Kubota B2710HSD front axel sheared off.

[PETDOC]

While driving my 25 year old, 850 hr B2710 out to retrieve a load of firewood from the wood shed it suddenly lurched to the front right as the tire rolled away. Fortunately I was going very slowly and the FEL bucket was 10” from the ground. When I got off, I could see a nubbin of the front axle protruding from the gear casing and the axle flange portion attached to the inside of the wheel. After removing the geared portion of the front axle from the gear case and the flanged portion from the wheel I could see a few outer radial cracks and a rusted outer peripheral rim at the site where the axel sheared off. Over the years, I’ve hauled a lot of very heavy sections of trees from the site of a fallen tree to my log splitter. This is often been a trip of one to 2 miles on a gravel road. My assumption is that when cruising back to my place with a full load, every time I hit a bump the loaded bucket would transmit a sudden tremendous force on a narrow point of the axel. With time this caused the radial cracks followed by rust and the eventual shearing of the axle. With a cursory Internet search, I found about six B and L Kubota owners reporting the same shearing of the front axel. I've replaced the right side and will do the same for the left, but part is currently backordered, meanwhile driving very slowly with bucket near the ground.
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[BlueKnife]

Thanks for posting. This will be a good thread to post for folks asking about increasing their front loader capacity. Messicks did a video a while back addressing the issue of factory loader capacity being higher than front axle capacity.

You might want to consider a log arch for hauling logs with a small tractor. Products - Log Arches - Woodland Mills

 

[PETDOC]

Thanks for posting. This will be a good thread to post for folks asking about increasing their front loader capacity. Messicks did a video a while back addressing the issue of factory loader capacity being higher than front axle capacity.

You might want to consider a log arch for hauling logs with a small tractor. Products - Log Arches - Woodland Mills

Thanks for the link to Messick’s YouTube. Actually they have a couple YouTubes on front axel loads. One shows how much you can unload the front axel by using counterweight attached to 3 point hitch.

. I saw a guy who turned a block of concrete into a great counterweight. Probably do same in future. Obviously will need to find spec on how much weight 3 point hitch can lift and find mounting parts I can embed in concrete.

 

[BlueKnife]

Thanks for the link to Messick’s YouTube. Actually they have a couple YouTubes on front axel loads. One shows how much you can unload the front axel by using counterweight attached to 3 point hitch. I saw a guy who turned a block of concrete into a great counterweight. Probably do same in future. Obviously will need to find spec on how much weight 3 point hitch can lift and find mounting parts I can embed in concrete.

The thing about counter weights is that they don't lower the load on the front axle until you get enough weight on them that you're pivoting on the rear axle and actually lifting the front wheels. You can actually increase the weight on the front axle even more if you have a counter weight and then lift enough in the loader to lighten the rear. It takes a tremendous amount of weight to counter that, to the point where, in many cases, you have to overload the rear axle in order to get enough weight to lessen the load on the front. Counter weight is still a good idea, of course, but it's not going to significantly lessen the load on the front axle, in most cases.

 

[PETDOC]

The thing about counter weights is that they don't lower the load on the front axle until you get enough weight on them that you're pivoting on the rear axle and actually lifting the front wheels. You can actually increase the weight on the front axle even more if you have a counter weight and then lift enough in the loader to lighten the rear. It takes a tremendous amount of weight to counter that, to the point where, in many cases, you have to overload the rear axle in order to get enough weight to lessen the load on the front. Counter weight is still a good idea, of course, but it's not going to significantly lessen the load on the front axle, in most cases.

Found a good thread on counterweighting tractor (Rear Counter Weight). I've decided in future when I’m transporting big sections of trees in my FEL I’ll attach my Wallenstein chipper which weighs 505 lbs. and drive slowly so the bumps don't suddenly magnify the load on the front axels.

 

[hodge]

You have sheared two final drive axles? You are using your tractor beyond it's design parameters, and you are now planning to continuing doing so. The lesson is not how to counter the damage while still doing the same work, but altering the work to within the design limits of your tractor. You need to take smaller bites, or get a bigger machine. That's my opinion, for what it's worth.

 

[dieselscout80]

One thing that may help is to add an accumulator (aka soft ride is one of the terms used for it) to the loaders lift circuit.

An accumulator will cushion the shock loads so they don’t have the impact that breaks things.

I know bigger tractors can have them.

 

[ptsg]

One thing that may help is to add an accumulator (aka soft ride is one of the terms used for it) to the loaders lift circuit.

An accumulator will cushion the shock loads so they don’t have the impact that breaks things.

I know bigger tractors can have them.

