L35 4wd ???

[mikegph]

I just took delivery of my L35 last week. I was wondering how often other operators kept the 4 wheel drive engaged?? My last tractor, an old Bolens Iseki had some front axel trouble, and now I keep it in 2wd unless i really need the extra traction. Steve Carver told me to leave in in 4wd almost all the time, but I am worried about unnecessary wear and tear on the front drive train. Anybody have an opinion ???? Thanks, Mike

 

[W5FL]

Take a good look at all advertisements by manufacturers that show a loader. You will NEVER see one with 2WD. There is a very good reason for this. I keep my 4WD Kubota in 2WD when on pavement, concrete or any very hard non slippery surface or when mowing flat ground. The rest of the time it runs in 4WD. With a loader, you need all the traction you can get. I doubt that most L35's have ballast in the tires but it is because of the problem of hauling it around rather than helping get more traction for work.

 

[W5FL]

I bet when Mark finds this message, he will tell you to use synthetic oil in the front end to minimize wear rather than not using it. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[MikeF]

I would recomend using synthetic oils for the whole machine, (after proper break-in of course) I have used Amsoil for years and found it to be unmatched!

 

[Bird]

mikegph, I, too, keep my tractor in 2WD unless I need the 4WD (which I figure is anytime I'm using the front end loader), but before I bought my first Kubota, I considered a rental unit the dealer was ready to sell and noticed it was parked on the lot in 4WD, and he told me they leave all the rental units in 4WD all the time (same dealer who also told me all their rental units have foam filled tires). I guess the bottom line is that I don't worry about it being in 4WD anytime except on pavement.

Bird

 

[W5FL]

Sometimes I acidentally drive into the barn (cement floor) in 4WD. Just push the bucket down to take the load off the tires, and it will come right out of 4WD. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Anonymous Poster]

When you are driving along with the bucket down and the front tires up isn't that called Slide Drive?/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[W5FL]

del, I thought you had an L35. You should be answering this question instead of all of us who don't. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

I am usually going backwards if I do the slide drive, but the tractor doesn't seem to care whether it is going on the bucket or wheels (or if the brakes are on). /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Yeah, but I've only had this L35 for a shortwhile I shouldn't be answering ANYTHING!

I have heard people wiser than me speak of this and some say don't use the 4WD unless needed, others say using the 4WD spreads the load around and takes strain off the rear axle. I don't know which to believe. Seems like tire wear would be more of a factor even on unpaved areas. Would be nice (dreaming again) if these had a central differential you could lock out with a lever then you wouldn't have to worry about anything. The rear ends a lot stronger than the front (I think) so my hunch is to leave it in 2WD.

 

[MChalkley]

Great idea, Wen! Wish I'd thought of it... /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

I leave mine in 2wd unless I need 4wd. I never use 4wd on pavement or other hard packed surfaces, unless I really need the traction and am only going straight forward.

Mark

 

[Anonymous Poster]

L35

Mikegph, I also am a owner of an L35. The machine is great. I personally do not leave my machine in 4WD only except when needed. You can feel the front and rear tires are not fully in sync when turning. Also, when running on pavement at higher speeds I can feel the tractor holding back. My feeling is the all the gears are not in sync at higher speeds and when turning which may cause excessive wear. Also, be sure to use Kubota super UDT in your front axle when you change the oil. Kubota says you will achieve better lubrication with the super UDT than 90 weight oil.

 

[W5FL]

Re: L35

Jon,

My manual recommends Super UDT, also, but when you look it says to use 90W, UDT, or Super UDT in the front axle. I have been looking for a recommendation to use Super UDT, but my tractor only seems to hint that it would be better. I like the statement, just that my book doesn't say that. Sure costs a lot more if it is not better.

When you talk about it holding back going down the highway, do you mean in 4WD or 2WD? I have never driven much on pavement but only in 2WD.

The way it is SUPPOSSED to work is the gear ratio to the front axle is suppossed to be the same as the difference in diameter of the tires with the front wheels turning just a tad more than the rears. On any dirt or gravely surfaces there should be no wind up in the axle.

The power transmitted to each wheel under ideal conditions is determined more on the traction of that tire than anything else. All things being equal, the front tires will pull just a little more than the rears. Ultimately the rear tires have more traction and more weight on them and they will carry the heaviest load as the front wheels slip just enough to let the rear tires catch up.

With a heavy load on the loader, don't kid yourselves that the front tires are not carrying as much load as the rears on many tractors, certainly as configured from the factory.

