Differential Loc TC29D

[thcri]

Looks like I screwed up, maybe not. We got ourselves a good ice storm here, no snow though yet. Anyway I have a good hill on my driveway and I was headed up the hill in 4 wheel drive. I got up about half way and the tractor started spinning and then started slidding back down the hill, well out of habit I depressed the differential loc, (this is a no no with wheels spinning) anyway I heard a real loud clank, I imagine gears not meshing right. My concern now is the pedal for the differential loc does not seem like it has come all the way back up. It is not all the way to the floor but not as high as I remember it. Everything seems to be working ok but I do notice that turning real sharp the tractor does tend to fight itself some like the two back wheels are keeping it going straight. Though it may be just the super steer on the ice too. Any thoughts from anybody out there as to if I wrecked something or not would be appreciated.

Murph

 

[Hoeman00]

Turn your wheels sharp and use the brake on inside wheel.
If tractor bogs down than dif lock is still engaged.
BTW I leave the brakes locked together most of the time
because w/ SS I don't need brake for sharp turns,
then use brakes for stopping your slide.
I know I told u too late. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[jinman]

Murph, I use my differential lock often when I am digging with the loader. I think I often engage it with the wheels still turning, but at a very slow speed. What does your Owner's Manual say about engaging diff-lock? Can you reach down and lift the pedal to see if it releases? Also, don't you have a split brake pedal? If so, you could press the right or left brake pedal while turning, and your tractor should really come around. If it continues to push forward, that's a good indication you may be stuck in diff-lock. ...just my two-cents worth. I'd probably be disturbed too if I'd heard a loud "clank" as your described. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Sounds like Tim and I are on the same "wavelength" since we both suggested differential braking just a few minutes apart. I know your tractor doesn't have the brake pedals on the left like our Class III Boomers, but maybe you can do differential braking using both feet just long enough to do the test. Be careful.

 

[thcri]

Well the brake thing is one thing that I had a hard time with even with supersteer. Being from the old farms I am use to using the brakes to turn. And I still would but it is tuff pushing the hyrdro and the brakes at the same time. The brakes are dual but on the same side as the hydrostatic. Maybe I could just push the hydro with the back of my foot and the toes could push one of the brakes. What I did do as a test was take the tractor out of 4 wheel and just stopped on the icy hill and then pushed the hydro all the way down. Assuming it is not locked in only one of the back tires should have spun, but both tires did spin. I am afraid that it is locked in. I did try to pull the differential loc up with my hand but it would not come up.



Murph

 

[thcri]

Jinman,

Yes I have engaged mine many times while moving, in fact you can engage them at a pretty high speed. The key is both wheels should be moving at the same speed. When I was on the icy hill, I only had one wheel spinning and the other one was still. Engaging it tried locking in one moving gear in one that was stationary. Anyway that is a no no and I did it. My dealer says I didn't hurt anything but I still want to go out and do the brake test and see what I come up with.

Murph

 

[Steve_in_Ont]

First - Jack the back of the tractor up. Place it in neutral. Turn one wheel. If the other wheel turns the same direction, your diff. lock is engaged. If the other wheel does nothing, or turns in reverse, then the diff lock is not engaged.

If it is engaged, try pulling up the peddle with zero load on the system (like when it's jacked up as above).

If it does not come up and disengage, then you have probably bent or broke something...

Good luck.

 

[jinman]

Steve, that sounds like some really good advice to me, if Murph can jack up both rear wheels. I checked my TC45D manual this morning and it stated that the differential lock could be engaged at speeds up to 5 mph, but as Murph said in his post, they also said it was best to engage before one wheel was slipping. I think if I felt my tractor was "pushing" instead of responding quickly to my steering, I'd feel a lot better having my dealer look at it. If it's broke, it sounds like a warranty repair to me. If it's not broke, then I'd sleep a lot better knowing it was okay for sure. My lock pops right up as soon as the load is removed from the wheels. It's a different model tractor, but I'm pretty sure they operate in a similar manner. If he can't get it jacked up, a trip to the dealer might be best.

 

[thcri]

Jinman and Steve In Ont,

That does sound like the best advice. Just got to find me a jack and will get it accomplished. As far as turning now it seems to be ok, but then our ice is gone also. My tractor has supersteer and the 4 wheel will loc in automatically. On the ice maybe it was locking in 4 wheel and making it go straight. But raising it will be the answer.

Murph

 

[thcri]

I got it. Tonight when takin corn out for the deer I headed up a steep hill with lots of snow on it and then while pushing the hydro with the heel of my foot I was able to push the left brake with my toes. The tractor just died down telling me the differential loc was in. I stopped the tractor and tried pulling the loc to the upper position but could not. I finally grabbed the pedal and gave it a good yank. It came up. Now tried the same trick again on the hydro and the foot brake. Now the tractor slides to one side. Only one wheel spinning. Tried pushing down the differential loc and the pedal comes back up on its own. I don't think I did any harm by pulling it up like I did and when I push it down I did the brake trick again and it does loc in and then will come out again.