I second this. It's an huge difference. I added one on mine and I firmly believe it can prolong the front axle life by a good amount.

Most tractors have them here in Europe because we road the tractors so much. It really makes for a more comfortable ride.

 

[PETDOC]

You have sheared two final drive axles? You are using your tractor beyond it's design parameters, and you are now planning to continuing doing so. The lesson is not how to counter the damage while still doing the same work, but altering the work to within the design limits of your tractor. You need to take smaller bites, or get a bigger machine. That's my opinion, for what it's worth.

You of course are correct; however, if I can safely transport a heavier load with rear counterweight I’ll do it. Not advocating overloading one's FEL (and front axel), but my front axels did last 25 years.

 

[5030]

Looks to me like a simple age and abuse from overloading the front AXLE to me. Least your tractor has smaller components than my M9's. Too a cherry picker to remove the outer gearcase on one of my M's. It's very heavy but in my case the parts were available. I had to do ONE side of one unit only. I use the one that failed for moving round bales and have for years and it failed, Not unexpected either, Things do wear out and fail everyday, everywhere,

The outboards on mine weigh over 200 pounds.

 

[PETDOC]

Looks to me like a simple age and abuse from overloading the front AXLE to me. Least your tractor has smaller components than my M9's. Too a cherry picker to remove the outer gearcase on one of my M's. It's very heavy but in my case the parts were available. I had to do ONE side of one unit only. I use the one that failed for moving round bales and have for years and it failed, Not unexpected either, Things do wear out and fail everyday, everywhere,

The outboards on mine weigh over 200 pounds.

"Things do wear out and fail everyday, everywhere." My matching hip arthroplasties after 7 plus decades of abuse attest to that fact.
Only right side of my B2710 has failed, but for peace of mind I will replace left axel as soon as part arrives.

 

[5030]

Have no idea what that is... I do know my wife had a hip replacement and I quipped that hips should have grease fittings installed from the 'factory'...

Lubed for life is total BS.

 

[PETDOC]

Have no idea what that is... I do know my wife had a hip replacement and I quipped that hips should have grease fittings installed from the 'factory'...

Lubed for life is total BS.

Hip arthroplasty is medical term for hip replacement.

 

[5030]

Being a dirt farmer, not into technical terms.

 

[sandman2234]

If I had the tendency to overload my tractor, there is no way I would want to increase the 3 point counterweight. (see my thread on installing larger cylinders on FEL). Weight should be added to the rolling wheels, such as wheel weights and loaded rear tires! Double up on that and your not stressing the tractor nearly as much as adding a counterweight.
Just my 2 cents, not worth much these days!
David from jax

 

[PETDOC]

If I had the tendency to overload my tractor, there is no way I would want to increase the 3 point counterweight. (see my thread on installing larger cylinders on FEL). Weight should be added to the rolling wheels, such as wheel weights and loaded rear tires! Double up on that and your not stressing the tractor nearly as much as adding a counterweight.
Just my 2 cents, not worth much these days!
David from jax

Based on watching Messick’s YouTubes on front axel loads it's apparent to me that weight in/on rear wheels only loads rear axel, which likely also slightly increases load on front axel. The only way to lighten load on front axel is to place a counterweight behind tractor. Picture a seesaw with a 200 lb person sitting on one end and other end is unoccupied. If you add a 200 lb person sitting on/at the center, i.e., pivot point, the seesaw wouldn't move. If that person slowly inches to the opposite end the other side of the seesaw would slowly elevate. No question that with a counterweight you would be stressing the rear axels more; however, I assume they can handle a much higher load than the front axels.

 

[PETDOC]

Being a dirt farmer, not into technical terms.

I'll wager you could throw some farming terms at me that would make me think you're speaking in tongues.

 

[dieselscout80]

I second this. It's an huge difference. I added one on mine and I firmly believe it can prolong the front axle life by a good amount.

Most tractors have them here in Europe because we road the tractors so much. It really makes for a more comfortable ride.

Where did you get yours? I want to get one for my TC45DA.

 

[ptsg]

Where did you get yours? I want to get one for my TC45DA.

I used an accumulator I had around and did my own kit. Mine, I believe, has a 0.75L volume and it's preloaded with 50 bar which is a bit too much. Ideally, it would be 30 to 40 bar.

There are some kits on Ebay, located in Europe though.

Something like this, you just need a Tee and an hose. Hydraulic Accumulator 0,16 - 1 Liters with ball valve Free Charging | eBay

 

[5030]

Most any retailer like Motion Industries for instance will have accumulators of various sizes and capacities in stock. Use your search engine to find them.