Anyone have difficulty engaging/disengaging 4wd in a BX series? If so, possible solution....

[dieselbob69]

Hi folks! Just throwing this out there to see if anyone else had same problem as me. Seems like ever since I bought the BX1870 back in November 2016, whenever I wanted to engage or disengage the 4wd lever I had to fiddle fart around moving direction pedal forward/reverse to get it to engage. Funny thing is that since I replaced the 2 universals and spline shaft back in July, it seems to engage much easier/smoother now and not as much rocking foot direction pedal to get it to engage.... it's not cheap, it was a total close to $200 in parts for the 2 universals and spline shaft...

 

[Cycledude]

Have you been driving on paved roads

 

[Roadworthy]

I'm glad you got it fixed closer to your satisfaction but why did you have to replace two universals and a spline shaft? Was this a warranty thing? A recall perhaps?

 

[oosik]

When my M6040 was new - 4WD and Low Range were "stiff". As I got hours on the tractor - things loosened up and got much easier.

 

[s219]

All tractors are like this, but there are some tricks you can use to make it easier (like turning the steering wheel). Often, getting out of 4WD is the more difficult task. Seems like maybe there was an additional problem on your BX if you had to replace those components. What was the reason you did that repair?

 

[Fixastuff]

If you have a loader, lifting up the front wheels makes disengaging much easier on most tractors.

 

[JWR]

All tractors are like this, but there are some tricks you can use to make it easier (like turning the steering wheel). Often, getting out of 4WD is the more difficult task. Seems like maybe there was an additional problem on your BX if you had to replace those components. What was the reason you did that repair?

Agree. Our BX2200 has always been this way and really several other very different machines (3 other Kubotas, one large Massey Ferguson, etc.) have too. On all of them I have found that fwd/rev movement of the tractor will soon arrive at a point where engaging or disengaging the 4WD is easier. I don't think anything is "wrong" unless there is extreme and repeated difficulty in getting it to shift. The only one I ever had that wasn't a minor nuisance to engage/disengage 4WD was my JD 4800 which does the shift via solenoid rather than mechanically. That would be well advised for all of them but costs a little more in manufacturing.

 

[bdhsfz6]

All seven of the 4WD Kubota tractors I've owned have done this. The problem gets worse after running on hard surfaces. Early on, I learned the trick mentioned above of using the FEL to lift the front wheels off the ground. I also disengage the 4WD while running on pavement.

 

[5030]

Only thing running in FWA on pavement does is wear tires and put undue strain on driveline components. Hardly ever use mine, no need but both are FWA anyway. At resale time a FWA tractors always brings more money.

 

[CobyRupert]

It’s when that strain is in the driveline that it’s often hard to disengage.
As others have said, lifting front wheels with FEL, or turning, rocking back and forth can “un-strain” driveline.

My tried and true method is to give the throttle (or hydro pedal if not a gear tractor) a quick tap and then let off when slowly moving while working the 4wd lever. There’s a moment when you’re neither accelerating or decelerating (you can feel it your gut) that the driveline has no strain and 4wd will slide easily in and out.