Loader Odd squeak from front (axle?) with a full bucket of gravel - kubota 3400 - problem?

[aarobyn]

I have a kubota L3400 (~5 years old, ~150 hours). It has whatever the standard kubota full-size front-end loader was at the time I bought it.

Last weekend I was going to move a big pile of pea gravel (2 dump-trucks full) from the driveway to where it was needed out back. I've moved plenty of dirt and rock (and wood) over the years and a fair amount in just the last month or so without ever having any issues.

However, last weekend I noticed an intermittent squeaking coming from what sounded like the front axle, right side, audible both over the engine noise and through the ear protection. After some experimentation I figured out 2 things.
1) it was happening ~ once per rotation of the front tire
2) It was happening only while the loader was full of the pea gravel

Not wanting to make any situation worse, but not able to dedicate some precious weekend time to being idle, I parked the tractor out back, didn't attempt any further troubleshooting, and went on to other chores. Since then it's either been raining or I've been out of town so I haven't gathered any more info on what's up.

So my questions for the forum are
1) Does anyone know straight-up what the problem is? Anyone experience something like this before?
2) Where should I start my troubleshooting this weekend once I have a chance to get at it?
3) Any chance that I have done major damage already? Any chance that if I go ahead and move the gravel (maybe just a 1/2 bucket at a time) that I'll do any permanent / major damage?

Thanks in advance,

- Aaron

 

[whis]

my have some gravel stuck in the wheel and only rubbing with full bucket

 

[aarobyn]

That would probably be the best possible answer! I'll check for that first. Thanks!

 

[zzvyb6]

Check your wheel lug torques. The spider may be 'itching' against the hub.

 

[Rustyiron]

If it's 4WD, check all (3) axle oil levels. 1 in the center differential, and the other 2 are the "bevel gears" at each axle end close to the wheel. You should find at each location a (upper) full level plug, and a lower "drain" plug. If it's 2wd, check the wheel bearings. (along with zzby6's above check):thumbsup:

 

[aarobyn]

Thanks all - I'll give those a check as well, although I'm not quite sure what the spider itching against the hub is (I'll have to look that up).

 

[s219]

Yes, definitely check lug nut torque! Do it on all 4 wheels just to be sure.

 

[texasjohn]

Remember you can use the FEL to lift front wheels off of ground...turn wheels, maybe can hear squeak or grinding noise/scraping precursor to squeak under load...stethoscope might help locate source. Good time to grease all zerks...don't forget the one where the front wheels pivot up and down...on my Kubota you have to remove a plug and insert grease until it begins to ooze out the hole, then reinsert the plug.

 

[Baby Grand]

Did you have any substantial weight on the 3pt hitch while you were moving the gravel?
If not, consider doing so in the future.
For now, I'd do a others have said:
Check fluid levels & grease all zerks.
Check lug nuts & loader mounting/attachment nut & bolts for torque.
Lift front wheels with FEL, disengage 4WD and see if rotating the wheels, manually, reproduces the squeak.
Careful when you have the front end lifted to never get between the tractor & the ground - use jack stands if you have tall enough.
I'd lay odds on either wheel or FEL loose bolts.

 

[jeff9366]

BABY GRAND is on it. If you do not carry a substantial counterbalance weight on your 3-Pt hitch when transporting heavy loads, like gravel, in your FEL bucket you put a big strain on the front axle and front axle bearings.

 

[geneP]

I have practically NO experience with front end loader operation, but I have a hard time seeing how you could carry enough counterbalance to remove an appreciable amount of weight from the loaded front axle. The front axle is the fulcrum with a loaded bucket and there would have to be enough counterbalance to move the fulcrum to the rear axle. I can see how it would add stability.

I will stand corrected if I'm off-base here.

 

[k0ua]

I have practically NO experience with front end loader operation, but I have a hard time seeing how you could carry enough counterbalance to remove an appreciable amount of weight from the loaded front axle. The front axle is the fulcrum with a loaded bucket and there would have to be enough counterbalance to move the fulcrum to the rear axle. I can see how it would add stability.

I will stand corrected if I'm off-base here.

You are incorrect. This debate has gone on for years, here on TBN, we finally had a member do actual weight measurement on a certified scale, and the consensus is that a counterbalance on the 3pt makes a substantial difference.

Think of it this way, on a small CUT like his L3400 , put 1500lbs on the 3pt, and you will notice a substantial lightning of the front end. Now put 1998 on the 3pt. which is all it will lift, you will likely need front end weights on the front to steer it at all. Yes the bucket sticking out there has significant leverage, and with a heavy load in the bucket, it will take a lot to counteract that, but it is all a matter of degree. Taking a few hundred pounds off of the front axle is beneficial.

 

[jeff9366]

I have practically NO experience with front end loader operation----

Kubota L5450 w/LA1150A loader ??

 

[geneP]

Kubota L5450 w/LA1150A loader ??

I bought this rig in December and haven't found a use for the bucket/forks yet. Experienced I am not.

 

[geneP]

You are incorrect. This debate has gone on for years, here on TBN, we finally had a member do actual weight measurement on a certified scale, and the consensus is that a counterbalance on the 3pt makes a substantial difference.

Think of it this way, on a small CUT like his L3400 , put 1500lbs on the 3pt, and you will notice a substantial lightning of the front end. Now put 1998 on the 3pt. which is all it will lift, you will likely need front end weights on the front to steer it at all. Yes the bucket sticking out there has significant leverage, and with a heavy load in the bucket, it will take a lot to counteract that, but it is all a matter of degree. Taking a few hundred pounds off of the front axle is beneficial.

I would like to see that thread with the results.

 

[k0ua]

I would like to see that thread with the results.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...oday-weight-day.html?highlight=ballast+weight

Ask, and ye shall recieve. In that thread, adding 870 lbs on the 3pt, took 610 lbs off of the front axle.

 

[Fallon]

Ask anybody who has put to big of a rotary cutter on the back (or even the right size cutter with no loader or ballast on the front). Your front tires still turn side to side, but you can't steer when the cutter is lifted.

There is a reason you can buy weights for the front & its the same reason you should have ballast on the back.

 

[aarobyn]

I had a box blade on the back. Heavy but not heavy like a bucket of rocks. I've moved full buckets of rock like this before without much trouble though (just keep the bucket as low as possible).

I checked for rocks/pebbles in the rims, and made sure everything was spinning freely when raised up off the ground. That all seemed good.

What I did find, was that the right tire had a dented section in the rim on both the inside and outside of the tire (but not in the same place) and that it had lost substantial tire pressure without appearing flat. I check pressure every 8-10 tractor hours, and it's not been like that before so this could be something recent. It could also have lost tire pressure after the squeaking incident since it had been sitting a week since I heard it.

As soon as the ground dries up from all this rain we've had I'll try it again, properly inflated, and see if that's what's up. If it's still a problem I'll move on to checking the oil levels.

Note - when spinning the wheels I could hear the gears and such moving in the axle- I assume that's good, but let me know if it's not.

Thanks!

 

[k0ua]

Did you check all of the lug nut torques yet?

 

[geneP]

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...oday-weight-day.html?highlight=ballast+weight

Ask, and ye shall recieve. In that thread, adding 870 lbs on the 3pt, took 610 lbs off of the front axle.

I can't argue with that. Thanks