A Spooky Troubleshooting Guide for When Your Equipment Acts Possessed
Your skid steer can act downright haunted some times, with things like strange noises, phantom movements, and mysterious leaks -- and sometimes, death. The good news is that it isn鈥檛 ghosts, but rather an all too real issue with mechanical or hydraulic causes. So here鈥檚 a Shop Talk Blog post where we provide practical troubleshooting tips, empowering you to take control of the situation.
Have you ever had your final drive inch forward or backward with no input? No worries: your skid steer isn鈥檛 possessed by a spirit. The most likely causes are 鈥�
How do you deal with this 鈥渟pirit鈥�? That鈥檚 pretty straightforward: clean or replace the hydraulic filters and bleed the hydraulic lines, and if that doesn鈥檛 work, then inspect the control wiring.
No one wants to hear whining, grinding, or shrieking noises coming from your final drive motors. When that happens, there are a few potential causes:
The first step to addressing a banshee in your final drive motor is to check your gear oil levels and top them off as needed or change them out if you need to. You can also verify that the charge pump is working correctly. If it鈥檚 a machine with brakes, then you need to make sure the brakes are releasing completely. If none of those options reveal the source of the 鈥渂anshee,鈥� then it could very well be bearing failure.
No one wants something that鈥檚 bleeding, whether it鈥檚 your walls or your skid steer loader. As we鈥檝e said before, leaks are something not to be ignored. If you see an abundance of thin fluid, then it鈥檚 likely the hydraulic side that鈥檚 leaking. Smaller amounts of fluid usually point to the planetary gear side. The leading causes are:
The first step in addressing a 'bleeding' skid steer is to identify the type of fluid. Then clean around the seals to pinpoint the problematic one. If it鈥檚 not a seal, check the hydraulic hoses near the final drives for leaks. If your machine has a case drain filter, replace it as it might be clogged. Finally, ensure the gear oil levels in the planetary side are not overfilled.
Does your final drive motor lose power or jerk? Is it trying to curve when it should go straight? Is it harder to go up hill, or does it slow down more than usual when it鈥檚 carrying a load? Well, the good news is that your skid steer isn鈥檛 possessed. Here鈥檚 what could be going on:
Here鈥檚 what you need to do. Eliminate external causes of weakness involving things like a weak charge pump, pressure valves that are stuck, a drive locked in high-speed mode, tracks that are too tight, or blocked case drain lines. Then, when external issues are cleared, inspect the final drive motor itself. Start by measuring case drain flow to check internal leakage, and if you鈥檙e comfortable with opening up your final drive, start examining internal wear components like the valve plate and rotator group for cracks or excessive clearance.
Is your final drive dead? Does it refuse to move? There can be two causes: stripped splines or gears, and catastrophic motor failure. If this has happened, it鈥檚 time to seriously think about sending your final drive in for evaluation and potential repair, or for replacing it. Contact 天美视频 for diagnosis, reman options, and expert support if you鈥檝e reached this point.
Before you call an exorcist, grab a wrench, or just give the experts at 天美视频 a call. We can help you with your 鈥渉aunted鈥� machine and get it up and running for you again. And remember, we can provide troubleshooting advice over the phone or get you set up with a replacement final drive at a very reasonable cost, giving you the reassurance of expert support.