2025R Ujoint greasing

[RalphVa]

My 2025R has 200 hours on it. Figured it's about time to get the driveshaft Ujoints greased since my 4010 (like a 2019E if they made them) blew apart off the engine end one at 9 years and 660 hour. Got plenty of time for preventative maintenance. Plus, the PTO button needs replacement, as I often have to wiggle it to get it to stay on or to come back on. Have to remove the instrument panel cover to get at the back side of it, and one can then get at the front Ujoint off the engine.

JD says to grease these Ujoints at 50 hours, which is utterly ridiculous. That is like calling for greasing your car or pickup (if they had grease zerks on them) ones every 2,000 miles. Falls right in there with JD's recommendation to change out the coolant every other year: a 1980s auto/pickup thing (cars/pickups had sealed Ujoints LONG before this). At least they're putting sealed tie rod ends on their bigger tractors, according to my neighbor who has about a 40 hp one.

Anyway. I could not get any grease application equipment on the rear Ujoint, which is very visible and easy to get at, and I have quite an assortment of different greasing thingies. The front one is only visible through about a 1" wide window quite a bit below and slightly front of it. There is NO zerk on that side of that Ujoint.

According to the lady who called me telling me when they finished, they greased the Ujoints by removing the shaft. Makes sense. I grease the Ujoints on my PTO shafts often when I can bend the Ujoints 90 degrees and get at the grease zerks quite readily.

The total bill is near $470, about $125 for the pickup and delivery and around $100 for the PTO button and labor on it. In getting it back, I see that they greased every zerk.

Will seriously be considering trading for a Kubota B model in 200 more hours on this one.

Ralph

 

[dodge man]

I greased them on mine and it was not that bad. It just takes a little patience. The front one is tough but you can grab the flywheel and spin it to get the u joint to show. The other ones it’s just getting the gun on them.

 

[RalphVa]

Front Ujoint zerk is on the HST side of the Ujoint. Cannot see it through that window below. None of my grease gun equipment would allow me to get grease into the rear Ujoint. That's why they had to remove the shaft, e.g. to bend the Ujoints enough to get at the zerks.

Ralph

 

[dodge man]

Trust me, you do not have to pull the shaft to grease them. It took me less than an hour to do mine. I could not grease the front one through the window but could see it. I used it as a view port and went in past a couple of other Fuel or hydraulic lines beside the window. I spent more time figuring out how to do it than doing it. I think tractor time with Tim has a video on doing it on a 1025r, a very similar setup.

 

[RalphVa]

Got the bill = $476.73. $120 is for pickup and delivery. I don't have a trailer and really would not trust myself to use one.

Did not separate the PTO button replacement from the driveshaft (and entire tractor) greasing. They stated, re the Ujoint greasing, "Required the drive shaft to be unbolted to grease".

Hope they passed this onto JD in Georgia so that they can maybe get sealed, higher quality Ujoints that won't fail short of maybe 3,000 hours. Maybe put a protector over the rear one to keep stuff from getting to it to ruin it. The front one is well protected.

Had to remove the dash panel to replace the PTO switch, as expected. Would have to remove the dash panel to get at the front of the drive shaft to take it out, too.

Not an acceptable design, JD.

Ralph

 

[ruffdog]

Trust me, you do not have to pull the shaft to grease them. It took me less than an hour to do mine. I could not grease the front one through the window but could see it. I used it as a view port and went in past a couple of other Fuel or hydraulic lines beside the window. I spent more time figuring out how to do it than doing it. I think tractor time with Tim has a video on doing it on a 1025r, a very similar setup.

Tim's video showing him greasing the zerk with a long needle tip. Start the video about 6 min in....

 

[ruffdog]

A 4" greasing needle thingie:

https://www.amazon.com/Performance-Tool-W54216-Grease-Adapter/dp/B000N321UQ

 

[berky]

I took a grease gun fitting off and chucked it in my lathe. Took about 0.030" off the diameter at the tip. Now I can grease mine even with the deck still attached.

 

[oosik]

When/if the going gets REALLY tough I have a needle tip for my grease guns. The needle tip on the flex hose grease gun can be a real PITA. However, some times that is what is needed.

 

[RalphVa]

I have a needle. Could not get it to work. Cannot get to the front one without removing the instrument cover.

Ralph