L front axle leak

[MHarryE]

Hen I finished plowing snow today I oil dripping from the bottom of the LH front axle. Oil collected at the bottom cap but noticed most of the oil was on the inside of the rim. That can only come from a leaking axle seal. Tractor is a L5740hstc-3 with 630 hours. Replacement looks pretty straight forward except removing the inner bearing in order to slide off the gear for access to the outer bearing and seal calls for a special puller due to the limited clearance between the gear and the bearing. I have multiple 2 and 3 jaw pullers plus multiple crow foot bars that might do the job. Has anyone replaced an L series front axle seal? Is it as easy as it looks or am I going to do a lot of swearing. Heated garage so that part of the battle is okay. I tried going a search but any way I tried searching ended up with a minimum of 4,000 posts, most over 10,000 posts.

 

[Greenfield Dave]

I did my L4400 this spring. Not too bad. Replace the O ring around the case too while you are in there.

Here's the thread.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...g/318552-l4400-front-axle-leaking-grrrrr.html

 

[MHarryE]

I did my L4400 this spring. Not too bad. Replace the O ring around the case too while you are in there. Here's the thread. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/kubota-owning-operating/318552-l4400-front-axle-leaking-grrrrr.html

Thanks! Just what I was looking for. Interesting to find that my response was immediately after the picture of your bearing failure telling how I had changed to 75W-90 synthetic in my axle. I have given my tractor quite a workout for the small tractor it is. Lots of load and carry and before I got my M135GX, rounded up big round bales on this end of our farm, a lot more load and carry. I still think it should have handled it but likely my bearing was one of those outliers with a material flaw that sent it on its way. Thank goodness for a heated garage to work in.

 

[Greenfield Dave]

Amen to the heated garage! The only issue I ran into changing it is the oil seal is pressed onto the axle, so it's a rubber/metal seal. You'll see once you get it apart. The new seal is a 2 piece seal. I had to use a cape chisel to get the old one off, using care not to scratch the axle. To reinstall it, I oiled the rubber part and used a short piece of 1 1/2 PVC to tap it evenly back onto the axle. Pretty straight forward..

 

[MHarryE]

 

[Oldpath05]

700+ hrs. and I notice that my L3400 DT (front gear cases) is also leaking, just started this past week. I can see it seeping on inside of both front wheels, right where the front wheels turn back and forth, seals must be going bad. I was hoping that someone on here has fixed the leaking and showed some pics. Probably need special tools to fix it, I just have the basic wrenches, guess it's my turn to pay the dealer $500.00 to fix it.
A couple years ago I tried to get a front steering rod off because it got bent, tried a gear puller and that wouldn't budge it, so I welded a piece of flat bar on it while it was still on the tractor

 

[CalG]

One of the spindles leaks on the Hurlimann.

I just top off the axle from time to time. I've probably put in a couple of liters over 3 years.

Cheap compared to doing the reseal.

 

[Oldpath05]

That's what I'll probably do this year, add some gear oil to front end when needed, I just hate things leaking. In the mean time I'll check around for a shop manual with better pictures then the one I have now. I can fix basic repairs if I have some good pics. to go by, my manual has a couple fuzzy pics. and a few diagrams that's useless far as I'm concerned.

I'm surprised there aren't more threads on this front end leaking problem, as near as I can tell, most CUT front ends have the same basic design, a poor design I think, but probably no other way of making a 4x4 tractor front end so it can steer with sharp turns, an ATV like front end can make sharp turns, but a tractor wouldn't work with cv joints, I'd be ripping axe boots all the time. Now I think I'll look up a (Hurlimann) and see what kind of tractor that is and who sells it.

 

[SPYDERLK]

You can use cornhead grease in the front diff and wheel spindles. Its EP, semifluid - wont drip out.

 

[Oldpath05]

Cornhead grease, what the heck is that, by product from moonshine.