 

[W5FL]

del,

My first exposure to 4WD was when I bought my wife a Jeep Cherokee. We were experimenting with it and got in in part time 4WD on the driveway. When you moved it a little, it felt kinda like the brakes were on. Decided to take it out of 4WD, and it wouldn't budge. Finally had to call the dealer. He laughed and said that little stick was a whole lot tuffer than I thought. He said just to grab hold of it and pull it out. It worked, but the amount of windup in the driveshaft was very noticable.

The Jeep also has full time 4WD. It has 3 differentials in order to do this. The center differential is locked for part time 4WD. Now that is a little too complicated for an automobile, but it provides 4WD for both hard and soft surfaces. Our 4WD is only for soft surfaces.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Re: L35

Wen, I am personally aware of a dealer who had experience with an L35 that had 80-90 weight oil in the front axle of an L35 which had failed. I am not sure of exactly what the failure was, however, after repairing the failure Kubota instructed the dealer to use the super UDT fluid in the front axle. Too me it only makes sense, it is not necessarily the weight of the oil that is important rather than how well the gears can get lubricated in a very small gear case. It is probably even more important in a cold climate where 90 weight oil can get like molasses and will not provide good lubrication. This is where the synthetic oil does very well. I have performed my 100 hour oil change in my L35 and have used the super UDT fluid in the front axle. Also, when I felt the tractor holding back it was in 4WD. I have trust in this dealer about his personal experience. He had nothing to gain.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I was thinking more of snow plowing in those areas that have snow so long that the moisture evaporates and you actually can be driving on snow and then driving on dry pavement. With the bite of these wide R4's I'd think that even dry ground wouldn't allow enough slip and something would have more strain on it then necessary. Most of the time you know when you're going to need 4WD. Or at least you hope, there's been a couple of times I've waited too long and then 4wd wouldn't help in the Jeep. I haven't been able to find a kit to mount my backhoe on my Jeep trailer hitch for pushing it out of the mud...A winch? what's that? You mean I could just put this little gearbox and motor on the front and I wouldn't have to mount the backhoe?

Speaking of winches, when I've thought about finding or making a bracket to be able to mount the winch to any trailer receiver, so I could use it on the front or rear of the truck or jeep, on the car trailer, or even on the tractor since I sometimes get it where no vehicle can get close. Of course if I could afford one of those nice KX161 Kubota trackhoes I wouldn't have to worry about such things!

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Re: L35

FWIW, my 2000 L35 manual says 90wt or Super UDT in the front end. No mention of UDT. In normal climate I would think the UDT would be just as good as the Super but maybe the Super has some gear lubing ability that the UDT lacks? I never know if they are pushing the Super for the money or not. It's interesting that there appears to be no equivalent anywhere else. To my slightly cynical mind that brings questions. Especially when more than one dealer as said they use UDT in EVERYTHING, hydraulic systems and front ends. You'd think they'd want people to be able to maintain their units which would help THEM in the long run but I'm never sure. Ford NH is the same way, they don't list a description of a lubricant just some obsure military or government specification you'll never find on any commercial container. Force wise I'd think it would be the same on the trans gears as the diff gears and if the UDT lubes those OK, seems like the diff would be the same. No limited slip properties to worry about covering...

I know there's a dealer search function on the Kubota website (or was) would be nice to get a complete email list of all dealers and ask everyone what they recommend and see what is said...

 

[MChalkley]

Re: L35

Jon S - There's a fairly easy way to find out: Put the tractor on a fairly loose surface (like a gravel drive) where you've got a long straight stretch, then drive the tractor in 2wd for 10 full turns of the rear wheel, counting the turns of the front wheel. Do the same thing in 4wd. The difference between the two is the amount of lead (if the latter is greater than the former) or lag (if it's less). If the lead is more than 5% or so, you should probably look into smaller front tires or bigger rear ones. If you find you've got a lag condition, you've got a big problem, and it's not a "you ought to fix it" situation, it's a "you'd better fix it before it kills you" situation.

Mark

 

[W5FL]

Re: L35

Mark, I tried to test it, but it definately takes two people. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[W5FL]

Re: L35

Jon

I guess not all dealers know a lot about tractors either. I do have a good dealer and he does not push super UDT in this area. He says the UDT for Kubota is the same as John Deere and most other major tractor manufacturers as long as it is approved for disk brakes running in the fluid. He said you are in for a rude awakening if you put in a fluid that is NOT made for disk brakes in the fluid.

Kubota used to publish all of the recommended tractor fluid manufacturers, but they no longer do that.

Another thread attributed Kubota as saying that Super UDT was synthetic, but have heard no further confirmation. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

p.s. DON'T drive your L35 on pavement in 4WD. If it is truly holding back, it may have LAG (which mark described how to measure) and at best the wind up and slipping is pretty rough on all of the components.