Front tires caused axle failure...?

[redman135]

Hello thoner7, I suggest you contact Kubota corperate and ask specificly what the maximum offset is for your year-model.
Also ask what is the maximum tyre width you can go to. Point out that you have soft ground and the standard width front tyres act like knives with a loader on.
Lastly I would pull the other side of and check for early signs of bearing or gear failure simply for peace of mind.

 

[JD3520Turbo]

I think there might have been two things going on here. One is if the tires were set way out, they can absolutely tear up the bearings. If the bearings fail, then they can take out the gears and other components with chunks of metal floating in the oil and having a lot more slop or play in the drive line.

Can excessive lead or lag contribute to drive line failure? Depending on what conditions the tractor was run, in it probably could. If it was run in mostly soft ground or snow in 4wd, I would say that it probably wouldn't contribute to much, because there would be enough slip introduced to take the stress off the drive train. If it was locked in on pavement or hard packed ground while using a loader, then it certainly didn't help.

Below is a picture of a JD 5083E with the front tires stuck out as wide as possible. Obviously they were trying to make this tractor as wide as possible for stability purposes. If you add a front end loader on this tractor and leave these wheels out that far, you will destroy the outer bearings much faster than if the wheels are set inward. I run my fronts tucked in, and my rears are out as far as I can to aid in stability. I keep the fronts set inward because I have a loader on it.

The fact is we don't know which came first. Did the bearings fail and take out the gears, or did the gears fail and take out the bearings?

 

[Oldpath05]

"Your tire radius difference is insignificant. Your tire width is very significant" <<I cant agree with that, tire radius on 4-wheel drive is very significant, lot more then tire width.

 

[RickB]

"Your tire radius difference is insignificant. Your tire width is very significant" <<I cant agree with that, tire radius on 4-wheel drive is very significant, lot more then tire width.

If you were to read and understand the information provided above your opinion may be different. The static loaded radius difference between a stock tire and the ones on the OPs tractor is insignificant.

 

[cdaigle430]

I know as an ATV owner and modder whenever you change\strengthen one thing in the drive train it causes a new weakest link. I put tires that were 4 times the size of OEM and it would bog the motor. I increased the HP of the motor and would break an axle. I would upgrade axle to gorillas and the bearings would go and on and on. So i just returned everything back to OEM...wasnt worth it. Even something a simple as adding wheel spacers can cause issues down the road. Manufactures test everything over and over again as it is sold to make sure its reliable-you change something and its your problem. That is why your warranty is void if you do change tire sizes or width unless manufacturer agrees to the mod.

So yes those tires can cause other failures.

 

[/pine]

If you were to read and understand the information provided above your opinion may be different. The static loaded radius difference between a stock tire and the ones on the OPs tractor is insignificant.

If you would have read and understood the data in the link I posted in #29 you would realize the following:

...The difference in diameter that could result in drive-train damage amounts to a scant 0.22 to 0.23
inch, or just less than a quarter of an inch....

 

[RickB]

If you would have read and understood the data in the link I posted in #29 you would realize the following:

Not applicable to off-road conditions. Tolerances are more forgiving. The relative front/rear tire wear rates and the resulting affect on radii measurements render that information useless in this application.
Once again information relevant in the automotive world simply does not apply in the off road equipment industry. You ever hear of a lead/lag ratio discussed in an automotive application?

Find that info as it pertains to a tractor and you may have some relevance.

 

[/pine]

Not applicable to off-road conditions. Tolerances are more forgiving. The relative front/rear tire wear rates and the resulting affect on radii measurements render that information useless in this application.
Once again information relevant in the automotive world simply does not apply in the off road equipment industry. You ever hear of a lead/lag ratio discussed in an automotive application?

Find that info as it pertains to a tractor and you may have some relevance.

LMAO...It is applicable unless the vehicle/tractor was only being driven in mud etc...do you drive a passenger vehicle in 4wd on the highway?..who does...?

 

[5030]

Wow, 58 comments and it all distills down to incorrect lead-lag and using FWA when not needed. My suggestion to the op is buy a 2wd tractor and be done with it...

 

[LouNY]

If you would have read and understood the data in the link I posted in #29 you would realize the following:

Dang I guess every tractor out there in the world with smaller front tires is going to destroy it's self seeing as almost anyone that does enough hours and work on them will wear out the smaller fronts faster then the rears. Then on top of that I can vary the loaded radius depending on weather a load is being carried for transport or pulled to work, a heavy tongue load will lift the front increasing the front loaded radius and squat the rear decreasing the loaded radius which is a considerable change in the lead lag effect.