Traction LK3054 FWD Slipping under load

[kentrodngun]

Hi all. My tractor has been working fine but the front end has been leaking for years. I finally got the time to do the job and replaced the front seals. When I put it all back together, the FWD seemed fine but under a load, it slips. I drained the 90 weight and pulled both sides again. Drive gears are perfect - no chipped or missing teeth. Could I have assembled it wrong? It seemed pretty straight forward. Could it be the "wheel bearing type" bearing on top of the shaft which drives the gears?

Sounds like this is a dealer question but I figured I'd throw it out there in case someone had and solved a similar issue. On the lift, the front wheels move, it is just under a load (FEL full or going up a steep incline) that the left side engages, slips and re-engages. Thoughts or suggestions? Thanks.

 

[ovrszd]

By "slips" do you mean gears jumping cogs? As in a ratcheting sound?

If so, it's certainly an assembly problem.

Well, actually, if it was working fine before, just leaking, and now "slips" it's definitely an assembly problem.

Hopefully an experienced owner/mechanic can chime in with the most likely cause.

Bummer, sorry for your hassles.

 

[jabelding]

Are you sure its not just the front differential working as it should? There is no differential lock on the front axle so if a tire loses traction it will spin and not produce any thrust on the other side.

 

[kentrodngun]

Ovrszd, I agree, hopefully a dealer will chime in and tell me what I did wrong.

 

[kentrodngun]

jabelding, I've owned this tractor since 2003 and have never had this problem before. I usually have it in FWD due to my property inclines. Under a load, it slips and I lose traction, the left wheel stops completely and then re-engages. Something is certainly wrong and with winter coming I need to plow and not ruin the gears or worse.

 

[jabelding]

Sounds like you may have a bad spline on one of the shafts probably the one from the differential out to the wheel. they will slip and re engage if they are moving around (in and out)

 

[ovrszd]

Does Kioti have an online parts source?? A place where we could see a parts diagram of the front drive assembly??

 

[ovrszd]

It appears they do. Take a look at this website for parts diagrams that apply to your tractor. When you are looking at the right one maybe link us to it. More sets of eyes looking at it might find what you missed.

If the shafts that slip into the center drive section and run out to the front hub assemblies are held in place by a snap ring or some other method, maybe you didn't get one together right and it's sliding apart as mentioned by jabelding??

https://www.haltomequipmentco.com/OEMpartfinder.htm?aribrand=KTT&arian=tractors#

 

[seacap04]

Not sure your 4wd works the same as my DK45. I am stuck in 4wd all the time. If I turn on 4wd switch it keep slipping out under load. The Dk45 pushes the front drive shaft hydraulically in a dog clutch to engage 4wd. A spring disengages the shaft when hydraulic pressure is released. Put her up against a solid object with 4wd switch off and see if front wheel spins. I do not know why mine will slip with 4wd switch on. Was going to split tractor myself but decided to let dealer deal with it when I can spare it.

 

[seacap04]

My original thought was that I had broken a front axle shaft. That is not the case as I did the solid object test.

 

[kentrodngun]

Does Kioti have an online parts source?? A place where we could see a parts diagram of the front drive assembly??

Sorry for the delay guys. My wife had congestive heart failure. Ambulances, ER, trips to doctors, etc. She is doing OK now. I am attaching pictures from my service manual. Again, I just do not have traction under a load on the left side. The left side slips and re-engages.

 

[jabelding]

Sorry to hear about your wife.
I think your going to have to pull that side apart and see what is going on it should be fairly obvious just look for the most ground metal.

 

[K5lwq]

I have the 2554 which is basically the same frame as the 3054. My front end would just click under a load when I first bought the tractor. I tore down the front end to find the upper bearings on both sides bad. They rely on oil being slung up to the top of the unit for lubrication. My thought, was that the tractor never really moves fast enough to adequately oil those bearings. I decided to pack them with wheel bearing grease before I installed them. That was about 12 years ago and no issues with front drive since. Not sure if that is your issue but I would look closely at those top bearings. It will allow the shaft to move just enough for the gears to skip.

 

[Wild and Free]

Which seals did you replace and what all did you take apart for starters?

 

[kentrodngun]

Happy New Year folks. Thanks to a day of 60 degrees weather (it is currently back to 12 degrees this morning) I was able to take apart the front end. As I drained the 90 weight, I noticed metal and a few roller bearings came out. Pulling everything apart, I discovered the roller bearing (see attached diagram #29) broke apart and trickled down the bevel gear shaft #28 gouging it terribly. Pieces ran down to the lower thrust bearing #12 and destroyed that one too. I was able to order both bearings off Ebay last night for about $25 and both should arrive by Jan 24. I'm hoping the shaft might be OK to reuse as the gouged section is between the splines as it doesn't appear to do more than connect the splines.

 

[kentrodngun]

Update: I decided to replace the shaft (#28) and the upper (#29) and lower (#38) bearings. I feared the shaft would cost a fortune (like last year's $800 sector steering shaft) and almost decided not to replace it. I looked it up online and was delighted to find it only cost $54. Bearings are reasonable too. Bob over at Michigan Tractor had them all in stock and was very patient with me through the ordering process. Lull in the action now until UPS delivers. God is kind supplying a lack of snow and some unseasonable warm temps.