Front Drive Shaft Bracket BX2200

[Skip G]

I posted this yesterday, but I guess in the wrong place.
I have a BX2200 with 400 hours on it.
The bracket that holds the drive shaft for the front axle snapped off at the frame. (Picture attached.) Anyone ever hear of such a thing happening ?
The tractor has not been abused, nothing has been hit etc.
The dealer told me Kubota is never going to cover this.
I don't see how a part like this fails, unless it's under engineered, or the steel is faulty.

 

[KennyV]

Skip...
Unusual break for sure, were any bolts loose?
I would weld it back up repaint it and reattach. Simple fix. KennyV.

 

[milkman]

I would think that by now all the BX2200's are old enough to be out of warranty so I wouldn't expect it to be covered. In the bottom picture, from the way the hole looks, the bolts were loose and if so, that probably caused the break. Have you priced the part, looks easy to replace and I wouldn't think it will cost much. I'm with Kenny on this one, just weld it back, grind it smooth, and hit it with paint and mount it up tight.

 

[Skip G]

Thanks for the input. I had a mechanical engineer here at work look at the part. He thinks the metal failed along the long break and that caused the corner to carry the load and that's what caused the bolts to loosen on the corner and why the corner hole is wallowed out.
I purchased a new bracket and bearing from Kubota through my dealer, and you're right, Kubota was absolutely no help. I just can't imagine an event causing those bolts to loosen or that bracket to fail so dramatically.
I'm welding up the old one for a spare. Hopefully I'll never need it, and I will check those bolts periodically from now on.

 

[aggiehortguy91]

Thanks for following up. I definately need climb under mine and have a look, especially considering that I had a roll pin break and drop the shaft a while back. I didn't notice anything loose at the time, but I will definately give it a second look.

 

[milkman]

Thanks for the input. I had a mechanical engineer here at work look at the part. He thinks the metal failed along the long break and that caused the corner to carry the load and that's what caused the bolts to loosen on the corner and why the corner hole is wallowed out.
I purchased a new bracket and bearing from Kubota through my dealer, and you're right, Kubota was absolutely no help. I just can't imagine an event causing those bolts to loosen or that bracket to fail so dramatically.
I'm welding up the old one for a spare. Hopefully I'll never need it, and I will check those bolts periodically from now on.

I'm no engineer, but I think the two bolts were loose and letting the bracket vibrate and move around till it fatigued and broke the piece with the long break, then the bracket broke where the two bolts were loose. Just thinking out loud.