doesn't look good

[Canuck]

doesn\'t look good

I was moving a pile of gravel last night and could hear a clunk in the front axle and noticed the front wheel "slip" at this time. With out working the tractor it seemed fine but as I pushed into the pile it happened again. I shut it down to investigate and found oil on both wheel rims. Looks like both seals are shot from whatever damage I did inside. I will dismantle it tonight to see whats going on, does any one have a hunch what I will find. I've worked on plenty of car differentials but never been inside a 4x4 tractor front end. It is a 1995 JD955 with 1300 hrs. and until now has performed flawlessly. Any hints or points in the right direction would be appreciated.
Not really sure what to expect although I'm hoping perhaps just bearings worn maybe then letting gears slip out of place??? Thanks for any replies I've been reading this site for a couple months and can't believe all the good ideas you guys discuss.

 

[Canuck]

Re: doesn\'t look good

After taking apart hub assembly I found the large gear had a 2 inch spot destroyed as well as several assorted nicks on various teeth. Further inspection revealed that the defective area had actually been welded up and ground down to recreate teeth. Two other areas on the gear had the same repair and the teeth were still holding on. Has anyone seen anything similar to this before or heard of a similar defect? I can only assume the original damage was from trying to jam in the 4 whl. drive? The gear is $248, seals, bearings and gaskets another $100 so no wonder the previous owner tried the weld job fix. Does anyone know of any other weaknesses I should be aware of on this tractor (jd 955)?

 

[GaryK]

Re: doesn\'t look good

I haven't read any threads lately that concern your problem and have not heard of any problems with the front 4wd on the 955s but I would certainly have a discussion with the previous owner. It appears that the tractor was abused to some extent.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Re: doesn\'t look good

While I'm not conversant with your Deer model, I have shattered the teeth off the bull gear in the final drive of my Yanmar 240D when it was less than 1 month beyond warranty.
I did it in 4wd pushing on a tree. Naturally the dealer who swore the machine was as strong as a D-8 Cat didn't do squat to get the repair covered by Yanmar.
As to the teeth having been welded in and filed down, that definitely indicates dirty dealing. Do you have a history of the ownership of the tractor? Someplace since it left the factory an owner certainly busted the gear up, and repaired it himself to pawn the machine off on an unknowing owner. It's unlikely a dealer would spend the time required for such a repair rather than replace the gear.

 

[RoyJackson]

Re: doesn\'t look good

A weld repair on a gear is a tricky thing.

The gear should have been replaced, of course. But a weld repair should have comprised of the following:
1) Build defective area up with weld.
2) Machine gear teeth to meet the proper (original) specifications (dimensionally).
3) Anneal entire gear and re-heat treat to correct hardness (probably case hardening).

Doing all the above would likely cost more then the replacement gear (just the machining would probably exceed the replacement gear cost).

I'll wager the gear failed along the root pass of the weld repair.

Sounds like a home repair to me. How long have you had the 955? If more then a few months...I'm really surprised the gear lasted that many hours.

 

[Canuck]

Re: doesn\'t look good

yes the failure was exactly at the base of the repaired section of teeth. I've only had this tractor since the beginning of July. It has had little rest since, getting all the odd jobs around the property done that had been building up. I've put 42 hrs. on it mostly doing FEL work and some mowing. I've been saving up for a long time and looking for a good used machine I could afford. I thought I had found it with this JD, hopefully no more nasty surprises. It was purchased at the local dealer whom I don't believe would have known about this repair. Other than sealing up a few hydraulic leaks its been great. I can't believe all the work I've accomplished this summer with this unit.

 

[Woodbeef]

Re: doesn\'t look good

Well at least one good thing it came from a dealer. I'd lean on him some. Whether he knew about it or not he has some built in $$ for repairs in his selling price.