drivetrain puzzle gives that powertrain a tremendous amount of work-producing torque. The relatively tiny sun gear spins very rapidly as it turns the much larger planet gears, which in turn rotate the wheels or move the track. The more planet gears, the more driving power is delivered without overtaxing the drivetrain.
Signs of Failure
As with all components of all machines, final drives are subject to failure. What are some of the signs to look for? The most common indicators are heat, noise and leakage. If you throw some water on the exposed part of the final drive and it evaporates immediately, you have a problem with excessive heat. The motor itself may not be bad; it could be the result of hot hydraulic fluid. In either case, the drive should be serviced right away in order to forestall an on-thejob breakdown. Most heavy equipment is noisy. In the case of high-end excavators which can produce up to 512 horsepower, for example, the noise may even seem excessive. But if you can hear noise even above that, don’ t just chalk it up to the machine’ s working hard. Get it inspected as soon as possible. Leakage is also a common indicator of imminent failure. Leaks themselves are not necessarily an issue, but they may be a visible sign of a more serious internal problem. If discovered early on, a leak may not prevent the machine from finishing its job, but it should not go unresolved for long.
Purchasing Tips
Companies that sell aftermarket final drives will often cite gear ratio as the endall-be-all criteria for making a good purchase. Although
there is some merit in that, oftentimes that reasoning is used simply to sell their own products. Todd Resser, owner of Southwest Equipment Parts and 20-year veteran working with final drives, says there is more to purchasing the right drive than gear ratio.“ Overall speed is the critical data,” argues Todd.“ You can have the exact same gear ratio and still have a machine that spins in circles due to different motor displacement.”
Installation Tips
ConEquip Construction Equipment Parts offers these six tips for performing the proper installation of a final drive.
Giving the operation due diligence, you should research each of these in more depth before undertaking the installation.
1. Verify the correct part.
42 November 1, 2024 www. contractorshotline. com