When Final Drive Bearings Go Bad

The image below shows the results of a catastrophic bearing failure on a final drive for a Bobcat T-190 Compact Track Loader. Notice how the metal looks like it’s been chewed on – once a bearing starts to fail, it can take everything with it. This front bearing took out the axle with it. Nothing can be done to repair this damage – replacement is certainly in order.

Preventing Bearing Failure

So what could have been done to prevent this failure? Well, bearings don’t have an unlimited life, but proper maintenance can help to prevent this type of damage. One thing you can do to prolong the life of the bearings in your final drive or travel motor is to follow the maintenance schedule for draining and refilling the bearing lubricant. If the lubricant isn’t changed out often enough, the bearing can be severely damaged.

There are two drain plugs present to facilitate this. They aren’t always noticeable because it’s easy for them to get covered up with mud and dirt, but, as shown in the image below, they are present and waiting to help you with maintaining those bearings in your final drive.

Warning Signs

Another way to prevent or mitigate this kind of damage is to watch out for warning signs that the bearings aren’t performing at their best. One way you can tell your bearings are going out is excessive vibration and noise or an overheating gearbox (if the gearbox steams when water hits it, it’s overheating). Also, if the outer seal is leaking then you can expect some wear in the bearing, too.

Conclusion

Bearings can fail on any track loader machine with a sealed front hub assembly. These failures can occur for a variety of reasons, but the best way to keep good bearings from going bad in your travel motor or final drive is to follow the manufacturer’s scheduled maintenance guidelines and don’t ignore symptoms that indicate something is wrong.