Best way of Getting an HST tractor out of 4x4 when it seems to be stuck?

[ericm979]

Drivetrain wind-up is normal. Manufacturers always spec the front axle to turn a little faster than the rear. Otherwise the front axle would be too slow when turning and the front wheels are taking a longer path than the rears. Having the fronts turn too slow in a turn makes the front end push wide instead of steering. The slight overdrive is why you're not supposed to use 4wd on high traction surfaces like pavement. It'll stress the driveline and wear the tires.

How hard it is to shift out of 4wd depends on the clearances of the gears and shifter design. My Branson can be balky about shifting out of out of 4wd. Usually I can get it to shift out after backing up some. If not, the loader trick works. I go in and out of 4wd often since so many tasks involve both steep hills and crossing pavement. As the hours accumulate and the parts break in, it's getting easier. Changing to a semi synthetic trans oil helped some.

 

[bcp]

It will happen even if the gearing, inflation, and tire sizes are perfectly matched. This is caused by the front wheels traveling farther when you turn.

Bruce

 

[rademamj1]

I have never removed my FEL and use the 4x4 about 80% of the time. When I do take it out of 4x4, backing up about a couple of feet makes it all effortless.

 

[Cycledude]

I bought a used Ford F-150 4x4 and the only way to get it out of 4x4 was to stop and backup a couple feet, it took awhile to figure out but when the previous owner had put new tires on they put the correct tires on the front but put one size bigger on the rear and that is what caused the trouble. I wound up putting 4 new tires on all the same size and the problem completely disappeared. So you should probably take a close look to make sure you have the correct size tires on all 4 wheels.

 

[ning]

My tractor's 4wd gets really tight if I'm on pavement (not surprising) and it will be snug if I've just made a turn even on soft stuff.

Assuming you're on grass or dirt, I'd try straightening the wheel, go a bit forward, then a little reverse, bounce a bit like that while applying pressure on the lever.

 

[Porchfan]

I bought a used Ford F-150 4x4 and the only way to get it out of 4x4 was to stop and backup a couple feet, it took awhile to figure out but when the previous owner had put new tires on they put the correct tires on the front but put one size bigger on the rear and that is what caused the trouble. I wound up putting 4 new tires on all the same size and the problem completely disappeared. So you should probably take a close look to make sure you have the correct size tires on all 4 wheels.

Tractor was bought new at a dealer with turf tires. As far as I know, the tires are correct. They are inflated properly too. I have about 60 hrs on it now. I don’t put it in 4x4 much so I suspect being new and not used
Much means the system of gears axles, U- joints and other mechanical stuff hasn’t worn much. It’s just been more
Difficult
To get out of 4x4 than my bigger B2650. Like I said originally, the bigger tractor has never been hard to get out of 4x4. It’s got 1200+ hours on it and I use it a lot in 4x4. That said tho, i recall it never was hard to disengage 4x4 even when new
When I bought it 7 years ago.

 

[Porchfan]

My experience is similar to other posts. I've never had to resort to raising the front though. I generally slowly move forward while applying light pressure to the 4wd lever, and never engage or disengage on pavement.

I’ll have to try to remember to be on soft ground or my gravel road to disengage instead of the pavement. I usually Remember to disengage only after I’m already on pavement. My bad. There are parts of our back road that are steep and when on gravel, I’ll slip without 4x4 so I keep it on until I get up on the side driveway I have. I’ll have to stop just before the driveway where it is a little flatter and try it there. Thanks.

 

[ning]

I’ll have to try to remember to be on soft ground or my I’ll slip without 4x4 so I keep it on until I get up on the side driveway I have. I’ll have to stop just before the driveway where it is a little flatter and try it there.

Just switch as soon as you have good traction, whether that's a good gravel road or actual pavement - you shouldn't get bind-up from the first couple feet that all 4 tires are on pavement.

 

[John_Mc]

I値l have to try to remember to be on soft ground or my gravel road to disengage instead of the pavement. I usually Remember to disengage only after I知 already on pavement. My bad. There are parts of our back road that are steep and when on gravel, I値l slip without 4x4 so I keep it on until I get up on the side driveway I have. I値l have to stop just before the driveway where it is a little flatter and try it there. Thanks.

The reason soft ground is easier is because the wheels can break traction and slip as needed, rather than continuing to "wind up" the drive train. As others have already noted, Tractors are designed NOT to turn the front wheels at the same speed as the rears. They are supposed to go just a few percent faster in high-traction situations, this will wind up the drive train, binding the gears up under tension. It may be different from one model of tractor to another. It will also be noticeably different from one tread design to another - Turf tires usually have very good traction on pavement, which can make the problem worse. Ag tires tend to have less traction on pavement (less rubber on the road), though they can still experience the problem.

What works for me is as others have noted: If I've been driving forward, I'll reverse for a bit sometimes just a little bit is enough to release the 4WD shift lever, some times I have to back up 5 or 6 feet or more. If my last move was backing up for a significant distance, I'll try rolling forward. I do any of this maneuvering in a straight line - it's just one less variable to worry about.

 

[Porchfan]

So. I discovered today an easy way to get it out of 4x4. When backing up or going forward after stopping, when you hit the HST pedal, pop the pedal hard as you’re pulling back on the 4x4 lever. If it still doesn’t go out of 4x4, pop the HST pedal in the opposite direction and pull the lever at the same time The key is to hit the pedal hard so the tractor jumps a bit. That has done the trick today for me about 6 times. No fail. All on concrete. Now no need for the loader to be on.
Cheers
Porch