I was brush hogging on a bank yesterday ,I would back down the bank and drive back up because the bank was too steep to mow any other way. While I was mowing I momentarily heard a noise and then never heard anything else out of the ordinary. I continue mowing and I noticed my 4wd was not working.I check to make sure the 4wd is engaged to which it was.
I look under the tractor and grass/hay is wrapped around the drive shaft so tight I had to use my orbiting grinder to remove it. Under further investigation I find that the coupler/sleave splines on the front of the drive shaft ( end towards the front tires) is worn and the splines on the front end of the drive shaft are worn out. The new drive shaft is a little over $80.00 dollars and the couplers/sleaves are a little over $13.00 a piece. The splined piece that sticks out of the front end of the tractor is worn some but not as bad as the coupler or drive shaft is.To replace it will take a complete tear down of the front end which I feel I will probably have to do eventually to replace one piece. The rest I will do Friday and get my self back in business for now. The noise I heard was the splines on the drive shaft spinning in the sleeve and destroying the splines when the grass wrapped around the drive shaft. Up until then the 4wd had been working fine albeit this past winter when the rear sleeve came loose on the drive shaft and I had to put it back together while I layed in the mud.
I look under the tractor and grass/hay is wrapped around the drive shaft so tight I had to use my orbiting grinder to remove it. Under further investigation I find that the coupler/sleave splines on the front of the drive shaft ( end towards the front tires) is worn and the splines on the front end of the drive shaft are worn out. The new drive shaft is a little over $80.00 dollars and the couplers/sleaves are a little over $13.00 a piece. The splined piece that sticks out of the front end of the tractor is worn some but not as bad as the coupler or drive shaft is.To replace it will take a complete tear down of the front end which I feel I will probably have to do eventually to replace one piece. The rest I will do Friday and get my self back in business for now. The noise I heard was the splines on the drive shaft spinning in the sleeve and destroying the splines when the grass wrapped around the drive shaft. Up until then the 4wd had been working fine albeit this past winter when the rear sleeve came loose on the drive shaft and I had to put it back together while I layed in the mud.
