RTV 900 Moves in 4wd but not 2WD

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waynewills

New member
Greetings,
I am new to the forum. Have a 2005 RTV 900. Machine moves in 4WD but not in 2WD. Engine revs fine in 2wd but will slowly engage and move slightly. Any assistance in pointing me in the right direction would be greatly appreciated. Thx Wayne
 
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waynewills

New member
Got the machine off the ground today and noticed two things: 1) inner U joint (right rear) noticeably worn with tons of play. No idea about condition of in the inner U joint. Tire turns when placed in F and R when off the ground; 2) tons of play on lt. rear wheel hub. I think the bearing is shot.

Will likely change axles on both sides since I will dropping the axle housing and changing bearings and seals (which I've had for a couple of years) The 2WD "engagement" issue seems to be intermittent. I sincerely appreciate thus group pointing me in the right direction.

Wayne
 
bordercollie

bordercollie

Gold Site Supporter
Gold Site Supporter
The rear u joints in the old models are easier to replace than they used to be just because the parts are more available. I replaced mine several times in the years I owned my 2005 and then 2011/12 RTV s. The first time I did the replacement wasn't the best but the second time was pretty easy Because of what I learned what not to do the first time.
Be sure that you have the u joint shafts phased when putting everything back together so mark them before taking apart ( the shafts) where they fit together. There are several post on here about it. The post "rear u joints needed again" might give you some ideas. https://www.nettractortalk.com/forums/threads/new-rear-u-joints-needed-again.13788/
 
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waynewills

New member
Sir, all of you are a wealth of information and I enjoy reading the various threads that you direct me to. Do you think the worn U-joint would involve "no" movement whatsoever or do is it likely that something else is going too? All of you seem to be very handy, i.e. mechanics/machinist which I really admire. I am just dyi/wanna bee mechanic with some skills and tools. I was planning or looking into purchasing two new (after market) axle assemblies. I live in Hawaii and the machine is on a neighboring island. Though that island has a Kubota dealership I did not want to se d it out as they are very, very, expensive. Also, do you think a small slide hammer/bearing puller be able to get the inner and outer bearings out of the axle housing/bumper.

Not sure if the sharing of my phone number is permitted o. this forum but I would love to speak with one of you experts.

Thanks again,

Wayne
 
bordercollie

bordercollie

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The guys on here are first rate and most are real knowledgeable. I'm not to bad for an old lady farmer but don't remember some details like I use to.
How many hours are on your machine? The u joints would look "broken" and just hanging (in my opinion) if they were the sole culprit. So when you have it elevated and turn the rear wheels by hand, look at the rear joints and see if they move or not. I f memory serves me right , I made a bearing puller out of a big long bolt and big washers. I used the impact wrench and it to pull out the bearings. I believe there is a picture of it in the FIRST thread I did on this replacement.. but again, that thread had some things I wouldn't do again.
If you posted your number anywhere on the internet you would probably have to toss your phone because of all of the low life "bots" out there . Best way is probably by private messages or just right here on the best forum around.
 
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waynewills

New member
I have 1980 hours on the machine. I am the second owner and purchased in 2016 on a US Gov auction. Init was operated by the National Park Service.

U joints do move wobble when turning wheels by hand. Just thinking that splines are worn to the point where the wheels engage only sometimes when machine is on the ground. Will find out soon when I tear the machine down. Thanks again.
 
bordercollie

bordercollie

Gold Site Supporter
Gold Site Supporter
Even after over 4000 hrs, on each of my RTV's, the splines on my RTV's axle shafts were never worn out so I can't comment on buying any aftermarkets. I would think , that those ujoints are nearing their end of life so would consider replacing them when doing the other work. The hardest part of the job is removing the tubed "bumper" and then getting it all back . It's a "feel good " job when done... just remember to phase those shafts. Our member Mark S Sobile didn't the first time , and had to take it back apart to get that done.
 
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waynewills

New member
Thank you very much and will report back in a couple of weeks. Really hoping it is related to U joints and / or splines as I think I will be able to tackle that vs. swash plate/bearing issue or a pressure issue.

I did read the thread on your bearing puller. I believe there was a XXL green washer on the tool. Nice!

Wayne
 
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waynewills

New member
waynewills said:
Thank you very much and will report back in a couple of weeks. Really hoping it is related to U joints and / or splines as I think I will be able to tackle that vs. swash plate/bearing issue or a pressure issue.

I did read the thread on your bearing puller. I believe there was a XXL green washer on the tool. Nice!

Wayne
Click to expand...
Greetings from Hawaii - the fun has begun. Dropped the rear axle today and this is what i have found thus far:
1) female splines on lt. rear wheel hub gone;
2) lt. rear outer male splines that travel thru bearing assembly compromised;
3) lt. rear inner axle bearing bad shape and moving freely.
4) rt. rear inner U joint bad, wobbling and close to failure.

I am still perplexed as i have lack of 2wd most of the time. Isn't the right rear wheel axle the Primary drive for 2wd operations?

Just examining the axle/bumper assembly i can tell it will be a project to get the bearings and seals out. Saving that for another day.

Best Regards, wayne
 
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waynewills

New member
Thanks for the guidance folks. Got everything changed out yesterday and have 2WD working again; even climbing hills in 2WD low. Took the better part.of the day getting parts cleaned and doing the U Joint "phasing" wasn't so simple working solo. Rear axle hubs were from Messick's and the entire axles were "Caiman's" made by American CV (China). I will say the axle assemblies seem to be very robust with grease nipples on the U Joints. If I would have gone with OEM Kubota parts, Ala Carte the cost would have been at least 4 times what I paid.

As someone previous mentioned - definitely a "feel good" project.

Still one slight problem -differential locking mechanism (pedal/linkage) stuck and non-operable. Will dive into that next.
 
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waynewills

New member
Bordercollie et al,
The Diff Lock was frozen and but now is free, lubed and working properly. This is the first time the machine has had this capability since my ownership. This machine is a Tank/Beast! I have read many articles about lack of speed but for my needs it is perfect with the winch and hydraulic dump bed.
Are there any resources out there for used spare parts, i.e. tailgate?
Next project is repairing rusted floor in the front cabin.
Thanks again.
 
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