If you have a B7100D, B7001D or B6000D the front differential carrier may be broken.
On my B7100D I removed the front differential housing bolts and separated the two housings only to discover that the differential carrier had split in half. Unfortunately I had not discovered this early enough, so with continued use it had also damaged the ring gear.
I then tried to find parts only to discover that they are discontinued. So I found someone who was wrecking these tractors, they had a front axil that they could get the parts from. Unfortunately after splitting the axil to remove the parts they found differential carrier was also broken in half. Luckily the ring gear was intact.
Unfortunately, you cannot tell externally if the carrier is broken. It is worth checking when you next service your tractor. To split the housing drain the oil, then back out the 8 bolts ¼” (6mm) Using a block of wood and a hammer, Place the wood against the ball and then hit the wood with the hammer. The housing will separate, then remove the bolts and lift out. The differential will pull straight out or if it is broken it will probably just fall out, so place something soft under the axil to protect the ring gear if it falls out. Inspect if ok then add sealer and re assemble.
The differential carrier is weak, it is a cast part and it has a large square hole on each side making it prone to breaking. I decided to build a stronger carrier for my tractor. So I designed up a new carrier and had it CNC out of 4140 steel. I have since fitted it to the tractor and I am now much more confident in the front differential.
This is the front axil type on the older Kubota's
On my B7100D I removed the front differential housing bolts and separated the two housings only to discover that the differential carrier had split in half. Unfortunately I had not discovered this early enough, so with continued use it had also damaged the ring gear.
I then tried to find parts only to discover that they are discontinued. So I found someone who was wrecking these tractors, they had a front axil that they could get the parts from. Unfortunately after splitting the axil to remove the parts they found differential carrier was also broken in half. Luckily the ring gear was intact.
Unfortunately, you cannot tell externally if the carrier is broken. It is worth checking when you next service your tractor. To split the housing drain the oil, then back out the 8 bolts ¼” (6mm) Using a block of wood and a hammer, Place the wood against the ball and then hit the wood with the hammer. The housing will separate, then remove the bolts and lift out. The differential will pull straight out or if it is broken it will probably just fall out, so place something soft under the axil to protect the ring gear if it falls out. Inspect if ok then add sealer and re assemble.
The differential carrier is weak, it is a cast part and it has a large square hole on each side making it prone to breaking. I decided to build a stronger carrier for my tractor. So I designed up a new carrier and had it CNC out of 4140 steel. I have since fitted it to the tractor and I am now much more confident in the front differential.
This is the front axil type on the older Kubota's
