Branson Front Wheel Axle Failures

[guitarman59]

@guitarman59, I would take the axle to a good machine shop and ask them to build one. With the issues you have seen, maybe have two built.

Just out of curiosity, what type of terrain do you have? Lots of hills? Also, do you run in 4WD most of the time?

Something you do needs to be modified because of all the front end problems you are seeing. If you think the turning radius is too short, you can adjust the stops so it is less. If the loader lifts too much, you can adjust the pressure relief to a lower pressure setting on your loader valve.

Thank you for the advice. I am in flat country. I only use 4 wheel drive when it's needed. I have done a front end alignment on it, adjusted the stops and the loader because of the age and use does not lift nearly the amount that it did when it was new. Of course the seals and the pump is getting older. My point was the engineering I believe is mismatched. I talked to my friend who is a machinist he said he could drill it, put in a dowel, weld it and then put it back on the lathe and turn it, but he says it will never be one hundred percent true. He is offered to mill me a single complete piece. This morning I'm going to check Branson dealership to see what the prices are to prepare from them. At this point I will make a decision.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

Thank you for the advice. I am in flat country. I only use 4 wheel drive when it's needed. I have done a front end alignment on it, adjusted the stops and the loader because of the age and use does not lift nearly the amount that it did when it was new. Of course the seals and the pump is getting older. My point was the engineering I believe is mismatched. I talked to my friend who is a machinist he said he could drill it, put in a dowel, weld it and then put it back on the lathe and turn it, but he says it will never be one hundred percent true. He is offered to mill me a single complete piece. This morning I'm going to check Branson dealership to see what the prices are to prepare from them. At this point I will make a decision.

If he sets up the drill on the center line properly, and sets up the final turning on the lathe correctly, it will certainly be "true enough". We're not talking about a main shaft on a turbine engine here. It's never going to see 100K rpm.

 

[aczlan]

Hi Cliff.

I bought a new 2012 Branson 4520R in 2013, Branson replaced the complete front axle under warranty in 2014 with a new 2014 axle. The tractor had maybe 300 hours when all the 6 or 8, #8 bolts came out of the 4 wheel drive in the front axle and grenaded everything.

Two weeks after the installation of the new axle the seals started to leak. I had to replace the seals and my own cost. Branson wouldn't help with anything with the seals.

It wasn't long after that that the bearings went in the right hand side again I had to replace seals. Of course then the left side went same thing. I have repeated the same hunting task all of these years right into 2021. I think I have replaced the either the seals, or bearings or both at least 5 times now.

Today Aug 2021 the left axle broke completely off. This happened when backing up with no load.

The heaviest thing this tractor has lifted is 4 x 5 round bales of wrapped haylage. I've used it for stove wood. I've used it for not too large cedar and pine logs bring in the moat I'm putting them on the wagon or on the sawmill.

In my humble opinion I think the turning radius is to sharpen these tractors and also I think the loader is design for lifting heavier loads than these axles can sustain.

I will try and attach a couple of pictures of my issue. I contacted Branson of course and their answer is sorry sir there's no way we can help you. I think this problem is more common than you think and I know there are naysayers out there who say it isn't a big problem but I think it should be addressed and if enough of us get together maybe they will recognize there is a problem.
I have no idea how much a new axle is but I talked to a dealership who got a tractor from Canada Customs it was confiscated and the motor removed because it didn't pass Canadian emissions.

I can get this axle for $4,000 Canadian which I think is a lot but I have no choice. Maybe somebody else can point me to a cheaper axle.

How much counterweight (behind the back axle) are you running? We had a 100HP (ish) LS at work that did something similar, it was a little better with a large concrete block in back, but the plow that they sold with it was too much for the front end of the tractor.

Aaron Z