The pivot point on the front axle on my Kubota B2400 broke and messed up the axle tube and the pinion gears. The dealer says that they do not see it happen very often, but they have seen it. To help cushion the blow, anybodt have any idea how much a new axle tube, pinion gears, and bearings are going to run me? He says that the differential is fine.
I broke it. Help!
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d1king
Member
My b2400 (used but new to me) had a leak at the bispeed steering shaft into front axle (??) Dealer tore down and in process of replacing seal found thaqt at some time in past axle had been broken and welded. I did not think this would hold up but gets light usage. Dealer indicated app 4-4.5 hours, app $400.00 for axle. Looked like bearing etc were ok, so add on for fluid, seal etc. What were you doing when this happened?? Don't want to do it to mine.
I have been doing some pretty serious yard work with it. Tearing up roots with the boxblade and front end loader, hauling lots of dirt in the FEL, and just overall working it pretty hard. The guy at the dealership told me (and it makes perfect sense) that all of the load on the fron end it on that pivot point. All of the FEL weight, and the stuff that is on it is directly on the pivot point. Lots of loader work means lots of stress on it. I have a heavy boxblade on the back that helps take some of the weight.
JoelD
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I would not expect something like that to break.
Should be able to easily handle any load the loader can put on it?
I've had a couple of machines with loaders and on my little B6000E I loaded that thing and then some, dragging and pushing heavy loads and I could not think of my front end giving way.
Doesn't make sense to me?
Sounds more like a casting issue or something of the sort.
Joel
Should be able to easily handle any load the loader can put on it?
I've had a couple of machines with loaders and on my little B6000E I loaded that thing and then some, dragging and pushing heavy loads and I could not think of my front end giving way.
Doesn't make sense to me?
Sounds more like a casting issue or something of the sort.
Joel
WilliamBos
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Please keep us posted on this. Could you grab some pics of the damage??
wushaw
Elite Member
I could see it if were never greased, it is one of the spots where you don't easily see the grease fitting.
MikeD74T
Veteran Member
Actually the box blade adds weight to the front pivot when doing heavy lifts with the FEL. Makes it easier to overload the front pivot without realizing you're doing it. When the rear wheel lift off the ground you tend to think you might be trying to lift too much. Extra weight on the back makes it seem OK. It's why all serious loaders are rigid mounted axles & articulated steering. MikeD74T
thinking about it, you are exactly right. I have a pretty heavy box blade that would add to the problem. I was pulling up some roots with the FEL, and I bet that it just put too much stress on it. Thanks for the input. Tomorrow I should find out the $$$.
I will try to take some pics of the parts and share.
mfreund
Veteran Member
It seems like a fair price to me.
WilliamBos
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Are you mechanically inclined? What about doing it yourself??
I see that you are in eastern Iowa. I live in Cedar Rapids and took it to Rexco out on Blairs Ferry. They seem to be fair. Pick it up next Wednesday.
d1king
Member
On the quote to fix mine did not include any bearings, pinion, etc, just r and r and replace tube, your estimate sounds ok to me, just not something you like to hear. ( Sort of like when the tax guy called me yesterday.) Sounds like you had that much fun and work with it, not counting the fact that you still have the tractor. Good luck.
The good news is that it will be done tomorrow. The bad news is the price of repairs. The good news is that my tax guy gave me good news for a change. The best news is that I am leaving Thursday night to go spoonbill snagging at Lake of the Ozarks over the weekend. The bad news is the work is not getting done. Bad news =2, Good/best news=3. Looks like I am ahead of the curve right now!
DWCox
Silver Member
Having sufficient counterweight in the rear is incredibly important to the health of the pinion gears in the front wheels of a 4WD tractor. Otherwise the front axle becomes the fulcrum point for all the weight. That is alot of stress on the front axle assembly--in fact, too much.
I once used too little weight in the rear (a small plow) while carrying heavy loads in the loader of a 4WD tractor and it quickly tore the pinion gears and one ring gear up in the front. When I bought my parts at the dealer, I chatted with the head JD tech. about the situation. He said it is a common error he sees (and repairs) and strongly advises people to add alot more weight to the rear. As counter-intuitive as it may initially seem, it makes perfect sense. The more weight in the rear, the more you are shifting the fulcrum and stress back to the rear axle, which is better able to handle the weight (think of a see-saw, with the heavier person on one side). The front end of the tractor will become physically lighter (it could be measured), and to that degree you are preserving the front end axle assembly. Your manual should tell you the limits on the rear, but if your 3-point hitch can lift it, you are likely still within its limitations.
