How Many X Models

pop58 said:
This will be interesting.

I hope they check the movement before they take it apart, they will see what the cause most likely is.

I disagree with the rep when he said "it needs that movement for the U-Jounts" I don't think it needs that movement.

If they don't come up with something then I guess we will come up with something. And if that happens then Kubota will not like that because everyone in the world will know that we had to fix there problem. Ill see to that.
But lets give them a chance.
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Pop

I agree with you why would the movement need to be there for the u- joint that's the purpose of a u-joint so it flexes and corrects for different angles.

While the hub stays stationary just imagine if you bought a new car with all wheel drive and had all this slop. I call :bsflag2::bsflag2:

These dealers should all get together and stop selling them until they fix it. Then we would see some fast results. And stop :beatdeadhorse5::beatdeadhorse5::beatdeadhorse5: :yum::yum:
 
Pop and Rotor I agree with you on the slop, what that rep said is BS. Just a few milimeters of tire thread difference can screw up the tranny in AWD vehicle.
 
Pops,

I'll bet the design is a take-off from the Polaris as the setup is very similar. Works well on ATVs and I'm betting Kubota copied the design because Polaris has a very good suspension. If it wasn't Polaris it was one of the other ATV builders. They did not re-invent the wheel so to speak.

Anyway, someone with mechanical skills could easily take their own machine apart and check. Easily done and would not hurt the warranty.

All X model owners will be facing this maintenance job as the plastic bushings will wear. Adding grease nipples to the shafts is a huge help.

Most probable cause is the plastic bushings being too loose/broken/missing. I would doubt the other parts were manufactured of machined wrong.

We should start a poll for what everyone things is the problem.

The issue with our Polaris was a bad CV boot and when removing the drive shafts we found the splines that engage the drive shaft to the differential were dry and rusty. Polaris mechanic advised us to remove all drive shafts and apply anti-seize to the splines otherwise they are known to seize in place and make removing years down the road almost impossible. In so doing we replaced all suspensions bushings, add grease fittings to all shafts. About 1,000 miles on the ATV and the plastic bushings were in good shape, but because of the amount of work we replaced them anyway.
 

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SpudHauler said:
Pops,
Anyway, someone with mechanical skills could easily take their own machine apart and check. Easily done and would not hurt the warranty.

All X model owners will be facing this maintenance job as the plastic bushings will wear. Adding grease nipples to the shafts is a huge help.QUOTE]

SpudHauler, I respect what you are saying.

But, in my opinion....
A owner of a RTV, expecially a Brand New Unit. Should not have to even jack one up, shake, look and see IF this is working or that it's working. It should have been
engineered and produced to perform. That is the reason I purchased a KUBOTA RTV.

THIS IS WE PAID KUBOTA FOR.
We buy these things to work with. No work on !!!

Owners should not have to fork out this much money. And then have to think, worry, complain, take time to researce, flood dealers with questions. Contact the manufacture, etc... etc ....
The owners should have to be able to work with their investment. Hell, if I am going to let MONEY sit. I'm going to put that $15-$18,000 in a interest bearing account.

............. I still love my old RTV. It has been a blessing !!!!
.......... two guns
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Two Guns,

I agree with you and what you just said 100%.

I'm just suggesting someone who is waiting may want to investigate.

You have to be a mechanic to understand my curiosity. ha ha

Kubota will come with a fix, but if I had one I'd want to know.
 
I agree with you Two Guns, and Spudhauler I respect what you said . The thing is ,if I am buying a new machine, I expect it to run like one. This is more serious than the rattling drive shaft of the older models- which I also had. I was left holding the bag on that one after the 365 days went out on the warranty and K corp never worried about me a bit.. Pretty much it was "I could kiss 'em where the sun don't shine" on day 366. I love my current 2011 RTV 900xt and think it is awesome but am saddened by the lack of concern for the serious suspension problem many owners are having on the newly designed machines... What do I want from them? I want them to address the problem on these new units -- do a recall and do a permanent fix or else refund the purchase price. If they really believe there is no problem with the suspension, I challenge them to give a 5 year extended unconditional warranty covering all aspects of parts and labor on the suspension at no charge to the owners of this new design... bordercollie
 
I took my machine apart and dissected all components.

