It may be hard to believe, but the number one cause of failure behind drive motors is a lack of maintenance.
Here are a few other Shop Talk Blog posts you might find of interest:
- Daily Maintenance for Skid Steer Loaders
- Should I Change or Flush My Hydraulic Fluid
- Very Real Dangers of Reactive Maintenance
If you've browsed through the Shop Talk Blog, you've seen how many posts we have on maintenance, from case drain filters to gear oil. The reason we emphasize maintenance so much is we know how important it is to your drive motors.
Neglecting Maintenance
You can get by for a while without regular maintenance. You can forget to check the gear oil levels and rarely change out the gear oil and your drive will still run for quite a while. If your machine has case drain filters, you can ignore them -- for a while. And you can get by with waiting to clean out your equipment's undercarriage until it's packed with mud and debris. But we can promise you that this neglect is impacting the performance of your final drive motor. And eventually, your final drives will stop in their tracks, both literally and figuratively.
Maintenance is Key
Telling you how to make your drive motors last longer seems counterproductive for a company that profits from repairs, rebuilds, and sales. But we aren't out to just make a profit: we are out to help you get the most you can out of your final drive motors. And we hate to see a motor that's been neglected -- which is why we emphasize maintenance.
Final Drive Gear Oil
You need to check gear oil levels on a regular basis and change out the gear oil when it starts to age and lose its effectiveness. And if you check the oil levels regularly, you'll be able to spot leaks before your drive motor starts running without lubrication . When leaks develop, it usually points to a seal that needs to be replaced. Quick replacement of seals prevents your gear hub from ending up with dirt, sand, and water inside -- like the gear hub shown below.
Here's some links to key information on how to take care of your gear oil:
- Gear Oil Part 1: How to Troubleshoot Gear Oil Problems
- Gear Oil Part 2: How to Check and Change Your Gear Oil
- Final Drive Maintenance: Gear Oil
And keep in mind that proper lubrication is an investment in the life and performance of your drive motors!
Case Drain Filters
Not all compact equipment has case drain filters, but many Bobcat machines do. And if you neglect the case drain filters, they can clog up and result in leaks and extreme damage to your final drive motor. In fact, the pressure build-up from a case drain leak can crack the housing on your final drive or cause the cover plate to come off (and fly through the air!). Obviously, none of these are good. And if you case drain filter looks like this, then you've been waiting too long,
Here's a post about the subject: Preventing Case Drain Related Failure.
Undercarriage
Keeping your undercarriage clean is a part of final drive maintenance. The goal is to prevent the buildup of dirt, mud, sand, dust, etc. When this buildup is neglected, it can actually force its way between the main seals (also known as duo cone seals) and let all kinds of nasty debris inside your drive motor. This can lead to expensive damage. The image below is a good illustration of how much packed debris can impact your final drive motor.
Conclusion
Here at Texas Final Drive, we want to help keep your drive motors running. And we know that a little maintenance can go a long ways!
