Signs of Bearing Failure in Final Drives

No piece of construction equipment is free from potential problems. The best way to deal with breakdowns is to have as much knowledge as possible about the problem and deal with it immediately. Because there are so many moving parts in a final drive, it can be hard at times to distinguish what might be causing a malfunction. Here are some signs of bearing failure in final drives that you should know.

Overheating

The first indication that there might be bearing failure is if you start to experience overheating. Your final drive will start to overheat due to the excessive amounts of friction it goes through when being used. A John Deere final drive, for example, is a major tool in construction that is heavily demanded. Therefore, it stands to reason that it may begin to overheat after enough use.

Loud Sounds

Make sure to look out for loud sounds from your final drive. While a final drive motor is bound to make some kind of noise, you will most likely recognize when things sound out of place with your piece of operating equipment. A bearing failure will typically release a grinding noise because of realignment or a squealing noise due to direct bearing damage.

Uncommon Vibrations

Another symptom of bearing failure in a final drive is having vibrations with the equipment that you aren’t normally used to hearing. A final drive is a well-oiled machine with many moving parts working together. If one part is out of line, then you might start to feel some unusual vibrations as you operate the heavy-duty equipment.

Difficult to Control

A final sign of bearing failure in final drives relates to the controlling of the equipment. A bearing’s role is to help rotating parts move smoothly without too much friction that would cause overheating. If you have problems moving your final drive, then you might be dealing with a bearing issue.