John Deere 2120 3 point hitch leaking seals under load

[georgegraves]

Hello,
I have a John Deere 2120 tractor, and when I attach weight to the 3-point hitch, I notice a steady leak from the bottom two arms. The leaking stops when I drop the implement to the ground. If I change the rear hitch seals, will that fix the leak, or should I check for something else? Can I do this repair without specialized tools?
I also want to change the hydraulic fluid. Should I wait until I finish the repair? Will there be a significant amount of leakage during the repair?

 

[Tx Jim]

Wellcome to this forum
I suggest to drain hyd oil, place L/D control under seat in "min or D", remove 3pt draft arms & slide L/D shaft out of trans, inspect shaft for wear & replace if wear can be detected. Place seals in warm water to soften then R&R seals. place hyd oil on shaft then reinstall shaft & draft arms. Utilizing shim washers remove any side to side motion of the shaft. Now would be an excellent time to check hyd oil suction screen & filter. Refill trans with hyd oil that meets specs of J20C