Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. 591 Chapter 17 ∣ Final Drives Repair Final drives, like other heavy equipment power train components, are very heavy. Over- head cranes are needed for removal and installation. Some manufacturers provide service procedures for disassembling outboard planetary final drives while the final drive housing remains attached to the machine. If a final drive needs repair, read the service literature before starting the repair. It may not be necessary to split a track or remove a wheel or final drive housing if the goal is to remove and replace the final drive gears. However, special lifting tools are needed to pull and remove heavy components. Replacing Skid Steer Drive Chains Drive chains must eventually be replaced. Always follow the manufacturer service litera- ture when making repairs. Some skid steer drive chains do not have a master link, requir- ing the chains to be removed and installed without being split. Gaining access to the drive chain requires removing the tires, possibly draining the oil, and removing the chain drive access cover and drive axles. To remove the axle housing, a bolt may be needed to push the axle shaft out of the driven sprocket. For example, in a Case 90XT skid steer, a cover on the inside frame needs to be removed in order to access the pusher bolt. The pusher bolt is threaded into the housing to push the axle off the skid steer’s frame. If the chain has a tensioning mechanism, the tensioner must be loosened. The axle housing, the drive sprocket, driven sprocket, and chain from the chain cover housing are removed next. The chain is reinstalled in the reverse order. Replacing Motor Grader Drive Chains Always refer to the manufacturer’s service literature for the specific steps required to replace tandem chain drives on a motor grader. The following are general steps for replac- ing the chains: To remove the chains, do the following: 1. Chock the front wheels. 2. Remove driveshaft. 3. Lift the rear frame and place it on jack stands. 4. Drain the tandem drive oil reservoir. 5. Remove the walkway from the top of the tandem drive and the access covers. 6. Place the plate (tooling) under the chain. 7. The master link must be positioned at the top. Depending on the size of the motor grader, the chain can by heavy, ranging from 70 pounds on an average sized motor grader to 300 pounds on a Caterpillar 24M mining motor grader. A special tool is sometimes required to hold pressure on the two ends of the chain. The tool is used to add or remove tension from the two ends of the chain. After removing the master link cotter pin, remove the master link and separate the chain. 8. Using a lift, remove the chain. To install the chains, do the following: 1. Using a lift, install the chain. 2. Install the master link using a chain tool to add or remove enough tension so that the two ends of the chain can be connected with a master link. The master link will have to be blocked into position. 3. Install cotter pins. 4. Install access covers. 5. Lower the machine to the ground. 6. Fill the fluid reservoir. 7. Install the driveshaft. 8. Remove wheel chocks.