Clicking from rear axle

[Driver]

Komatsu wa 120-1 small loading shovel here. I think it has dana spicer axles.

Just finished silage clamp work with it. The driver mentioned it started to click on the rear axle last few loads when under pressure going forward. Nothing going backwards. Could hear it myself. Just when under pressure climbing it would start clicking.

Tried it again today but drives perfect when no load on it. Couldn't replicate a silage clamp today however to put it under similar pressure. Checked under it and there did seem to be a tiny but of movement from the shaft coming out of the diff but maybe that's to be expected with the age of it. It had pil in it. Maybe was down a small bit of where it should be but there was at least oil in it.

What does it sound like before I get the mechanic to go stripping.

 

[Dry Rot]

May be completely off track, but I had clicking in a Peugeot 504 truck many years ago, but only in reverse. That proved to be a chip in a reverse gear tooth. I was due to go down south so asked a mechanic if it would be safe. "Yes. So long as you are not going down in reverse".

This stuck in my mind because I walked into a garage after that where they had another 504 up on the ramps and were about to dissemble the rear axle. The symptoms were the same and it was the same problem so I was able to save them a job. Caused by sloppy gear selectors and mistakenly putting the truck into reverse while it was going forwards! The gear box was disassembled later for another problem and the diagnosis confirmed. So if the gear shift is a bit sloppy, maybe that's it?

 

[essexpete]

@ACEngineering may shed some light if Dana Spicer axles. Is it happening in a straight line?

 

[Zebbedee]

Drain the oils into clean drums and inspect carefully, check all universal joint carefully

 

[Driver]

@ACEngineering may shed some light if Dana Spicer axles. Is it happening in a straight line?

Yes definitely happening in a straight line. Couldn't say if it's happening at an angle or not though as you would always be climbing the clamp straight.

 

[Driver]

Drain the oils into clean drums and inspect carefully, check all universal joint carefully

Drain the oils into clean drums and inspect carefully, check all universal joint carefully

I did think the universal joint looked a bit sloppy.

 

[ACEngineering]

Komatsu wa 120-1 small loading shovel here. I think it has dana spicer axles.

Just finished silage clamp work with it. The driver mentioned it started to click on the rear axle last few loads when under pressure going forward. Nothing going backwards. Could hear it myself. Just when under pressure climbing it would start clicking.

Tried it again today but drives perfect when no load on it. Couldn't replicate a silage clamp today however to put it under similar pressure. Checked under it and there did seem to be a tiny but of movement from the shaft coming out of the diff but maybe that's to be expected with the age of it. It had pil in it. Maybe was down a small bit of where it should be but there was at least oil in it.

What does it sound like before I get the mechanic to go stripping.

The first thing to do is make sure ALL 4 tyres are the same rolling radius! Got new holland in at the minute with odd tyres and the limitted slip diffs do not like it at all.

Any clicking in a straight line could be broken tooth on crown wheel and pinion, any clicking on full lock is drive shaft ujs or if it has one limited slip diff or could be the oil used is wrong grade.

knocking teeth of the rear diff is not uncommon on telehandlers with clark hurth and dana spicer axles when pushing up clamps. must be more force on the rear diffs due to weight transfer when climbing pits

 

[ACEngineering]

Yes definitely happening in a straight line. Couldn't say if it's happening at an angle or not though as you would always be climbing the clamp straight.

straight line will almost certainly be a chipped tooth on crown wheel.

 

[ACEngineering]

May be completely off track, but I had clicking in a Peugeot 504 truck many years ago, but only in reverse. That proved to be a chip in a reverse gear tooth. I was due to go down south so asked a mechanic if it would be safe. "Yes. So long as you are not going down in reverse".

This stuck in my mind because I walked into a garage after that where they had another 504 up on the ramps and were about to dissemble the rear axle. The symptoms were the same and it was the same problem so I was able to save them a job. Caused by sloppy gear selectors and mistakenly putting the truck into reverse while it was going forwards! The gear box was disassembled later for another problem and the diagnosis confirmed. So if the gear shift is a bit sloppy, maybe that's it?

lol my old boss had 504 pick up too and sure we had clicking in reverse aswell towards the end of its life.

 

[Driver]

straight line will almost certainly be a chipped tooth on crown wheel.

Are parts easy enough to get? It's a 30 year old machine.

 

[Zebbedee]

For Dana or zf, or carraro should be ok maybe a wait if parts not in country but not serious usually, what machine is it

 

[Driver]

Hoe come it doesn't click when under light pressure?

 

[ACEngineering]

Are parts easy enough to get? It's a 30 year old machine.

No idea till start looking, would need axle details off the axle serial plate.

 

[Sharpy]

straight line will almost certainly be a chipped tooth on crown wheel.

I bought an MLA 627 nearly 24 years ago, changed all the fluids when I got it home and a sliver of a crown wheel tooth came out. The workshop manual said to dress off any sharp edges and rebuild, which I did. Still fine 10 or 11000 hrs later.

 

[Abacus]

Does it have planetary drives in the hubs?, if do start there and don't drive until you have you my be lucky and just need bearings

 

[ACEngineering]

I bought an MLA 627 nearly 24 years ago, changed all the fluids when I got it home and a sliver of a crown wheel tooth came out. The workshop manual said to dress off any sharp edges and rebuild, which I did. Still fine 10 or 11000 hrs later.

Crown wheels and pinions were common on the MLA 627, they used the same one as matbro TR250-110 which was a fine tooth pattern and weak. was replaced by a heavier tooth design but ratio remained the same even though tooth count was different. Actually sold one few weeks ago! first time for a while lol

 

[Driver]

Crown wheels and pinions were common on the MLA 627, they used the same one as matbro TR250-110 which was a fine tooth pattern and weak. was replaced by a heavier tooth design but ratio remained the same even though tooth count was different. Actually sold one few weeks ago! first time for a while lol

Is there the world of different dana spicer axles out there or would the same type axle be common and used in different brands?

 

[ACEngineering]

Is there the world of different dana spicer axles out there or would the same type axle be common and used in different brands?

It might be used on something else but yes there's a ton of variations.

 

[Driver]

Crown wheels and pinions were common on the MLA 627, they used the same one as matbro TR250-110 which was a fine tooth pattern and weak. was replaced by a heavier tooth design but ratio remained the same even though tooth count was different. Actually sold one few weeks ago! first time for a while lol

Thanks for all your advice so far. I tried driving it around today up the steepest part of the yard to see could I get it to repeat the clicking but I couldn't. Is there any other test I could do to make sure it is definitely in trouble? Would driving it into a heap of earth to get it to spin the wheels be any good? Won't be at silage again until September

 

[mf7480]

We had similar on a nearly new Loadall and it was loose wheel nuts!