strange noise coming from front diff shaft.

scesnick · Nov 2, 2006

Hey guys,

I know I have bugged you guys to death about a seammingly easy fix. But, I still have a problem I can not figure out.

I replaced the balls in my front diff shaft. both front and back. When I went to box blade my road i had a pretty good grinding noise coming from the front end. When i engaged the 4wd the noise would stop but when a load was put on the tractor from dragging the box blade the front wheels were sort of "skipping" or sort of a jerk like. I thought it might have been an enternal problem in the front end.
I went home took the drive shaft completely off and then drove around the yard and the noise was gone.

So obviously the noise and the "Skipping" front wheels is caused by the drive shaft. It looks like everything is in place But I remember reading here that the spring that holds the shaft under tension is supposedly a bear to put in. Mine was very simple. I removed the Cotter pin, slid the spring back, put the shaft on and slid the springs forward and installed the cotter pin.

I only have one large spring in a small 2 coil spring. Am I missing a spring or something???

Sorry so long but the snow will be here real soon and I have a 2.5 mile driveway to snowblow and really need the 4wd to work... Any help at all would be great...

runningbird · Nov 2, 2006

have you checked the lube in the front diff?

scesnick · Nov 2, 2006

yes, It looks good. But if it was the lube wouldn't it make the noise even when the drive shaft is off? I do have a pretty good leak in the knuckle and need to replace the seal there also.

kenmac · Nov 2, 2006

hope you haven't broken a cog off a gear somewhere.

I screwed the link up . Go to hoey tractor & click on parts .It will show you internal parts & external parts

scesnick · Nov 2, 2006

I looked at that but it seems to have quite a few more parts than mine. My shaft consists of one splined rod with a coupling on each end. One fixed and one that comes off.with the ball bearing in them and 2 springs and that is it. The outside housing is only 2 pieces.

If I had a cog broken wouldn't it make noise when I have the drive shaft unhooked also?? ( not being a smart *****, I really don't know) I'm thinking that I might be missing a spring or my spring does not have enough tension on it and the coupling is coming to the end of the shaft under tension and sort of spinning on the end of the shaft. I guess this could be an easy fix with a few washers behind the spring. If, in fact that is the problem.

Sure would like to see the schematic of the actual shaft I have. i doesn't wuite look like the one hoy has on their site.

On the picyou sent, what is the second shaft ( numbers 24 to 35? ) is that the inside of the rear diff?

scesnick · Nov 2, 2006

I just thought of something while looking at the schematic. What if I would put the drive shaft in backwards? the one coupling that is welded to the shaft looks like it sould go on the back. I put it on the front. Would that make any difference?

mark777 · Nov 3, 2006

scesnick,

The spring, washer and pin assembly, on the drive shaft, should be on the FWD side. There should be enough tension to make it difficult to hold the shaft, preload the spring and slip in the pin...I simply compact the assembly with the pin in place and clamp it with "Vice Grip" needle nose pliers, install and then release the clamp.

The binding, noise and skipping tires makes me wonder if the 4WD is winding up from incorrect tire sizes. Could be something as simple as the front wheel-tire rotation (size/circumference) is not matched to the rears....

Mark

scesnick · Nov 3, 2006

Mark,

Thanks for the info, I figured ( after tearing it down for the second time ) that the spring and pin should be on the front. My tires are still the stock tires. belive it or not. I only have 400 hours on it.
I have had it for over a year now and the 4wd worked fine before the ball bearings fell out.
I think I must be missing a part. All I have is a shaft and 2 springs one big one and one super short one and a cotter pin. That is it. I would guess if i put a few small washers behind it that would increase the tension.
I found that just removing the cotter pin and installing the coupling and then pushing the spring forward and re installing the pin worked very well. Almost too well, that is why I'm thinking I'm missing something.

normde2001 · Nov 3, 2006

I'm betting the jerking and skipping is caused by 1 or more broken teeth in a gear somewhere in the front end, aggravated by the additional pressure of the driveshaft turning. I would jack up the front end and turn the wheels to troubleshoot. If your pumpkin has an inspection plate, take a look at the ring and pinion.

Saltfork · Nov 3, 2006

Scesnick,
I'm no expert by any means but when I got my 276D I had no front drive shaft at all and when I aquired all the parts to fix it I found out why it wasn't on the tractor. The imput shaft from the differential was worn but looked fine to my unexperienced eye. My shaft was rounded over and shortened by about 1/8 inch the new shaft was flat on the end. The ends of both the axel shaft and the transmision shaft should look the same. I'm thinking that the balls were jumping from groove to groove till the drive shaft came off and wasn't replaced. This could maybe explain your noise, jumpy operation of the wheels, and lack of spring tension.

Good luck - Dan