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Locked differential


deebig

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The one thing I like about my AC314 is that it pulls like a mule. I have pulled up small trees and shrubs and fence posts. I recently discovered the differential is locked and I never realized it until I jacked it up to test differential. Now I'm wondering if I   unlock or repair differential will I lose traction? I don't drive on hard surfaces and the turf tires don't really churn up the grass while cutting. So my question is if I return to OEM limited-slip will I be worse off?

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My Allis Homelite was like this until the gears finally tore themselves apart. I liked it enough that I welded it together. I have other tractors. Tires being equal, nothing pulls like the Allis T16H. You will lose traction. You will be able to steer easier. Mine turns great in reverse.

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19 hours ago, kwt said:

My Allis Homelite was like this until the gears finally tore themselves apart. I liked it enough that I welded it together. I have other tractors. Tires being equal, nothing pulls like the Allis T16H. You will lose traction. You will be able to steer easier. Mine turns great in reverse.

Are you saying your T16H has a locked (welded) differential? Any problems or regrets? I can pull a box blade uphill and completely load it up with dirt and rocks without a hint of wheel spin. I'm afraid of losing that ability if I return to LS. Steering was somewhat tricky if I raised the box blade while making a sharp turn. I solved it somewhat by leaving the mower deck on tractor for added weight.....I made a latch to hold deck up high when not mowing.

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I don't regret it. When I got this tractor in about 2000 the diff was already locked. I didn't know any better until I did some research. Having run it with it locked for half a decade, and having few ill effects, I decided that I wouldn't fix it. Well, last year somebody was operating it and came to me and said that it wouldn't move. I pulled it apart and saw destroyed gears. It was totally slipping. I theorized that they were messed up when I got it, and they finally gave way. I thought about fixing it proper, but decided that welding some spacers between the two half's would be cheaper and less down time.

 

I don't know if I would recommend it to somebody with one tractor and a functional diff, but that wasn't me. You already know how it handles.

 

Mine is currently relegated to tiller duty. Turf tires and no rear weights or chains. To keep the front down I fabbed a weight consisting of about 7" of 4" pipe with a 3/4" pipe centered in it length ways. The space between the two is filled with melted wheel weights. It's heavy. I hold it on with a single long pin that goes through both holes that normally hold the front drive mule for a deck or blower, and through the weight.

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I don't recommend a locked differential...but

If you like the locked diff., I would suggest that you pull the right hub off and look at the gears.  If it is locked because of 1 planetary gear in wrong, that is a lot of load on one small gear.  I would take the diff apart and make all the planetary gears wrong so the load is spread over the whole diff.

 

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That is most likely the way mine was until that one gear let loose and I ended up with a hand full scrap metal packed in grease. It's probably best to take it apart and see whats going on. Especially if you aren't handy with a welder.

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