B26 repair of broken u-joint on front drive shaft at HST output

[Smokeydog]

Reread and very impressed with your clever fix.
Hope our B26 doesn’t develop the same problem.

Now that you solved the problem particularly with the driveshaft spline modifications, what’s your advice for the size of the access hole?

 

[SamWalton]

Have to keep this repair in mine. Nicely detailed and innovative work. Labor savings about paid for the plasma cutter. Which side did you cut from?

Our B26 stays in 4wd almost all the time. Sees no paved surfaces. 464 hours.
Same for the B20 it replaced at 3600hrs.

Properly done sealed bearings have a long life. Somethings like the steering connecting rod ball joints lack grease fittings and little assembly lubricant wear too quickly. Grease needle helped that.

I cut from the bottom with protection from the hot material. I have no problem with the sealed bearings and future repairs.

 

[SamWalton]

Reread and very impressed with your clever fix.
Hope our B26 doesn’t develop the same problem.

Now that you solved the problem particularly with the driveshaft spline modifications, what’s your advice for the size of the access hole?

The structure between the bell housing and the HST provides for much over kill in strength. This is due the the massive integral frame to support the loader and the four point backhoe. The hole could be a problem with a tractor that doesn't have an integral frame, but a plate can be bolted to the opening to add support if necessary.

 

[Smokeydog]

Impressed with your clever ingenuity to fix the problem.

I would not want a dealership to split my tractor needlessly. Had many problems from dealer splitting my B20 that took a lot of money and time to try to fix.

Agree the B26s are tough built workhorses. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Username Taken]

If I understand you correctly, you used a sealed U-Joint, right? Good choice.

To anybody: Have any of you found a way to gease these unreachable U-Joints that engineers so thoughtfully put out of reach of any grease gun? Some are on the front 4WD shaft U-Joint and some are on the mid-PTO joint and some are on the main drive shaft. Maybe drill a hole through the floor? No snark intended

I just don't understand the reasoning of using a greasable U-Joint in a place where it can't be greased. They say a greasable U-Joint will out-last a sealed U-Joint IF it's greased properly.

What if it can't be greased at all??

I went through this once, 4 years ago and I'm still P.O.ed about it.

 

[rScotty]

If I understand you correctly, you used a sealed U-Joint, right? Good choice.

To anybody: Have any of you found a way to gease these unreachable U-Joints that engineers so thoughtfully put out of reach of any grease gun? Some are on the front 4WD shaft U-Joint and some are on the mid-PTO joint and some are on the main drive shaft. Maybe drill a hole through the floor? No snark intended

I just don't understand the reasoning of using a greasable U-Joint in a place where it can't be greased. They say a greasable U-Joint will out-last a sealed U-Joint IF it's greased properly.

What if it can't be greased at all??

I went through this once, 4 years ago and I'm still P.O.ed about it.

Frankly I'd rather have a greaseable & accessible U-Joint as well. But it isn't just tractors; the whole design world is moving toward lifetime components instead of owner-serviceable components.

And at least sealed components are getting better as seals and greases get better.

For most of our tractor work, 2wd is adequate.
For a mid-PTO it's more of a problem. Hopefully they are easily replaceable.
I've not seen a U-joint on a tractor main (rear) drive shaft.

Since we rarely use 4wd assist, a sealed front drive shaft U-Joint will last a very long time. Maybe that is the simplest solution to the problem.
After all, that type of 4wd was never designed for full time use. It was designed as front wheel assist to get out of bad situations and does that just fine.

Our land is rugged, but most of the time we don't need or use 4wd.

 

[L353963]

Think they should use these in place of the Ujoints: Mercedes Driveshaft Flex Joint (ML350) - Febi 1644100015

Was what was between the shaft and the transmission on our 1983 240D stick.

There's hardly any movement needed.

As a prior owner of a foreign car repair facility that serviced Mercedes, I can tell you that countless flex joints and entire driveshafts were replaced by us throughout the years on Mercedes. Not only that, Febi is not the quality it used to be in the 80s and 90s. Many of these parts are now being made in China and if it works and fits when installed does not mean it will last.

 

[number two]

Anymore,when I think about all those OEM Spicer u-joints in pickups and rear wheel drive cars,that seem to last a very long time,without grease fittings,I'm in the sealed crowd now.

 

[dfkrug]

It has been a long time since I replaced the needle bearings on a conventional U-joint. That was the way we did it in the old days, and it is not easy. Throw-away now, but the replacements last a long time if well-made, and do not usually cost much. Same with FWD half-shafts on cars/ATVs.

 

[SamWalton]

If I understand you correctly, you used a sealed U-Joint, right? Good choice.

To anybody: Have any of you found a way to gease these unreachable U-Joints that engineers so thoughtfully put out of reach of any grease gun? Some are on the front 4WD shaft U-Joint and some are on the mid-PTO joint and some are on the main drive shaft. Maybe drill a hole through the floor? No snark intended

I just don't understand the reasoning of using a greasable U-Joint in a place where it can't be greased. They say a greasable U-Joint will out-last a sealed U-Joint IF it's greased properly.

What if it can't be greased at all??

I went through this once, 4 years ago and I'm still P.O.ed about it.

Even with the opening I cut to get to this U-Joint and drive shaft, it is still necessary to remove the HST reservoir to replace future U-Joints. This is a small price to pay for such exceptional performance of the four wheel drive system.