I haven't much time right now but will post some pictures and explain what I found later.

On the short note I have to say IMO I believe it is by design and nothing will be damaged.
So in defense of Kubota I believe us new X owners will be ok.
 
Thanks Pop, I hope you are right, this was a wake up call for me, because I fell into the category of guilty until proven innocent way too quickly and I normally try very hard to avoid that. Only time will tell if a real problem exists but it will never explain why the big "K" didn't come clean with some kind of statement after the concerns were brought foreword.
 
As I mentioned earlier I took my machine apart at the rear hub and check everything out and after measuring and inspecting everything I come to the conclusion that all is good.

Remember one thing, this is my opinion. Someone else might think different and that's ok.

It is very easy to take this apart and inspect.
The top of the hub is exactly the same as the bottom.

I was expecting to see a small pin, plastic bushings, or a bad bore in the
hub itself. None of the above.

These parts fit together very snug and all are to proper size I believe.

The reason we have movement is because the bushings are made of rubber. That's right, rubber. I would never have thought the bushings would be made of rubber.

There is no damage, marks, scratches of any kind on the hub.

The rubber bushings seem to be made of medium density high quality and fit in the hub with a good tight fit. The knuckle pins fit in the rubber bushings with a good tight fit also.

The movement is from the rubber giving a little bit and not from slop in the A-Arms.
This might even be better then brass, steel or plastic bushings. Only time will tell. But I do feel confident that this will not be an issue.

The pictures below show the knuckle, pin and bushings of the rear lower left but I did take both sides top and bottom apart and inspect and found nothing wrong.

Now I don't like movement either but whatever Kubota says this movement is for or not for and whether you agree or disagree I can tell you this.

In my honest opinion it looks to be built very tough with quality parts and I don't think this will be an issue.
It looks like it is suppose to be that way. For the better of course.




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Thanks Pop

I see more clearly but I also see potential for failure. I can't understand for the life of me why would you use rubber at the hub and not on the a- arm side instead.

The hub is the weak point of the suspension IMO.

I was at my dealer today and talked to some of the shop mechanics and they were also amazed at the slop in the wheel.

One of the mechs just came back from school and he said they didn't know nothing about the slack and he told them to jacked it up and show the instructor kubota rep and rest of the students.

They called kubota and were informed the same answer it's made that way.

So I guess time will tell and hopefully it won't be at the expense of us the customers. I have to really rethink this model and the new design.
 
Sounds pretty much like what I was told when I was asking around the different dealers. Could be ground breaking new design or simple failure. Guess we will see as time will certainly tell.
 
Tail,
ive been in quality for 35 years and in a way it might make sense. Mind you I said "might make sense".
It might be a new concept. I will give Kubota the benefit of the doubt and assume they did there research on this.
There is no metal to metal contact and you don't have to grease them which causes sand to stick to them.
As you say though,time will tell.
And if and when we have to change them my guess would be the knuckle will not be damaged at that time and the rubber bushing should not be that much.

Don't know how that last picture got in there. I was for blk65brd's threads.
 
Thanks Pop! At least we know what is in there now. I didn't hear anything today but mine is at the dealer and was to be torn apart today by them and the rep. It is to be returned to me tomorrow or Friday so it will be interesting if they come up with the same explanation. It didn't seem that PT got much of an explanation from his dealer. Maybe when he picked it up they gave him a better idea of their explanation as well.

I really like this new machine and hate to return it. They will take it back if that is what I want. The brought my old one to me to use while mine was there and I like it but I really like the new one.
 
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