So now I sleep again.

Murph

 

[MikePA]

Congrats on getting the problem resolved! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[jinman]

Murph, I hope your problem is gone, but if you had to "yank" that hard to get the differential lock to release, I gotta believe there is something still lurking about, waiting to become a problem again. With my luck, it would stick again, one day after my warranty was up. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif It also sounds like your are using the differential lock a lot to give it a chance to either loosen up or fail again. You can't get something fixed that isn't broken, but at least you will recognize the symptoms for sure if you ever have the problem again.

 

[djradz]

I agree Jim. I've never had mine really stick. Yes, sometimes it took hitting the brake or making a sharp turn, but never sticking for as long as this case. I seem to recall from looking under my tractor that there's a fitting or two the lever arm goes through before connecting to the tranny. Maybe it's hanging up on one of these. In any case, I think I'd be using the heck out of that from now until the warranty is up, just to make sure it doesn't reoccur.

 

[thcri]

I looked in the book to see if there was a way to intentially lock it in by pushing the pedal down and then maybe to the side or something. But I could not find that as an option. I wonder if maybe the linkage could be bent or something like that. I have used it a few more times this morning and it seems to be working ok. I will try and follow the linkage and see if I can find anything or I will have the dealer look at it in the spring when I have the oil changed.

Murph

 

[JATO_RaT]

Murph, thats how I frequently have to do it on my International. It needs a little convincing sometimes.

 

[thcri]

I must really have something wrong. I purposely lock the differntial in and now it won't come out. Even if I yank on the lever pulling it up. I notice that I can get it out if I lock up one of the brakes. I never have had to do that before. I called my dealer and he says that I did not hurt anything and it is normal to have to hit the brake to get them out. I'm not sure if I believe. Why did I not have to do this before. I used the differential loc lots of times last summer when mowing on this steep hill I have both going up and down the hill and the loc always came out on its own right away?

Kind of concerned here, Murph

 

[spencer200]

Follow the linkage from your dif lock pedal to where it goes into the housing and spray something like wd40 where the shaft goes into the housing and work it and give it another coating. Water tends to penetrate the shaft where it goes into the housing causing it to work a little stiff. The diff lock is designed to be used while the wheels are spinning you did nothing wrong engaging it like that.

 

[thcri]

Spencer,

I did check the linkage today and could not find any hang ups. I see where there is a plunger that goes into the housing of the tractor. I will put some WD40 on it and see if that will loosen it up.

And yes, I did engage it when I shouldn't have. The wheels are to be turning but should both be turning about the same speed. I put mine in when one wheel was spinning on the ice while the other was stationary or may have already been going backwards. I was going up a steep hill on concrete with a sheet of ice on it and started sliding back down.

Murph

 

[jinman]

Murph, check your operator's manual and see what it says. Mine says the differential lock automatically releases as soon as you stop forward motion or torque is removed from the drivetrain. That's exactly the way it works. I'd suggest doing the lube job Spencer200 suggested and if that doesn't cure the problem, I'd be standing on my dealers showroom, asking him to show me a new tractor that works like he describes. If he can't, then you deserve a warranty repair. As a last resort, you could send him a certified letter describing the problem and demanding repair. If that doesn't get results, I'd be on the phone to New Holland right away. Remember, you were on a glaze-ice surface. How much torque could you have put on the drivetrain under those circumstances? You weren't pushing a load; only pulling the tractor's own weight up a hill. Also, you heard a distinctive loud CLUNK when you engaged the diff-lock. It's not like you were abusing your tractor. You should put all thoughts that you did something wrong out of your head. You simply used a feature of your tractor and now it doesn't work right. Your dealer should be willing to help you fix the problem instead of making excuses. I know these are pretty tough words, but I think your dealer is giving you the run-around on this one.

 

[spencer200]

despite what your manual says you did nothing wrong when you engaged the dif lock in the manor in which you are describing. Tractors have been being used in this manor for years without problems when the dif lock is engaged in this manor. This should free up with some lube if not there is probably an interanl problem..we have farmed for years and always engage the diff lock when slippage occurs with no problems with out stopping the tractor.

 

[thcri]

Spence and Jim,

One thing I got going for myself, when I bought this tractor, I had a one year interest free, no payments until July of 2003. So if they want their money, it will be checked out and working. I will spray some WD40 on it also. My tractor sits in a heated garage, and if Jim is right maybe I could even have some freezing going on. It works in my garage just fine, but when I am outside, that is when it seems like it stays locked in.

Murph