I once used too little weight in the rear (a small plow) while carrying heavy loads in the loader of a 4WD tractor and it quickly tore the pinion gears and one ring gear up in the front. When I bought my parts at the dealer, I chatted with the head JD tech. about the situation. He said it is a common error he sees (and repairs) and strongly advises people to add alot more weight to the rear. As counter-intuitive as it may initially seem, it makes perfect sense. The more weight in the rear, the more you are shifting the fulcrum and stress back to the rear axle, which is better able to handle the weight (think of a see-saw, with the heavier person on one side). The front end of the tractor will become physically lighter (it could be measured), and to that degree you are preserving the front end axle assembly. Your manual should tell you the limits on the rear, but if your 3-point hitch can lift it, you are likely still within its limitations.
JoelD
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I come back to my initial thought, I just can't see the loader having enough strength to break the front end.
I'm thinking it was a casting problem.
Joel
I'm thinking it was a casting problem.
Joel
Now they tell me that they do not have a part and they are trying to find it. The guy says "I hope that we do not have to wait for it to get here from China". Wrong thing to say to a guy waiting for his stuff to be fixed. Not getting it fixed in a timely manner would add insult to injury!
I think that it is the front axle tube that he cannot get.
I think that it is the front axle tube that he cannot get.
I agree that more weight behind the rear axle puts less stress on the front end for loader work. That fulcrum effect. If you have power steering you will not notice the lighter steering effort as you do with standard steering. Try to use as much weight behind the tractor as your FEL bucket will hold. Why yours broke could just have been it was a weak axle or you hit something with a front tire.
Eagleview
Veteran Member
Do you have any pictures ? I'd like to see where the axle stops are situated . When an axle oscilates enough to touch the stops , it put's enormous strain on the axle as the leverage advantage is around 5-1 . Imagine using a crowbar to move a heavy object , using a block of wood as the fulcrum 2' back , you will not move the object . Move the block to within a few inches as you will overcome the object . Just asking as ive seen the stops mounted/cast too close to the pivot point .
Farmerford
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36Tango:
Those of us with B2400's will appreciate any more particulars you can give. Like Iron Horse suspects, the axle stops are very close to the center pivot and there is limited oscillation before the axle is stopped. On ground wilth even small humps one or the other front wheel is often in the air or nearly so.
I am most interested in whether the part that broke first is one of the two brackets (front and rear) that bolt to the frame and serve as the bearings for the axle to pivot on, or whether it is the 1 1/2" or so diameter tube running front to rear through the center of the axle tube that fits in the brackets.
It sounds like a bracket broke first and then the axle tube pivot was damaged. Weight alone seems unlikely to break a bracket since the force on the bracket is upward into the base. But if the axle oscillates enough to strike the stop then the force on the bracket is downward against the farily thin outer shell of the bracket, and, as Iron Horse said, it is a large multiple of the actual weight because of the leverage.
I grew up on a South Georgia farm in the 1950's with tractors including the John Deere A, Farmall M, and Massey Harris 44. You could break them if you tried hard, but when doing the normal work they were designed for you never thought about babying them. My first Kubota was an L2900 which didn't seem too fragile (though clearly less sturdy than the old machines), but the B2400 was a shock. It looked solid, but several years of use have shown that it is not up to rigorous work.
We don't want to gain from your misfortune, but if we could learn the particulars of the failure we might be able to avoid the same problem in the future.
Thanks.
Farmerford
Those of us with B2400's will appreciate any more particulars you can give. Like Iron Horse suspects, the axle stops are very close to the center pivot and there is limited oscillation before the axle is stopped. On ground wilth even small humps one or the other front wheel is often in the air or nearly so.
I am most interested in whether the part that broke first is one of the two brackets (front and rear) that bolt to the frame and serve as the bearings for the axle to pivot on, or whether it is the 1 1/2" or so diameter tube running front to rear through the center of the axle tube that fits in the brackets.
It sounds like a bracket broke first and then the axle tube pivot was damaged. Weight alone seems unlikely to break a bracket since the force on the bracket is upward into the base. But if the axle oscillates enough to strike the stop then the force on the bracket is downward against the farily thin outer shell of the bracket, and, as Iron Horse said, it is a large multiple of the actual weight because of the leverage.
I grew up on a South Georgia farm in the 1950's with tractors including the John Deere A, Farmall M, and Massey Harris 44. You could break them if you tried hard, but when doing the normal work they were designed for you never thought about babying them. My first Kubota was an L2900 which didn't seem too fragile (though clearly less sturdy than the old machines), but the B2400 was a shock. It looked solid, but several years of use have shown that it is not up to rigorous work.
We don't want to gain from your misfortune, but if we could learn the particulars of the failure we might be able to avoid the same problem in the future.
Thanks.
Farmerford
