3625 /(20) front hub leak

[Toivosan]

I have a 2017 Branson 3625 tractor , I believe its 3620 in US. Only 108 hr on it and the front hubs started to leak. I bought it last year with 46 hours on it and have used it for FEL work mainly. First owner bought it new but almost didnt use it because of health issues. I changed all oils and filters on 50 hours, cause these were 6 years old..

I plan to make a topic of my tractor to share experience and improvement I have made.

As said, front hub seals are leaking and I plan to change the seals. But from this forum and some Youtube videos I have found that 2017 models didnt have too good seals and bearings at all. That bearing failure causes seal failure and leaking. Should I replace the bearings also and use some high-quality ones if they are widely common size and freely available from bearing shop etc.

Our Branson dealer is 2 hours drive from me and TYM dealer is about an hour. I dont have suitable transport to take the tractor to dealer and it will cost a fortune if they will come to my place to make the repairs. So most probably my friend who is ex-mechanic and heavy equipment operator will perform this job but I will have to get parts for him.

I will order hub seals, or some seal kit for front axle from the dealer but maybe not bearings. If the bearings are common-size then probably I will find better ones cheaper from specialized bearing dealer.
Am I right?

Thanks for now

 

[ptsg]

The bearings are indeed just common ball bearings. 6208 and 6209, accordingly to the parts manual for the 25 series but you may need to confirm once you pull the old ones out.

This actual part of the issue, they just use regular ball bearings and so does a lot of other brands, which don't really like side loads at all and with the amount of steering angle these tractors have, those do see a lot of side loads.

I suppose quality bearings would make it last longer.

A better alternative would be to use either angular contact ball bearings or tapered roller bearings, however, these would require shims to set just the right end play so it lasts a long time.

This is actually something I would like to try if I have issues with front wheel bearings. I'm pretty positive you can get angular contact ball bearings in the same size as the regular ball bearings they use there.

 

[tacticalturnip]

I don't have the answer regarding the bearings, but I look forward to seeing your machine and the things you've done to it and with it.

Welcome to TBN! I thought the 25 series was sold here at some point, but a quick Google shows your tractor looks like a 20 series here so you're probably right.

 

[ning]

The bearings are indeed just common ball bearings. 6208 and 6209, accordingly to the parts manual for the 25 series.

This actual part of the issue, they just use regular ball bearings and so does a lot of other brands, which don't really like side loads at all and with the amount of steering angle these tractors have, those do see a lot of side loads.

I suppose quality bearings would make it last longer.

A better alternative would be to use either angular contact ball bearings or tapered roller bearings, however, these would require shims to set just the right end play so it lasts a long time.

This is actually something I would like to try if I have issues with front wheel bearings. I'm pretty positive you can get angular contact ball bearings in the same size as the regular ball bearings they use there.

I don't know anything about bearings other than "find what was in it and replace it" so I'm following along to learn.

I see the 6208 & 6209 look like this, more or less:

they supposedly "accommodate radial and axial loads in both directions"

A particular "single row angular contact ball bearing" looks like

here there's obviously more of a shoulder on one side, which to my inexperienced eye looks like in this orientation it's going to support an axle trying to dip to the left (left down, right up)?

I'm curious why in the 6208 there's a slight dip top & bottom, while in this angular contact bearing there's a big shoulder on one side and absolutely nothing on the other, the cage

Then there's "four-point contact ball bearings"

these look to me like the recess in the outer ring is very similar to the 6208, and the inner ring recess is also similar though it may be two-part. How are these "4-point" different than the 6208?

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

I have a 2017 Branson 3625 tractor , I believe its 3620 in US. Only 108 hr on it and the front hubs started to leak. I bought it last year with 46 hours on it and have used it for FEL work mainly. First owner bought it new but almost didnt use it because of health issues. I changed all oils and filters on 50 hours, cause these were 6 years old..

I plan to make a topic of my tractor to share experience and improvement I have made.

As said, front hub seals are leaking and I plan to change the seals. But from this forum and some Youtube videos I have found that 2017 models didnt have too good seals and bearings at all. That bearing failure causes seal failure and leaking. Should I replace the bearings also and use some high-quality ones if they are widely common size and freely available from bearing shop etc.

Our Branson dealer is 2 hours drive from me and TYM dealer is about an hour. I dont have suitable transport to take the tractor to dealer and it will cost a fortune if they will come to my place to make the repairs. So most probably my friend who is ex-mechanic and heavy equipment operator will perform this job but I will have to get parts for him.

I will order hub seals, or some seal kit for front axle from the dealer but maybe not bearings. If the bearings are common-size then probably I will find better ones cheaper from specialized bearing dealer.
Am I right?

