Front Wheel Fell Off 3550

[jb1390]

830 hours - 4 years old. I noticed gear oil on my front tire after parking overnight. Drove it a few hundred feet, and parked again, and it started dripping much faster. I had recently read the thread on a 4025 wheel coming off entirely, so I lifted the front end to check it out before going any further. I was able to disassemble and fix temporarily in the field with new bolts.

The three bolts inside had sheared. The dealer had never heard of the issue, but the Mahindra rep knew right away. There is a service bulletin on this - though Mahindra says it is a fix-as-fail issue. They will cover the one side under warranty, but won't touch the other side until it breaks. I asked the dealer to give me pricing for the upgrade parts to do both sides. It's only a matter of time, and likely once I'm out of warranty.

I will readily admit that I am not the easiest on machinery - though this does seem to be a funky design.

 

[RNeumann]

Good Catch! It’s a bummer for sure. Glad Mahindra is, at least, covering the one side- of course we wish it was both!

 

[darmstrong2319]

Should be a recall thing instead of fix as fail.

 

[jb1390]

Should be a recall thing instead of fix as fail.

I agree. Or at a minimum, do both sides for machines that have shown an issue.

But I don't think this approach is unique to this manufacturer. I致e had similar experiences with cars in the past.

 

[SPYDERLK]

I agree. Or at a minimum, do both sides for machines that have shown an issue.

But I don't think this approach is unique to this manufacturer. I致e had similar experiences with cars in the past.

Consider having a lawyer notify them that it is a known safety issue to you and/or others in the vicinity, that they are neglecting.

 

[jeff9366]

Was it an issue of the nuts loosening on the bolts, so the bolts were stressed, or something else?

 

[jb1390]

Consider having a lawyer notify them that it is a known safety issue to you and/or others in the vicinity, that they are neglecting.

I agree that it's a safety issue, and I will be fixing the other side. I'm waiting for costs from the dealer, if it's not too much money to just do the other side, it's not worth the fight. If Mahindra overvalues the parts, then we'll go from there.

 

[jb1390]

Was it an issue of the nuts loosening on the bolts, so the bolts were stressed, or something else?

The spindle is tapped for 3 bolts, that hold on a large machined washer, which holds the spindle in the housing. There is a thin plate with locking tabs that is installed under the bolts, with the tabs bent over the heads, so there is no chance that they came loose. The tabs were still intact and holding the heads from rotating when I took it apart.

I think it might partly be an issue of insufficient shimming that does not allow the bolt to seat fully. Then fatigue sets in. A larger, single bolt will be more resilient - hence why Mahindra changed their design.

It's more complicated than just popping it open and tightening bolts though.

 

[chero82]

Parts for the original 3 bolt design are about $40

 

[Deleted member 314313]

Parts for the original 3 bolt design are about $40

Really! What part numbers? And from whom are they available? Because my dealer claims the three bolt hub spindle assembly are no longer available.