BX22 Differential Problem

[MIKEKUBOTA]

A buddy of mine "destroyed" his BX22 tranny. The dealer thinks the damage may have been caused by locking the differential while the rear tire was engaged or moving. According to the dealer, the gears ground up, and the metal got lodged causing the housing to buldge outward, and it cracked the weld seams on the housing.

My questions are - does the BX22 have a differential lock similar to what I have on my B2910, and if so, must the BX22 tractor (and for that matter the B2910) be at rest when the lock is engaged? And have you heard of this kind of catastrophic failure?

I'm getting all of this third hand, and I am the first to admit that I am not all that versed on the BX22.

Any thoughts or observations are appreciated.

 

[lp333]

...The dealer thinks the damage may have been caused by locking the differential while the rear tire was engaged or moving...

I'm not sure that this alone would have caused such serious damage. In some instances, that lock may not even engage when the tractor is stationary.

 

[MIKEKUBOTA]

So what is the rule of thumb? Cany you engage the diffential lock while the wheel is in motion?

 

[lp333]

So what is the rule of thumb?

In my experience, it has always been easier to engage the differencial lock when the wheels are moving slowly. Engaging the lock in this manner should not cause damage unless the wheels are moving at an excessive speed. Here is an example of an earlier discussion on the topic:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...rential-lock.html?highlight=differential+lock

 

[BXRICK]

Based on the way my BX feels, the wheels will probably have to be turning, but barely - just enough to get everything to line up. It seems to me that if the wheels are turning too fast, you could destroy something when the lock does fall in.
Think of it like a non-synchronized manual transmission - it probably won't just go into gear since things most likely won't line up perfectly, so you may have to turn something to make things align, but when it does slam into gear, you don't want anything turning too quickly.

 

[JerryG]

They have square cut gears so they have to line up just right to engage. If they won't engage the best way to engage them without damage is to press on the pedal while the tractor is stopped. Then just gradually let the tractor roll a few inches or if your stuck, let the tires turn a few inches. That is enough to let the gears engage. If the tractor is moving faster than that, there is a chance that damage will be done.

 

[ByronBob]

There is a sticker right next to my differential lock that says not to use this in high gear. Was he also in high gear while trying to engage the gears?

This seems to be a recipe for disaster anyway you think about it. I'm never moving if I use this. It just makes common sense in my mind to be at a stand still.

 

[bx23barry]

I think they "should" be stopped or moving slow but I've engaged the diff lock at all speeds without trouble so far. Of course folks say I'm "hard on equipment".

 

[john_bud]

Rule of thumb? You don't want to have one tire spinning freely then stand on the diff lock. You also don't want to be taking a high speed turn and use it, either. I almost always back off the HST automatically when there is tire spin. Just from snow and mud experience in vehicles, digging the tires only gets you in deeper. Then engage the diff lock and can usually power out. Never had an issue. Only ever heard of a very few problems and they were all due to operator abuse. Spinning one tire fast, then jumping on the diff lock. Either you get out or go broke with that method!


Could be a mfg part failure too. Even the great Kubota has one now and again.

jb

 

[MIKEKUBOTA]

Great point in regards to the fact that the gears are square cut. I will pose the the questions of tire speed and whether my buddy was in high or low gear to ascertain the operating circumstances.