4300 rear end

butzkeg · Jan 28, 2012

I am looking for some feedback on a potential issue. A few months back, I had a bearing fail on the left rear of my 4300, the bearing broke apart and was pushed thru the casing. A chunk of money and time later I got it back together and running. While I had the left rear off, I did everything I could to see if the right side was still solid. There was no play at all.

I was out using it for the first time today; a little paranoid of course. Well everything seemed fine, except I hear an occasional ticking in the right rear if it's slipping and the left isnt moving. Just driving normal or with the diff locked, no noise. I don't remember if it did this before, since I never thought anything of it. It increases with speed, FYI. Anyway, now I am thinking about it!

Can anyone verify if their similar model does the same? Lots of slipping here with snow and ice. I will tear the right side apart, happily rather than break it. I am, based on the symptoms thinking it's the differential making a "normal"'sound.

Thanks for your help!

Large Bear 13 · Jan 28, 2012

is this a Steiner/Jacobson 4300??? if it is then remove the parking brake off the rear transaxle. drive it and see if it goes away... talking from experience that can cause the transaxle to become noisy.

butzkeg · Jan 28, 2012

No, it's a Deere. Sorry...

rekees4300 · Jan 28, 2012

My 4300 has never made a ticking noise.

butzkeg · Jan 29, 2012

Maybe more of a click than a tick...seems to do it once per revolution of the tire.

Tx Jim · Jan 29, 2012

Are rear wheel bolts tight?

Noise possibly could be the spider gears or shaft(parts key #8) in differential. Has tractor ever been run real low on trans/hyd oil??

butzkeg · Jan 29, 2012

The rear bolts are tight. It's been run pretty low on fluid before when we had an unnoticed leak. It was Even pulled home about a half mile with no fluid after the left side rear blew out. It sounds like it comes from the right center or right side (somewhere between the diff and big bull gear)

Tx Jim · Jan 29, 2012

IMHO pulling it 1/2 mile without hyd oil in it was looking for disaster. I would have hauled it instead of pulling it even I had to hire a roll-back truck. I'll bet you click is in the differential spider gears.

beenthere · Jan 29, 2012

Additional FYI. My JD 4300 doesn't have a clicking sound and have been out on ice several times clearing snow where one of rear tires loses traction.

beenthere · Jan 29, 2012

Large Bear 13 said:
is this a Steiner/Jacobson 4300??? if it is then remove the parking brake off the rear transaxle. drive it and see if it goes away... talking from experience that can cause the transaxle to become noisy.

Thought this might be reference to a particular rear end in the Deere 4300. Assume not, and that it DNA to the OP. Just wondering.

butzkeg · Jan 29, 2012

I may just be pulling this thing apart again, ugh. I am going to lift the rear end and try to pinpoint if it's in the center or right case.

butzkeg · Apr 16, 2012

Well, it's taken a while with my schedule, but one tooth was broken off a spyder gear, part #YZ80998. Should be ordering it this week.

beenthere · Apr 16, 2012

We'd be interested to learn more about what happened during the time the end of Jan. that you were thinking of pulling it apart again, and how you found the broken tooth.
The detective work sounds like it was a success.

butzkeg · Apr 20, 2012

Well, I put the tractor rear end up on some jack stands for about 3 months while I was too busy for it. I took the RH rear drive off, ordered new bearings for it just because I had it off (if you buy them not thru Deere it's about $50 for all 3). I noticed a metal piece sitting in the bottom of the center section after the fluid was all drained. The piece "looked" like it would go to a spyder gear based on the size/shape.

The RH rear drive is sitting in the garage ready to be taken apart and reassembled. Fast forward to April...

I had my oldest son a couple weeks ago remove the top portion of the rear end so we could get closer for inspection of gears. After turning the drive shafts, sure enough, we found the broken spyder gear. It's the one that is on the RH side.

Parts are ordered, should be here today. If I have the time to get to it this weekend, that would be awesome, plus I'd be amazed! I would guesstimate I need 4-8 hours to finish it all up, since I still need to disassemble the locking diff, brakes, spyder gear assembly and the RH drive...then reassemble.

I really need my tractor back too! I have to clear some land for a barn asap.

butzkeg · Apr 25, 2012

Ok, RH axle reassembled, new bearings and seal. Center section just about disassembled to get to the spyder gear. Maybe this weekend!

butzkeg · May 7, 2012

It's alive! My neighbor came over Saturday night and worked with my son to get it done; about 16 man-hours later it's all set. Now to rack some hours up...