Crackling noise at axle? Please help

Double J Creations · Apr 7, 2016

Hello all new here. I have a Mahindra 7060, bought it new and now have about 140 hours on it. It's making a cracking noise at the center of the right rear wheel/axle as I'm driving the tractor. I have checked for obvious things such as loose lug bolts, made visual checks for cracks or oil leaks around the axle and wheel. Jacked the tractor wheel off the ground, turned the wheel, the noise is not as pronounced but I still hear the noise. What could this be a bearing shelling out inside the axle housing or what? I use this tractor for shredding my fields and has a bucket that I occasionally move dirt around to fill holes and such, so not used really hard. Has someone here got an idea what the noise could be or had experience with this before?

DavesTractor · Apr 7, 2016

Generally that is loose lug nuts, or more often loose bolts where the center part of the rim bolts to the wheel hoop. I would double check that. Beyond that, I'd start looking for a bearing problem, but that would sure be a rare deal.

Double J Creations · Apr 7, 2016

Yes, I am with you. I have double checked all the lug and wheel hoop bolts thinking it was as simple as that, even looked for cracks on the wheel but found nothing loose and no cracks. I removed the wheel and the noise is still there, so it's got to be a bearing or something going bad. Does anyone have a break down on this just to see what or where the bearing is located or what else could be making the noise?

burzynsr · Apr 8, 2016

Is it still in warranty?

Double J Creations · Apr 8, 2016

Well, I found the problem. Yes it's still under warranty, but I did not want to take it in without knowing what and where the noise was coming from, last time I took a tractor in for repair I was rapped because of ignorance, I told myself then that that would not happen again. The noise that was still there when I removed the right side wheel turned out to be something else and was a normal noise and was not a cracking noise. I wanted to be sure the wheels were not the cause of the cracking noise, so I switched wheels from right to left and left to right, I know it was a lot of trouble, but it proved where the noise was coming from. It was in the right wheel, not the axle, as the noise moved with the right wheel to the left side. So I tightened all the wheel bolts again, problem was solved. Only bad part in this experiment was that the wheels had to be put back in their correct positions for proper traction. Thanks for the help from Dave's Tractor.

JerryK · Apr 8, 2016

Look at it this way, you got a bunch of free exercise that will probably help you live a little longer... Plus, the experience of trying to keep those big tires upright while you swap'd them from side to side... Life is good.. !!!

Double J Creations · Apr 8, 2016

Yes, I was laughing at myself when thinking the same thing. Wheels are back in their proper location and managed not to drop them, I feel stronger for some reason.

DavesTractor · Apr 8, 2016

Double J Creations said:
Well, I found the problem. Yes it's still under warranty, but I did not want to take it in without knowing what and where the noise was coming from, last time I took a tractor in for repair I was rapped because of ignorance, I told myself then that that would not happen again. The noise that was still there when I removed the right side wheel turned out to be something else and was a normal noise and was not a cracking noise. I wanted to be sure the wheels were not the cause of the cracking noise, so I switched wheels from right to left and left to right, I know it was a lot of trouble, but it proved where the noise was coming from. It was in the right wheel, not the axle, as the noise moved with the right wheel to the left side. So I tightened all the wheel bolts again, problem was solved. Only bad part in this experiment was that the wheels had to be put back in their correct positions for proper traction. Thanks for the help from Dave's Tractor.

Good work! This last fall I was over visiting family in Idaho. They farm 1500 acres, and were plowing with a 200'ish HP John Deere with maybe 3000 hours on it. A pretty low hour machine for a big tractor. At lunch a couple of them had worried looks. The tractor had developed a transmission failure or probably a rear differential issue. It would clunk bad on applying power at the beginning of a row, and occasionally when going down the field. Images of a big repair bill or a new tractor were in sight. Without seeing it, just by description I suspected the outer rims bolts and mentioned it. And that truly was the issue. But they had run it through the night finishing a field before rain and the outer rim had to be replaced as it ground it up pretty good. They were happy enough with that, and a few hours later were back in the field.

As they say - "even a blind squirrel finds a nut sometimes".