Does your Skid Steer final drive / Track Motor need replacing?

Skid steers are immensely popular in the USA due to their versatility and efficiency in various construction and landscaping projects. These compact, powerful machines are favored for their maneuverability in tight spaces and their ability to handle a wide range of tasks with different attachments, from digging and grading to lifting and hauling. The demand for skid steers spans residential, commercial, and agricultural sectors, making them a staple in American construction equipment fleets. Their popularity is also boosted by the availability of rental options, allowing even small contractors to access this essential equipment.

5 signs your Skid Steer final drives needs replacing:

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.

With a huge range of OEM & Aftermarket Skid steer final drives, Pro Construction Parts is the ONE STOP SHOP for replacing your final drive.