Don't know where to start looking on my ford 1520

acmemachine · Aug 26, 2011

I've got a 95 ford 1520 4wd. If I push the clutch to coast there is quite a bit of drag and it brings me to a stop kinda like the brake is on. Its not as hard as hittin the brake but hard enough to be a real concern. If I disengage the 4wd all is fine. Tractor still pulls good in 4wd. Does anybody have an idea as to where I start looking for this problem?

mostly_gas · Aug 27, 2011

Change your front axle lube. Pay attention to the oil that comes out for water and metal in the oil you drain out. Be sure to change the gear reduction reservoirs on each wheel if it has them. My 1700 does have a fair amount of extra drag when coasting in 4WD.

acmemachine · Aug 27, 2011

thank you . I'll take a look.

drakefamily2 · Aug 27, 2011

Don't know if my 1700 is the same but front wheels each have a gearbox in addition to front axle. You need to pull each wheel off to drain and refill. I think they hold about half a quart of gear lube.

jinman · Aug 27, 2011

I think I'd disengage 4wd and then jack up the front end so that both wheels are in the air. Turn the wheels by hand and listen for noise. If you have trouble turning the wheels, use a socket on a wheel lug and a break-over bar for extra leverage. If there is binding in the front differential or gear boxes, you should hear and feel it.

Technically there is no mechanical difference in 4wd engaged and disengaged. Everything in the front axle has to turn the same whether the shifter is in 4wd or 2wd. It just rolls from friction or it rolls from being driven by the driveshaft from the transmission. The same is true for the rest of the drivetrain. The only difference is whether the 4wd gear is engaged. It's a sliding gear on a shaft. It would have to be binding pretty badly to cause the problems you are describing. That would be inside the transmission case instead of in the front axle.

acmemachine · Aug 28, 2011

Jim,
I did jack up front end and spin wheels by hand with 4wd disengaged. They turn quite freely with no niose. There is about a quarter turn that I can feel very slight resistance. Then it turns freely 3/4 of a turn. This resistance is ever so slight but I can feel it. But no niose.

Hooked_on_HP · Aug 28, 2011

I am guessing the tires are the wrong size. How hard is it to disengage the 4x4. If the front and rear tires are not mached properly it will bind up the 4x4.
Bill

jinman · Aug 29, 2011

Hooked_on_HP said:
I am guessing the tires are the wrong size. How hard is it to disengage the 4x4. If the front and rear tires are not mached properly it will bind up the 4x4.
Bill

That's a definite possibility. Perhaps acmemachine can tell us about the tires and if they have been changed from the originals. I'm not sure what size tires are spec'd for the 1520, but a mismatch could cause scuffing and rolling resistance.

acmemachine · Aug 30, 2011

Tires are off a 1720 4wd. They are turf tires. I have run them for 13 years. No problem till now.

kebo · Aug 30, 2011

If the tires are a complete set off of the 1720, then they *should* be ok as they would have been matched up for a 4x4 tractor. Do you have another set for that tractor you could put on and try to see if it still does it?

Unless this is something that just started very recently, I suspect that what you are seeing is probably normal driveline friction in a 4x4 tractor. Anytime you put a vehicle in 4x4, it takes a little more effort for the engine to overcome the extra mechanical friction from the additional gears/bearings/etc. ESPECIALLY if you are on a relatively hardpacked surface or concrete/asphalt. Steering usually becomes just a tad bit harder to, especially if you don't have power steering.

Now if this is something that you just noticed, then yeah there may be a problem in the front axle....