Thanks for now

There is a lot of misinformation out there. I don't think the "2017 models" have any higher number of issues than any other manufacturer, or year. Some folks who have abused their machines (any brand) then take to the internet to blame the equipment for lack of operator skills. Not pointing at you, but definitely some of the "internet experts" have done this. We have seen this repeat itself on this forum for years.

I have a 2017 model year 3725. I'm just over 400 hours now, bought it brand new in 2017. I have no leaks coming from my front hubs, or anywhere else. I certainly don't baby it, but I'm not abusing it either. I've picked up and carried plenty of heavy loads with the FEL, but I've always had a counter weight on the 3 pt hitch.

If you can manage the down time, I would take the front hubs apart and inspect the bearings first, before ordering new ones. Your bearings may be fine. Nothing stopping you from ordering the seal kits and having them on hand before you take the hubs apart. That way, if the bearings are fine, you can just reseal the hubs and you're back in business.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

I don't have the answer regarding the bearings, but I look forward to seeing your machine and the things you've done to it and with it.

Welcome to TBN! I thought the 25 series was sold here at some point, but a quick Google shows your tractor looks like a 20 series here so you're probably right.

The 25 series was sold here for a very short period in 2017. It didn't sell as well as the 20 series because it had more features, was more expensive, and looked almost identical to the 20 series. Without a knowledgeable sales staff on hand to point out the differences, (which very few Branson dealers had) buyers just opted for the "cheaper" 20 series. Thus, 25 series sales were poor in comparison, so corp pulled the model line.

 

[tacticalturnip]

The 25 series was sold here for a very short period in 2017. It didn't sell as well as the 20 series because it had more features, was more expensive, and looked almost identical to the 20 series. Without a knowledgeable sales staff on hand to point out the differences, (which very few Branson dealers had) buyers just opted for the "cheaper" 20 series. Thus, 25 series sales were poor in comparison, so corp pulled the model line.

Thank you for the history lesson; I imagine it was probably a value next to outfitting a 20 series with the equivalent options. Your description makes me think of the Kioti CK-20 and CK-20SE lines.

 

[CalG]

I was having fluid leaking from the wheel axle on the Hurlimann some years back/

It turned out to be grass wrapped into the sealing surfaces.

I picked out the grass with a hook scribe (CAREFULLY!) and the fluid leak healed up.

jess say'in

 

[ning]

Thank you for the history lesson; I imagine it was probably a value next to outfitting a 20 series with the equivalent options. Your description makes me think of the Kioti CK-20 and CK-20SE lines.

From what I recall, the difference between the 3725h and the 3520h (both open station) was a different engine and a few horsepower for a couple thousand dollars.
Both were on the lot when I was shopping and I couldn't justify the difference when I bought the 3520h, though I had already come up 5k+ from my original budget so there may've been differences that I had figured I was good enough, so much more than a k b3301 at the same price already

Were there other significant differences?

Looking at these two brochures - 20 series, 25 series - they may have been very slightly different chassis but if so they're within a percent of each other in most dimensions which would make any difference kinda bizarre. Looks like the 3725 may've had another gpm of hydraulic flow.

 

[ptsg]

I don't know anything about bearings other than "find what was in it and replace it" so I'm following along to learn.

I see the 6208 & 6209 look like this, more or less:
View attachment 1330865
they supposedly "accommodate radial and axial loads in both directions"

A particular "single row angular contact ball bearing" looks like
View attachment 1330866
here there's obviously more of a shoulder on one side, which to my inexperienced eye looks like in this orientation it's going to support an axle trying to dip to the left (left down, right up)?

I'm curious why in the 6208 there's a slight dip top & bottom, while in this angular contact bearing there's a big shoulder on one side and absolutely nothing on the other, the cage

Then there's "four-point contact ball bearings"
View attachment 1330867
these look to me like the recess in the outer ring is very similar to the 6208, and the inner ring recess is also similar though it may be two-part. How are these "4-point" different than the 6208?

Think about angular contact bearings just like the tapered roller bearings that you have on a trailer hub. You have two "facing each other" to hold the wheel in place. The tapered roller bearings, since it has rollers, will have much higher capacities.

The angular contact ball bearings, provide an angular ball contact area so the supports higher side loads, hence the name. These, much like the tapered roller bearings, needs two bearings working "against" each other to support the loads. As a single bearing, it will only support side load in one direction. They will literally fall apart if side load is applied in the opposite direction.

The regular ball bearings provide more contact area on "top" to handle high radial loads. These can handle a little bit of side loads but definitely not as much as the other options.

Those 4 point contact ball bearings, have a split inner race that allows them to support side loads in both directions. Essentially built like an angular contact bearing but can support loads in both directions.