DK55 Front differential lockup

[farmboy238]

DK55 4wd 202hrs front differential locked up. Anyone know of trouble with this model and this problem? Would like to hear from you !!!:mur:

It happened while loading dirt.

 

[SPYDERLK]

Does it have gear oil in it?

 

[farmboy238]

Dealer serviced it at 99 hrs and was supposed to check and/or fill. was late on the 50 hr svc. It has not leaked any oil. I had a little work to finish then I was going to do a hundred hr service on it, but I had not checked it after getting it back from the dealer.

 

[SPYDERLK]

Dealer serviced it at 99 hrs and was supposed to check and/or fill. was late on the 50 hr svc. It has not leaked any oil. I had a little work to finish then I was going to do a hundred hr service on it, but I had not checked it after getting it back from the dealer.

Dont know if your steering knuckles are built the same as Kubota, but I had one of the wheel bearings in mine fail and jam things up. It was used and loader equipped. Didnt look like a lube problem ... the cage holding the balls failed. Perhaps prior owner overload with loader? Its been OK for hundreds of hard hrs after replacing. ... Does it affect both wheels? I cant imagine a lubed differential failing except by latent defect or extreme harsh use and yours sounds a total surprise.
larry

 

[somguyss]

I would suggest jack fround end up and check both front wheels to see if they are moving free, there will be some resistance due to the style of diff it has.I would suspect that you have either busted a ring and pinion or possible front 42 or 43 tooth bevel gear and possibly wiped out the opposing drive (13 tooth bevel geares as well) I have seen it more than once i suggest you contact your dealer.

 

[MotorSeven]

Yes, I think there have been Dk55 front axle problems & I remember updated parts from Kioti. Contact your dealer & see if he has the bulletin.

 

[farmboy238]

I lifted the frontend up. The left side turned OK the right side would move only an inch or so.

 

[SPYDERLK]

I lifted the frontend up. The left side turned OK the right side would move only an inch or so.

Then Im sayin its the righthand wheel bearing or something out at that steering knuckle. Is there a u joint there, or is it a bevel gear to transfer rotation to the wheel? I twisted off a ujoint in the left knuckle on the 7520 that locked up the wheel just like the bearing issue on the Kub I mentioned.
larry

 

[somguyss]

My guess is that you have busted some teeth off of the 42 or 43 tooth bevel gear (depends on year model) or you have busted some teeth on the 13 tooth gear that runs off of the bevel gear drop shaft. If out of warranty and not wanting to spend money withdealer then you will need to drain front axle fluid and remove and inspect the right side and see what is tore up and broke and order the parts to fix it and allow your self about 4 hours to repair.

 

[farmboy238]

Got my DK55 back with new gears all around in front end. The mechanic suggested that the front end gearing is not strong enough for the hp of the tractor. He said not to run 4wd unless necessary and the take it out asap. I wonder if there is a heavy duty frontend that can be used on that tractor? I'll just have to baby it and see what happens. I still think there was no gear oil in the frontend, but I could never find out after it was in the shop.

 

[SPYDERLK]

New gears all around is not definitive. Were they the differential gears or the wheel gears? What do the old gears look like?If you paid for the repair they should give you the old parts.
larry

 

[Coyote machine]

You should have checked the fluid before it went to the shop. You'll never know now, unfortunately. I totally disagree with the 4wd assessment. The DK-55 is a strong tractor; I would use it as you would any other and not baby it. JMHO.

 

[seacap04]

I agree with CM. Very few issues with DK55 series

 

[BethelHntr]

Got my DK55 back with new gears all around in front end. The mechanic suggested that the front end gearing is not strong enough for the hp of the tractor. He said not to run 4wd unless necessary and the take it out asap. I wonder if there is a heavy duty frontend that can be used on that tractor? I'll just have to baby it and see what happens. I still think there was no gear oil in the frontend, but I could never find out after it was in the shop.

If it were me I'd drop the front gear oil and check for metal shavings and if needed pull the front drive line to isolate the issue by process of elimination.

 

[Coyote machine]

I read again what the mechanic said about not using 4wd and to take it out of 4wd asap. Ridiculous! Either he is an idiot, or they are covering up something that went wrong on their watch, or both. I'd talk to the dealer's service manager and get to the bottom of this steaming pile. I have a buddy who bought a used DK-55 and shipped it x-country to his farm. He had a few issues to resolve, but no drivetrain problems whatsoever.Post back what they replaced and what you find out.

 

[KiotiDave]

Hey all,
In the mid-2000s Kioti had a service bulletin and a free fix for different DK55 model years. After that campaign they thought it was fixed with the heavier bearings and new gears. It did not work. The vertical shaft in the final drive needs another bearing for support. Believe it or not the 15 inch shaft actually bends and moves the engagement of the gears to the very edges which makes them chip. Once one chips it takes out the rest of the gears and or locks up.
The only successful fix we had(after rebuilding 4 times) was to install the NEW DESIGNED front final drive with the third bearing on that vertical shaft. This customer is now over a year without a problem.
So, once again Kioti will not volunteer this info and your dealer probably doesn't know about the upgrade. If you have a front drive go on a DK55 you should insist on this fix for a flawed design. When I owned my dealership we changed a great number of these and even changed the specs on shimming the gears to try to keep them engaged.
If you purchased a 4WD tractor you should be able to use the 4WD and not have a dealer tell you to take it out of 4WD to keep it from breaking again. The only time not to use 4WD is on pavement or a surface that will not allow one of the tires to slip a little.
Dave G.

 

[Coyote machine]

Good info Dave! Thanks for posting it for all to see.:thumbsup:

 

[ritcheyvs]

Hey KiotiDave,

Do you have any similar "lessons learned" applicable to a DK45S (2006 vintage). Mine has the new-style stop solenoid on the front of the engine block but the back end is the old style with a planetary final drive. Thanks for any insights you may care to share.

 

[KiotiDave]

Ritcheyvs,
Sorry, that is one tractor I was sorry to see go. It was big, heavy and strong with the only weakness being the self-leveling loader.
I would love to see that tractor with today's Korean loader on it.
It sounds like you got your tractor when they were changing to the new style fuel shut off...first thing to check with these problems is corrosion in all electrical plugs.
This problem can cause some crazy breakdowns and behavior on your tractor.
The 45S was a great tractor.
KiotiDave

 

[ritcheyvs]

KiotiDave, Thanks for the reassuring words. I had planned to buy a much smaller, new MF back in 2009 when I saw this 3-year old DK45S with 275 hours at a local Kioti dealer (who later went out of the tractor business). This dealer was the original selling dealer who also did all prior maintenance so I know all the scheduled stuff was done. I've been very happy with this machine. I keep it under cover now but I'll be alert for possible corrosion issues. The only problem to date was a dirty key switch (wouldn't start) that responded to DIY disassembly, cleaning, and lube. While trying to help sherrym with her IP problem (she has same model) I discovered that the stop solenoid was like the Aussie EX model and quite different from the paper DK451 service manual. The dealer I bought from praised this model too, but then he had a dog in the hunt. So I value your input.

Could you expand on the concern with the self-leveling loader? I suspect it is not as strong as the new ones but I'be had no trouble so far.