Whoops...

You are asking that little L to do more than it was designed to. More ballast will help you identify the second-weakest component. Hopefully it fails as benignly as the wheel bearings do. You might be surprised at what your L is still worth in a private sale.

 

Thanks, I'll try to cut the logs shorter. My wife bought us that tractor when her dad passed in '06. I better hang on to it. It does look like Kubota would have designed the front end to handle what the loader can pick up. I know I have overworked it.

 

I hesitated to say anything because I know from your posts that you know what end is up.

Nice to have a machine with some sentiment behind it.

A neighbor and I got a few semi loads of wood ash to spread as lime. I asked if we should rent a loader rather than use his farm tractor to load the spreader. He looked at me like I had sprouted a third arm and basically said he bought his machines to work for him, period. I grew up babying older machines to get as much life as possible out of them, and have carried that forward.

 

I was thinking similar Flamestead and trying to not experience T.Jeff Veal expensive front axle issues had my mechanic double check it. He did and I explained why; he said BIG difference between L and my MX.

Not that I haven’t over loaded it.. it’s pretty sure been done when back tires come off ground with ballast when you stop

 

Got the front axle broke apart yesterday afternoon.
Had some sparkles in the oil
Inside bearing failed
A piece of the split collar also came loose
I think that may have been what broke this spot on the front cover, O ring was broke at this spot.
Will order additional parts today...

 

Brite side is your not paying and waiting for a shop to do it !!

 

What oil is being used in that?
Is there a magnetic drain plug?
No matter your answer...the ultimate fix is dealing with the overloading though...

 

I had to modify my drain plugs and install my own magnets.

 

Yup, I've epoxied more than one on...

 

80/90 gear lube.
No magnetic plugs
That operator...

 

Here’s a couple “greaseless” bearings from a bore head that came in recently.

 

I would call your dealer and ask them what they would recommend if you wanted to go to a synthetic EP oil...that and a magnetic (even homemade) drain plug would very likely buy you some more bearing life.
I'm sure someone here might have a good suggestion too...I use a lot of Mobil SHC series oil in gearboxes at work...but there might be a better one than that even for this extreme load situation?
That, and maximizing your counterweight might make a big difference in bearing life...

 

Looks like it's missing more than grease!!

 

The SHC series is what I use in anything that has brass/bronze components, good stuff.
Mobil 1 synthetic GL5 gear lube is what I use in my front axle. However the EP additives, sulfur among others will eat brass/bronze.

 

...
That looks about like the end bearings on one of our fuller pumps...it got so hot, smoke was coming out the grease zerks like a volcano. Dry grease caught fire when they took the end cap off.

 

It has this small drain plug on each axle.
Then a big plug seals the very bottom.

 

Swollen nuts!!! The doctor worked on this truck last. Couldn’t be bothered to replace them

 

Will doc give you a script for that?

 

those dang pressed on trim caps are a pia. they were a pia 40 years ago - nothing has changed