4 wheel drive wont

[Ronbo]

Posted in parts and repairs, but got no response.
I have a Nortrac (Jimna) 254. It is a good tractor with no real problems, until now. If I put the front end in the pond and place it in 4 wheel drive, the rear wheels spin and the front don't. If I raise the front wheels and try to rotate them, I can't. If I take it out of 4 wheel drive, Ican then rotate them.

Any ideas? How do I tell if the front driveshaft is rotating inside the hose and metal tube? What is the most likely cause? I have an extended warrenty, but if it is something minor I can save the deductable.

Ron

 

[billbill1]

Ron, did the 4wd work before or have you never tried it before? I wonder if maybe the shifter isn't engaging all of the way. Can you feel it going in? Maybe the pin on the 4wd shaft is sheared.

Bill

 

[bluechip]

The 4wd engage lever connects the drive shaft to the gear in the transfer case. The front differential is open so if you have the front end up in the air with the loader, you should be able to rotate one wheel one direction and the other should go in the opposite direction. This would indicate that the driveshaft is engaged and that the ring and pinion are not moving, just the spider gears.

If you cannot move either wheel when 4wd is engaged, you may have a differential problem.

with 4wd disengaged you should be able to hold or block one tire and turn the other, indicating that the ring and pinion are turning the shaft which is not engaged to the gears in the trasnfercase and so can turn freely.

 

[greg_g]

Short of a mechanical problem, these Jinmas are a little quirky. Some folks insist they have to be at a full stop to engage 4wd. My two on the other hand wouldn't permit the 4wd lever to engage, unless the FRONT wheels were rolling. Have you tried both ways?

//greg//

 

[Ronbo]

The 4 wheel drive was working. I had to be moving to get it to go in. Now the lever moves, but I am unable to spin the front tires. If I raise the front and rotate one tire, the other will spin in the oposite direction. If I only raise one front wheel and try to spin it, I am unable to turn it. This would indicate that it was engaged, but if I spin the rear wheels, the front will not spin.

Ron

 

[bluechip]

If you cannot turn one wheel with the other on the ground, I think the drive shaft is OK. Are you sure neither wheel is being driven. This is an open differential which means the front tire and the rear tire with the least traction will turn. If you jack one back wheel of the ground (diff lock not engaged) and raise the front axle with the FEL, select a low gear and the rear wheel and one or both of the front wheels will turn.

Also disengage 4wd and make sure that both front wheels turn freely in both directions when only one is lifted.

 

[Ronbo]

It is engaging enough to not allow the front wheels to rotate when engaged, but it is not driving the front wheels. I can spin the rear wheels and not spin the front wheels. In the past both have spun. I am wondering where the most likely cause will be. I guess most people don't have this problem.

I will investigate it a little more and then call for warrenty repair.

Ron

 

[SPIKER]

some have experianced a front end drive shaft shear/failure. the shaft usually shears in-half but not sure if this i syou're roblem. if one wheel is on ground the other will not turn freely. the rotational forces would have to go back through trans and that is a lOT of turning force required. the hose clamps can be removed and the rubber hose slide backwards then to see if the front drive shaft is setting OK and if it turns or wiggles by hand. not sure WHO had this problem but there were a few that had it by driving on hard surface in 4whe drive. similar problmes have happened using dif loc in 4 wheel drive on hard surface where the locking dogs were stuck and the rears would not un-lock.

markm

 

[bluechip]

We had an agracat in our shop last spring with sheared front drive axle, but I don't think that would stop the wheel from turning when the frond drive is engaged and one or the other front wheel off the ground.

 

[Perry]

Ronbo..Sorry I missed your earlier post. Please contact Kirk at our user support 952.808.6697 for assistance. Thanks
Perry /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Ronbo]

Thanks, I will call on monday

Ron

 

[Ronbo]

Here is what I have. I raised one rear wheel. engaged the 4 wheel drive. Uncovered the front driveshaft. Rotated the rear wheel. The front drive shaft does rotate, at both ends. Heard a grumbling sound in the frond diff. It would occasionally grab and rotate the front tire slightly. The fron tires were wet and on smooth concrete. I cannot tell from my book if there is a preload adjustment on. Probably lost some teeth from my ring and pinion. At least I have an extended warrenty. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif


Ron

 

[bluechip]

Most likely it is the spider gears, not the ring and pinion. It is a good idea to take it very easy when handling a loaded loader bucket. If you have to start with the front wheels turned, let the clutch out real easy. There is a lot of strain put on the spider gears whenever the front wheels are turning at a different speed (as going around a turn).

 

[Ronbo]

Talked to Nortrac today. they told me to check the balls in the drive shaft. Everything was good there. While I had the drive shaft out, I decided to drop the front axle and remove the cover. ALL the gears looked fine. While looking and checking I discovered that while rotating the right front wheel, the gears turned properly. "There was also a grinding in the reduction for the left front wheel. While holding the right front and rotating the left, the gears did not rotate. Guess I will call Nortrac again tomorrow.

Had my wife take pictures, and will post when it is all fixed.

Ron

 

[Ronbo]

Found the problem. The hub shaft splines are gone. The gear splines are also damaged. I will try to attach a couplepictures.

Ron

 

[Ronbo]

Another one closer

 

[Dargo]

Yup, looks like that could cause a problem. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif Since I read that you have an extended warranty, I was wondering if you had any idea why it happened? If it is covered, you may want to make sure that they don't just fix the symptom and not the cause. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif My luck would be that they would replace the obvious broken part and I would just get out of warranty and have it break again because some adjustment or spacing was off, causing it to break.

 

[ToolManRick]

Wow /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif that is chewed up. Hmm.. looks as though the shaft spline never got heat treated. Usually such a shaft will show some discoloration from induction hardening. Hope you get'er running soon. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[Ronbo]

Nortrac may work with me on the parts. I have a warrenty, but do not like other people working on my stuff. It will depand on the cost. I disassembled the entire end and found no other problems. There are no shims for adjustment. It is just assemble and there it is.

Ron

 

[Ronbo]

I did not even think about it not being heat treated. I will look at it when I get home. The teeth inside the gear are rounded, but are still there. The teeth on the shaft are gone.

Will keep you all informed.

Ron