When the final drive motors on your skid steer stop working, everything comes to a halt. So if you're interested in how to keep them running, then read on! We are going to talk about five things to be on the look out for.

Sign #1: Excessive Noise or Vibration

One thing to look out for is a drive that suddenly starts  making a lot of noise or starts vibrating. Either of these can mean your bearings are worn out and can lead to a serious damage inside your hydraulic motor. The kind of damage that comes from an extreme bearing failure really can’t be repaired. If an operator notices excessive vibration, it would probably be a good time to get your hydraulic motor serviced. You certainly don’t want to wait until the damage reaches the point that the entire motor has to be replaced, as is the case with the final drive shown above.

Sign #2: Drive Refuses to Turn

If you drive refuses to turn, that is obviously a serious problem, but it doesn’t always mean something is wrong with your  hydraulic motor. First check that the brake is releasing and then check that the hydraulic fluid is actually reaching the drive. If those two things check out, then your hydraulic motor may be worn out and need replacement. 

Sign #3: Leaks

If your hydraulic motor is leaking fluid, that means either the seals or bearings are a problem.If either fails, it can quickly lead to a domino effect of disaster, resulting in a totaled hydraulic motor that needs to be replaced. Regularly perform a quick visual inspection on your skid steer motors to check for leaks, and get those leaks checked out as soon as they are detected.

Sign #4: Skid Steer Lacks Power

A skid steer that just doesn’t have any power can have problems that don’t directly involve the hydraulic motor. It might be that can't seem to move the kind of load that didn't use to be a problem or it is having trouble going up inclines.  As with the case of a drive refusing to turn, the problem may not be your hydraulic motor. Your best bet would be to exhaust the other possible sources  before sending your motor off to be evaluated. For example, check the hydraulic pressure at hydraulic motor. Make sure the charge pump is working ok. If the motor is variable speed, make sure that it isn’t stuck at high speed because higher speeds mean less torque and less turning power. If those aren’t the problem, then you probably need some service on your hydraulic motor.

Sign #5: Steers to One Side

The same information for a weak final drive motor also applies for a skid steer that keeps steering to one side, except it usually means that it’s just one of the hydraulic motors lacking power. The motor that is the cause of the problem will usually be on the same side that the skid steer keeps turning.

You Can Keep Your Skid Steer Rolling

Your hydraulic motors are what keeps your skid steer rolling and working for you, so if you have any of these signsget it serviced before the problems develop into something that can’t be repaired. If you do end up needing to replace your hydraulic motor, keep in mind that reman final drives are an option, too.