Front Drive Line Locked Up

[AllDodge]

Loaned the tractor out to bring hay in. Was pulling a wagon and the front tiers just stopped and rear started to spin on pavement. It was not in 4WD only 2WD. Fella tried shifting in/out of gears and ranges but it was stuck. Let it sit with motor off in neutral for about a 1/2 hour. Started it back up and it works again

Last time I started it there was a slight buzzing noise, sort of sounds like maybe pump is sucking air. This was a tractor I bought with another piece of equipment. I used it and checked it out and originally it had 6 gallons to much of trans fluid. This was 8 months ago and I drained the excess out and used it a couple times pulling a batwing, no issues

If I was gong to keep it I would replace the fluid and filters (might do anyway) because the fluid looks ok but its may have never been changed

 

[beenthere]

AllDodge
What tractor is this?

My first guess would be that you got the wrong story about not being in 4WD. Sounds like a classic example of driving with front wheels engaged and things tightened up..

But it is what it is...

Sorry, but not much help from here..

 

[AllDodge]

Sorry, some how model didn't show up its a
JD 5425 , 9 speed sync shuttle, 4wd and 4wd is electric shift

Got it back home and opened the front axle level plug and fluid started to pour out and was black, and looked thin

 

[AllDodge]

Thinking about it more, wonder if it could just be the electric 4wd selector. My pickup did a similar thing and bound things up when it went out

 

[Zebrafive]

IIRC they use hydraulic fluid in the front axle. Also MFWD is "off" with voltage to the solenoid. You shut off this voltage to engage MFWD.
Rears spinning on pavement, sounds like too big of a load being pulled.

 

[AllDodge]

Was looking at the manual and agree it shows Deere hyd

It was one rear tire and and the wagon he was pulling was empty, they where headed to go get it. I haven't got it to do it again. Going to try some more today.

Was even in neutral and would not roll

 

[Zebrafive]

It looks like you have to determine if the front axle locked up, since it would not roll in neutral.
But since you have not got it to do it again, it will be hard to find out until the next time.
I wonder if something is broken in the front axle that got into the gears to lock the front axle? Then fell out of the gears?
Or something is broken in the gear box for mfwd that locked those gears?

Jack up the front axle and see if the tires turn by hand. If not, disconnect the driveshaft and try.

 

[AllDodge]

Will try
Just leveled each front wheel and pulled plug and both planetary drives were over filled. Didn't see any metal and lube is a darkened green color. No bad smell and doesn't small like gear oil. The guy who took maintained it overfilled everything. The batwing which came with it was the same way, all gear boxes filled to the top not the side hole

 

[AllDodge]

Nothing feels or sound off when turning wheels off the ground. One spins forward an other reverse as it should, and went the opposite when spinning the other.

Can hear and feel the ring and pinion gears mesh and no skips as rotated.

Is the 4W selector at the rear differential, I see a electric cable going there

 

[AllDodge]

I'm unable to replicate
Starting to think he did something weird, only put maybe 1 hour on it.
Might have been going down the road, rolling, and tried to shift ranges without stopping, and got things bound up

 

[jd110]

Does Park hold on a hill ? Have seen park pawl or tooth on park gear break off and fall down into mfwd gears and lock up front wheels. If you engage front wheels and drive, do you hear and tapping or knocking sounds in drivetrain? If so, I would drain transmission oil and remove the mfwd drop box from under the tractor. You can inspect gears and can look up into the transmission from under there and see the park pawl to inspect it. If broken, tractor needs to be split to replace it.

 

[AllDodge]

It does hold on a hill and don't hear anything.
Think I'll do what you said, should change the fluid and filter anyway, and this will give me some further insight. Thanks

 

[shovelmike]

I hope you get it resolved, strange that all gear boxes were overfilled. Perhaps maintained by someone's low wage..low observational skill hired help.
No good deed goes unpunished, usually what I get when I loan things.
As a side note, I experienced the same odd thing with my '99 4x4 Ranger this past Winter. Went to drive out of the barn, and the rear tires just wanted to dig a hole trying to push the locked front end until I unlocked the hubs. It had me puzzled, local shop couldn't find anything wrong either. It hasn't done it since.
A broken off tooth temporarily lodged in the ring gear is the only explanation that makes sense to me.

 

[AllDodge]

Changed trans/filter, front axle and hub fluids and nothing found more then some metal dust.

Did not drop the front drive off trans because there was no metal. What I'm thinking happened is the guy tried to shift to a different range without stopping and that stopped the tractor. Then after doing some of the things I mentioned it started working and he called back saying it started working

You are probably correct no good deed goes unpunished

Did find that 3 of the 4 remotes were stuck. Got 2 of the 3 freed up but the last one was so bad I ordered another one. Don't want to sell a tractor with a known issue

Thanks all that responded

 

[Zebrafive]

I am glad it was operator error, that caused no damage. Fluid & Filter changes will be cheap insurance against future problems.