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jd 4300 front axle problem

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BARNEE
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 64 South Texas
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2003-11-14          68730

Hi all, in looking thru the posts i keep seeing references to a front axle problem on the jd 4300, but no real specifics. Can someone enlighten me on this or point to a link or something where i can read up on it?? Also, i see references to archives for this site, but don't see a link to them on any of the website pages. Could be my aging eyes don't allow me to focus none too pretty good...

Any help would be appreciated. I've already learned a lot from your posts.


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jd 4300 front axle problem

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Chief
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 4297 Southwest MiddleTennessee
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2003-11-14          68735

Plug in the serial # of your tractor and see what comes up. You may already have the improved front axle. The older axles caused scuffing on turf. ....


Link:   PIP Check

 
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kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2003-11-14          68736

I've looked for links to this problem too and haven't found much. From lurking around the tractor boards for awhile I have developed the impression that the problems are not of a mechanical reliability nature but rather a usability issue. I understand the problem to be that the front tires tear up the turf pretty badly on turns with the original axle. This is bad if you're trying to finish mow but probably not a big deal for field work.

Hopefully somebody with more knowledge of this issue and the JD resolution will post some more info. ....

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Billy
Join Date: Oct 1999
Posts: 975 Southeast Oklahoma
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2003-11-14          68741

Ken is correct in his assessment of this problem.

I had a JD 4600 that had this problem. The thing is, I didn't know it was a fixable problem. I just thought that was the way it was suppose to be. It only showed up during turns while finish mowing.

I always blamed it on the ribbed AG tires (2wheel drive). If I had found this site back then, I could have had it fixed for the guy who has it now...LOL

Chief, I never could get that PIP looker upper to find any PIPs. I've tried it numerous times. Even tried it using the serial number off the old 4600 (and I know it had some PIPs).

Have you had it to come up with any PIPs? ....

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kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 5764 NW Oregon
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2003-11-14          68742

I don't think the PIP lookup feature works as JD intended. It's probably supposed to pop up a window that says "Contact your dealer" whenever you enter a serial number LOL ....

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Billy
Join Date: Oct 1999
Posts: 975 Southeast Oklahoma
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2003-11-14          68743

LMAO...you nailed it Ken ....

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Chief
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 4297 Southwest MiddleTennessee
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2003-11-14          68744

Good call Ken!!!!! I've been PIP'd!!!!!!!!!! LOL!!!! ;-) ....

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Chief
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 4297 Southwest MiddleTennessee
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2003-11-14          68745

If you go WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY back in the John Deere section, you will find some post from guys who bought the first 4000 series tractors and ran into this axle problem. My understanding of it is that these axles caused significant turf damage especially when turning. John Deeres fix to this was to replace the axles on tractors that had MMM's or finishing mowers on them; or in some cases when the customer complained with an updated axle that did not cause this type of damage. I don't think it was a problem with the actual mechanical durability of the axle itself. Unless you plan to do lawn type mowing and want a nice finished cut this may not be an issue. ....

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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2003-11-14          68747

I had a few colleagues and golf course owners who had bought them, BIG problems on turf no doubt about it.

Recently however the problem reared it's ugly head again near here, but in a completely unexpected way.

There is a big JD dealer nearby who managed to sell quite a few JD 4x00's to the local municipalities & the county for combined park maintenance (mostly ball diamond grooming & parking lot sweeping) & sidewalk plowing units. I guess a few years of running on hard surfaces in 4wd have taken their toll on those out of sync. front ends.

The largest of the municipalities struck a deal with JD & the dealer, they got brand new 4300's and traded in their now 3 year old units.

Upgrade cost is only $3,500 per unit if you can believe the rumour mill.... The fleet manager said "I'm not allowed to say anything." when asked by one person.

A big company bailing out a dealer and buying silence?

Best of luck. ....

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Chief
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 4297 Southwest MiddleTennessee
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2003-11-14          68749

It would seem to me that it sure would have been A LOT cheaper to put different height tires on these machines so the mismatch in axle compatability could have been evened out. I think I am missing something here. Could someone "'Splainit" to me???? ;-) ....

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BARNEE
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 64 South Texas
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2003-11-14          68752

Thanx all for the info. It's very helpful. There's a guy that's selling a JD 4300 that I'm looking into. ....

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Billy
Join Date: Oct 1999
Posts: 975 Southeast Oklahoma
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2003-11-14          68753

Murf, I've never heard of a problem with out of sync. front ends. Was I asleep? I do know the front axle problem wasn't due to this. ....

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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2003-11-14          68759

I don't mean out of sync. from a gearing aspect, but rather from a geometry aspect, one wheel turns in a different arc than the other. In a situation where a machine rarely leaves pavement the extra load transmitted to the front end adds up.

It manifested itself in dramatically shortened front tire life, the dealer managed to fluff it off till they started having front end driveline problems, and not just with ONE machine, it appeared on every machine beginning with X number of hours on the clock.

It's pretty hard to say it's a driver problem or application related issue when it happens to every one of the green tractors at about the same point and the blue ones and orange ones at other municipalities are fine, some of them with many more hours on them doing exactly the same work.

Just another instance of one commercial year of operation equalling MANY homeowner years.

Best of luck. ....

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jdgreen
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 232 Maryland
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2003-11-14          68786

the problem was not gear ratio related. the size of the tires would not have helped. the problem was in the geometry of the steering linkage. If anyone is familiar with automotive front end alignment terminology, The toe-out on turns was not configured properly. In some cases I have been able to set straight ahead toe to about 1/4" toe out to help the situation. If anyone still has this issue I'd recommend playing with toe in adjustment to see if they can get any improvement. I don't know if deere is still replacing any of these axles, it is a pretty old issue now. ....

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