If your compact track loader or skid steer has started making unusual noises, don’t ignore it. Strange sounds are one of the first signs that something may be going wrong inside your final drive motor. And if you catch the problem early, you might be able to avoid costly repairs—or worse, a complete failure that brings your jobsite to a halt.
Final drive motors are essential components in heavy machinery. They turn hydraulic energy into mechanical motion to propel equipment. Understanding their function, maintenance, and common issues is crucial for optimal performance and longevity. Here are some frequently asked questions about final drive motors.
Here are some other Shop Talk Blog posts you might be interested in:
- 5 Questions You Should Ask About a Final Drive Before Buying It
- Basic Types of Hydraulic Fluid for Heavy and Compact Equipment
- Valve Blocks on Final Drive Hydraulic Motors
What is a final drive motor?
A final drive motor is a hydraulic motor that converts hydraulic pressure into mechanical torque. It drives the tracks or wheels of both heavy and compact equipment like excavators, compact track loaders, and skid steer loaders. A final drive motor combines a hydraulic motor with a gear reduction system to provide the necessary force for movement.
Think final drive motors don’t need maintenance? Think again! While they’re built to last, ignoring routine care can lead to big problems down the road—like leaks, breakdowns, or even total failure. The good news? A little maintenance goes a long way in keeping your equipment running smoothly, saving you time and money.
In this post, we’re busting common myths about final drive motors and sharing simple tips to keep them in top shape. Let’s dive in and set the record straight!
Here are a few other blog posts that might interest you:
- Final Drive Motor Maintenance: Key Practices to Extend Equipment Life
- Catastrophic Failure: Why Gear Oil Maintenance is So Important
- Hydraulic System Health: Preventive Maintenance for Compact Equipment
1. Myth: Final Drive Motors Are Completely Maintenance-Free
Reality: While final drive motors are durable, they must be regularly maintained. Maintenance includes:
- Checking and changing the gear oil
- Cleaning the undercarriage and around the final drive
- Fluid analysis
Besides the obvious benefits of maintenance, it also ensures the life of your final drive, enhances efficiency, and helps promote excellent performance. If you don’t want to be stranded with a compact machine that won’t move or have to pay costly repair or replacement costs for your final drive, maintain your final drive motors. Neglecting maintenance can lead to decreased machine performance, increased fuel consumption, and even total machine failure.
The effects of cavitation are usually pretty easy to identify -- it causes a metal surface to have a pitted, crater-like appearance. What happens when cavitation takes place, and how it actually causes damage to normally resistant metals, isn’t quite as well known. In this Shop Talk Blog post, we’ll be talking about what causes cavitation and why it can result in so much damage.
Here are a few other posts from our Shop Talk Blog series ...
Final drive motors, travel motors, and wheel motors are costly and vital to your equipment. When you run into problems with them, you might want to do what the professionals do. Here is some professional advice on how to handle problems with the hydraulic motors on your equipment.
Here are a few more blog posts you might find helpful ...
Every hydraulic motor, final drive, and travel motor is going to have bearings. Those bearings are a key component in its design and vital to its efficient operation. When bearings fail, quickly take out other parts and can render a hydraulic motor irreparably damaged. In this Shop Talk Blog post, you will learn key facts that you need to know about bearings and final drive motors.
Here are a few other blog posts you might want to take a look at ...
On excavators, swivel joint problems can cause your travel motors to seem weak or perform unpredictably. If the problem is your swivel joint, then replacing the travel motors won’t help. In this Shop Talk Blog post, we are going to review what a swivel joint does, how it can affect your travel motors, and how to track down the real source of your problem.
Here are a few more Shop Talk Blog posts you might find helpful ...
Your mini excavator is the key piece of equipment in a major project with a very fussy client. Everything is going according to schedule, and it looks like there will be no problem in meeting the deadline coming up in just two days. That is, until something whizzes by you while you're inspecting some recent work on site. You rush over there to take a look at what flew by and recognize it as the cover plate off the travel motor on your excavator. Your worst nightmare about final drives and travel motors has just come to life.
Here are a few other posts you might find of interest ...
Bearings are one of those components on your final drive motor that is eventually going to wear out. Sometimes, however, they wear out sooner than they should. In this Shop Talk Blog post, we are going to discuss what contributes to bearing failure and how you can maximize the life of your bearings.
Here are some other blog posts we have that you might find helpful ...
Bearings provide support, aid in alignment, constrain motion, minimize the wear and tear experienced by other components, and reduce friction. They are an indispensable part of your final drive motor, and when they fail the results can be catastrophic and irreparable. In this blog post, we are going to review the basics of bearings in a final drive and discuss topics including maintenance, cleaning, inspection, and signs of failure.
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