4 wheel drive wont

[Ronbo]

Posted in parts and repairs, but got no response.
I have a Nortrac (Jimna) 254. It is a good tractor with no real problems, until now. If I put the front end in the pond and place it in 4 wheel drive, the rear wheels spin and the front don't. If I raise the front wheels and try to rotate them, I can't. If I take it out of 4 wheel drive, Ican then rotate them.

Any ideas? How do I tell if the front driveshaft is rotating inside the hose and metal tube? What is the most likely cause? I have an extended warrenty, but if it is something minor I can save the deductable.

Ron

 

[billbill1]

Ron, did the 4wd work before or have you never tried it before? I wonder if maybe the shifter isn't engaging all of the way. Can you feel it going in? Maybe the pin on the 4wd shaft is sheared.

Bill

 

[bluechip]

The 4wd engage lever connects the drive shaft to the gear in the transfer case. The front differential is open so if you have the front end up in the air with the loader, you should be able to rotate one wheel one direction and the other should go in the opposite direction. This would indicate that the driveshaft is engaged and that the ring and pinion are not moving, just the spider gears.

If you cannot move either wheel when 4wd is engaged, you may have a differential problem.

with 4wd disengaged you should be able to hold or block one tire and turn the other, indicating that the ring and pinion are turning the shaft which is not engaged to the gears in the trasnfercase and so can turn freely.

 

[greg_g]

Short of a mechanical problem, these Jinmas are a little quirky. Some folks insist they have to be at a full stop to engage 4wd. My two on the other hand wouldn't permit the 4wd lever to engage, unless the FRONT wheels were rolling. Have you tried both ways?

//greg//

 

[Ronbo]

The 4 wheel drive was working. I had to be moving to get it to go in. Now the lever moves, but I am unable to spin the front tires. If I raise the front and rotate one tire, the other will spin in the oposite direction. If I only raise one front wheel and try to spin it, I am unable to turn it. This would indicate that it was engaged, but if I spin the rear wheels, the front will not spin.

Ron

 

[bluechip]

If you cannot turn one wheel with the other on the ground, I think the drive shaft is OK. Are you sure neither wheel is being driven. This is an open differential which means the front tire and the rear tire with the least traction will turn. If you jack one back wheel of the ground (diff lock not engaged) and raise the front axle with the FEL, select a low gear and the rear wheel and one or both of the front wheels will turn.

Also disengage 4wd and make sure that both front wheels turn freely in both directions when only one is lifted.

 

[Ronbo]

It is engaging enough to not allow the front wheels to rotate when engaged, but it is not driving the front wheels. I can spin the rear wheels and not spin the front wheels. In the past both have spun. I am wondering where the most likely cause will be. I guess most people don't have this problem.

I will investigate it a little more and then call for warrenty repair.

Ron

 

[SPIKER]

some have experianced a front end drive shaft shear/failure. the shaft usually shears in-half but not sure if this i syou're roblem. if one wheel is on ground the other will not turn freely. the rotational forces would have to go back through trans and that is a lOT of turning force required. the hose clamps can be removed and the rubber hose slide backwards then to see if the front drive shaft is setting OK and if it turns or wiggles by hand. not sure WHO had this problem but there were a few that had it by driving on hard surface in 4whe drive. similar problmes have happened using dif loc in 4 wheel drive on hard surface where the locking dogs were stuck and the rears would not un-lock.

markm

 

[bluechip]

We had an agracat in our shop last spring with sheared front drive axle, but I don't think that would stop the wheel from turning when the frond drive is engaged and one or the other front wheel off the ground.

 

[Perry]

Ronbo..Sorry I missed your earlier post. Please contact Kirk at our user support 952.808.6697 for assistance. Thanks
Perry /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif