self defeating.

I had a couple loose rear loaded wheels early on and had to replace all the lug nuts, but I caught it before I wrecked the wheels. The owners manual said to check torque at 50 hours and I was only in at 30 hours and they were loose already. When I got spacers shortly after that I used blue locktite and every spacer bolt and every wheel bolt. I look/glance at them every now and then to see if they are backing out and in 7 years haven't had to touch them. I never remove anything to check what is under the first set of bolts. All is good.

I did more than mowing with the tractor too. I always have a mower or a box blade or a weight box on the tractor. I did quite a bit of four whd heavy dirt and stone work and I a happy with the outcome.