L4330HSTC 4WD Axel Case Support Zerk not taking grease

[pgflrob]

The zerk fitting on my L4330HSTC 4WD Axel Case Support will not take grease on the RT side.

I took out the zerk and there was an amazing amount of pressure. So it is not the zerk but the bearing.

I have an old Case 4wd backhoe and the front kingpin (lower and upper) bearings are a bear to grease and I have to use the jacks and loosen up the three kingpin bolts to get them a good grease job.

It looked like an easy job to pull off the axel case support by backing off the 17MM bolts.

I put the front axel up on jack stands and took off the tire. I used my floor jack to gently take pressure off the hub.

It takes an amazing amount of torque to back on those bolts. I got them out about .25 inch and they are still tight as can be.

I lowered and raised the floor jack a bit in each direction to see if I could get some play in the support of the bolts and every thing is as tight as can be.

I decided to consult the service manual and there is not much help.

Has anyone taken off the axel case support? How do you do it without taking the whole axel out? Or a major disassembly of the hub?

 

[Bluegill2]

I've had the whole front axle out of our L3750DT. Left the tires on and jacked the tractor off the front end after the bolts were removed. I had to replace gears and bearings etc...

But I wouldn't do all that just to get grease into the supports. On my L3800 there is a bolt opposite the zerk on the front support that you remove, then add grease to zerk until comes out that hole. With that bolt in place, the support will not take grease. The support behind the front axle doesn't have this extra bolt, so it's difficult, but it does take some grease. Very important to grease these points! Yours might be a bit different from mine. So if you don't get enough info here, you may want to ask a service tech at your dealer.

 

[pgflrob]

I've had the whole front axle out of our L3750DT. Left the tires on and jacked the tractor off the front end after the bolts were removed. I had to replace gears and bearings etc...

But I wouldn't do all that just to get grease into the supports. On my L3800 there is a bolt opposite the zerk on the front support that you remove, then add grease to zerk until comes out that hole. With that bolt in place, the support will not take grease. The support behind the front axle doesn't have this extra bolt, so it's difficult, but it does take some grease. Very important to grease these points! Yours might be a bit different from mine. So if you don't get enough info here, you may want to ask a service tech at your dealer.

You are looking at the wrong part. This is the zerk on the "Axel Case Support" on the hub. It is where a king pin would be on an "older" equipment. It is the top pivot for the hub. It is not the pieces that attach the whole axel assembly to the tractor. Just the top bracket that holds the hub assembly to the axel assembly.

If you look at part 020 on parts drawings in the online parts manual for L4330 you will see it and the zerk. Drawings F14100 and F14200.

 

[pgflrob]

You are looking at the wrong part. This is the zerk on the "Axel Case Support" on the hub. It is where a king pin would be on an "older" equipment. It is the top pivot for the hub. It is not the pieces that attach the whole axel assembly to the tractor. Just the top bracket that holds the hub assembly to the axel assembly.

If you look at part 020 on parts drawings in the online parts manual for L4330 you will see it and the zerk. Drawings F14100 and F14200.

View attachment F14100.pdfView attachment F14200.pdf

 

[Bluegill2]

Oh, OK. None of my Kubots have a zerk there?

Maybe if you just raise the front end off the ground it'll take grease?

 

[pgflrob]

Yeah I lifted the wheels off the ground but if you look at the geometry that should make it even tighter. Tried it anyhow. With both wheels up I hit the zerk with another attempt to grease. And turned the steering far right and far left. The zerk still had the full pressure of the grease gun back on it. In fact I tried to grease it and ran it around the farm for a while and came back and the zerk still had enormous back pressure on it. That bearing or what ever it is is sealed big time.

There is no instruction in the service manual on how to take that off. How to pull out the axel shaft, yeah. But nothing on disassembling the hub. That is really surprising to me because it looks a bit complicated - seals, gears, roller bearings, slip bearings and all.

Seems like those two bolts should come out nice and easy and if you braced the hub a few pings with a hammer should loosen it up and off it comes. But that is clearly not the correct approach.

I'll go back down to the farm this week and gets some pix.

Strange. I suspect somebody has had to get into the hub and knows how all this comes together.

 

[Bluegill2]

Well, I have had all that apart on my old L3750 and it looks a lot like yours. I had no trouble getting those two bolts out, then the part in question just lifted off.

Have you taken the zerk out to make sure it's not plugged?

 

[sixdogs]

...
Have you taken the zerk out to make sure it's not plugged?

Maybe try a new zerk or/and put a little light oil in the hole. Try the easy way just in case. It's worked for me many times over the years.

 

[pgflrob]

Well, I have had all that apart on my old L3750 and it looks a lot like yours. I had no trouble getting those two bolts out, then the part in question just lifted off.

Have you taken the zerk out to make sure it's not plugged?

The zerk is fine. I tested it.

When you took off that part did you support the hub? How? Did you undo the four bolts holding this assemble to the axel and remove the hub/azel shaft first? It is a little hard to tell if this is a major or the only part that holds the hub to the axel.

 

[Bluegill2]

The zerk is fine. I tested it.

When you took off that part did you support the hub? How? Did you undo the four bolts holding this assemble to the axel and remove the hub/azel shaft first? It is a little hard to tell if this is a major or the only part that holds the hub to the axel.

You need to take the weight of the tractor off the front tires. This could be why those bolts are so tight. It is a main load bearing bushing. I just put a floor jack center of front axle and lifted it a bit. That part comes off without taking the whole thing apart.