JD6800 front wheel lock up on 4wd tractor

tobac · Nov 13, 2018

A friend has a JD6800 that he was using on a round baler. All of a sudden when turning right the left front wheel would lock up and then let go. This continued. When driven straight it was OK. Oil levels were checked for metal. One was low and the other had some metal on plug but not excessive. The tractor was jacked up. The bearings felt good with no noise when steering straight or on turning. Universal joint looked good. No oil leaks. The hub pivot bearings seemed tight with no play. We are at a loss where to look next. Next stop may be to look at the drop down box in the transmission. Could the bush that is located in the front end housing have picked up on the axle? If anyone has any suggestions they would be appreciated. Thanks.

SPYDERLK · Nov 13, 2018

tobac said:
A friend has a JD6800 that he was using on a round baler. All of a sudden when turning right the left front wheel would lock up and then let go. This continued. When driven straight it was OK. Oil levels were checked for metal. One was low and the other had some metal on plug but not excessive. The tractor was jacked up. The bearings felt good with no noise when steering straight or on turning. Universal joint looked good. No oil leaks. The hub pivot bearings seemed tight with no play. We are at a loss where to look next. Next stop may be to look at the drop down box in the transmission. Could the bush that is located in the front end housing have picked up on the axle? If anyone has any suggestions they would be appreciated. Thanks.

I think the cage locating the balls in a bearing for the left wheel, or its drive mechanism, has failed. In this condition weight/stress can cause the balls to bunch and jam the bearing or any gears that may rely on it for an accurate pivot.