Noisy split rims on WA180

Just started using my Komatsu WA180 again, been siting for a few months. I noticed a creaking and popping sound seamed like from one of the corners of the machine when working. I did not here it when I was on the machine but noticed it when someone else was running it. I listened closer and the sound seems to be coming from all the wheels. Is it typical for large split rims to make noise like that?
Regards
Paul R

dustmaker said:

Just started using my Komatsu WA180 again, been siting for a few months. I noticed a creaking and popping sound seamed like from one of the corners of the machine when working. I did not here it when I was on the machine but noticed it when someone else was running it. I listened closer and the sound seems to be coming from all the wheels. Is it typical for large split rims to make noise like that?
Regards
Paul R

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G'day dustmaker,
I run Komatsu wheel loaders and also other loaders over the years with the same split rim setup and I have never heard them creak, unless your wheels have a different setup. Are they tubeless tyres? I would have thought the air pressure would keep the ring locked up tight. The only other thing that would make those noises is loose wheel nuts, but it would be highly unlikely that all the wheels would be loose. Aside from that, it's got me beat.

Rn'R.

No split rim should make noise if the tire is properly inflated. I'd investigate further to see if it actually is the rim, if it were to come apart under pressure like that someone is liable to get seriously injured.

The creaking noise indicates movement somewhere, and nothing ought to be moving like that in the wheel area.

Clanking Rim ,

The only noise I can think you may hear from a 3/5 piece wheel is from the lock wedge ????? as the rim rotates.

tctractors

Steve Frazier said:

No split rim should make noise if the tire is properly inflated. I'd investigate further to see if it actually is the rim, if it were to come apart under pressure like that someone is liable to get seriously injured.

The creaking noise indicates movement somewhere, and nothing ought to be moving like that in the wheel area.

Click to expand...

I'm not trying to be a know-it-all dustmaker... but do not take the above words lightly. I know they are a little different than your rims... but a lot of tire shops won't even touch truck split rims anymore.

When do you here the noise?... Any time it's moving... or when you shuttle
from forward to reverse... does anything make it worse, or better... any
difference in a tight turn... did you apply any brake when driving... any
change in sound?? Does travel speed make any change? What about when
you're digging hard... any change in noise?

And... that's about enough noise from me... :laugh

Please keep us posted... interesting problem.


OCR

I would guess that your tyres are under inflated . Are they foam filled to prevent punctures ? If so they can look fully inflated but they dont push out on the beads with the same force .

Thanks for the response everyone. I can't investigate the sound further until someone else drives the machine while I listen to it. The noise did seem to be coming from all 4 wheels and all the time rolling over uneven ground. The tires are all inflated to 45psi, thats what Less Schwabs said to set them to. All the lug bolts are tight. If it was just one wheel I would suspect an axle bearing. One of the wheels was worked on recently, an o ring leak. Now the machine has sat for quite a while like 9 months. Also it could have been making the sound for a long time since this is the first time I have not been operating it and standing on the ground. The noise does not seem to be related to drive load or breaking just moving over the ground. It's loud enough to here from 50 feet away on the ground but don't really notice it from the seat. Strange, I will listen to it again in a few days.
Thanks again all for the response.
Pau R

dustmaker said:

One of the wheels was worked on recently, an o ring leak.

Click to expand...

Did you check the gear lube in the differential housings, dustmaker?


OCR

Are you axles rigid or does one pivot on a centre pin? If so and the creak is heard while travelling over uneven ground, check the pivot point isnt dry, eg grease it

AtlasRob said:

Are you axles rigid or does one pivot on a centre pin? If so and the creak is heard while travelling over uneven ground, check the pivot point isnt dry, eg grease it

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Ah!... you might have gotten it, old 'chap...


OCR

OCR said:

Ah!... you might have gotten it, old 'chap...


OCR

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Yer, but on the other hand I could look a right muppet if the axles are fixed I am not up to speed on all the different exc numbers let alone anything else.

AtlasRob said:

I am not up to speed

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Age does tend to cause that affliction... :lmao... :lmao

Ok...ok... :laugh

AtlasRob said:

Yer, but on the other hand I could look a right muppet if the axles are fixed I am not up to speed on all the different exc numbers let alone anything else.

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I found a spec. document for a WA180... rear axles pivot... I looked at a lot of pictures too... and some weren't very good, but I could not see anything
that looked like a split rim...but... :beatsme

Also, one thing that's been over looked... in the odyssey through trouble shooting land... are the u-joints...

I can't investigate the sound further until someone else drives the machine while I listen to it.

Click to expand...

I guess we'll have to wait.


OCR...

AtlasRob said:

Yer, but on the other hand I could look a right muppet if the axles are fixed I am not up to speed on all the different exc numbers let alone anything else.

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I think you are fairly safe, Atlas Rob, every wheel loader I have owned, the rear axle pivoted. It would be a pretty rough ride if all the axles were fixed. My only comment with the creaking coming from the pivot point is that it would never have been greased and be siezed up with rust. Usually if the pivots are dry and when they are worn you can feel the movement through the floor of the cab.

OCR said:

Age does tend to cause that affliction... :lmao... :lmao
Ok...ok... :laugh
I found a spec. document for a WA180... rear axles pivot... I looked at a lot of pictures too... and some weren't very good, but I could not see anything
that looked like a split rim...but... :beatsme
Also, one thing that's been over looked... in the odyssey through trouble shooting land... are the u-joints...
I guess we'll have to wait.
OCR...

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Split rim is perhaps a little bit misleading, OCR, depending if dustmaker has tubeless tyres or not. Tubeless loader rims have a sleeve approximately 5 or 6 inches wide and a shaped edge to house the bead of the tyre, that slides over the rim and under the outer bead of the tyre which then wedges on to this sleeve for the air seal. A rubber ring fits into a groove in the rim and behind the sleeve to create another air seal. A full circle ring goes on the rim to hold the sleeve from coming out under pressure and then a split locking ring locks into a groove in the rim to hold everything in place when the tyre is inflated. The bead of the tyre is not actually pushing against the split ring. While this system is to be treated with respect when inflating the tyre, it is not quite as hazardous as some of the old truck rims. I'm not sure if you can picture what I mean, but that is about the best way I can describe it.
I also thought of the U joints but usually if a U joint has collapsed or any other problems along the driveline, you will feel the chatter come up through the floor of the cab.
I will certainly be interested to know what the problem is. We are probably all barking up the wrong tree.

Rn'R.

Tubeless loader rims have a sleeve approximately 5 or 6 inches wide and a shaped edge to house the bead of the tyre, that slides over the rim and under the outer bead of the tyre which then wedges on to this sleeve for the air seal. A rubber ring fits into a groove in the rim and behind the sleeve to create another air seal. A full circle ring goes on the rim to hold the sleeve from coming out under pressure and then a split locking ring locks into a groove in the rim to hold everything in place when the tyre is inflated. The bead of the tyre is not actually pushing against the split ring. While this system is to be treated with respect when inflating the tyre, it is not quite as hazardous as some of the old truck rims. by Rn'R.

Click to expand...

Loud and clear Rn'R,

Same way our old Hough 80B is...tubeless... and a big o ring is the actual seal... I was just expounding on the dangers of the split ring type... if the ring is not installed properly, and blows off... hands, arms, faces, most
anything, goes with it... not good. That's what tire cages are for.

I think an even older style... the true split rim... were bolted together
close to the center... and had an inner sleeve device in the middle... might be wrong on this though.

But in the pictures I saw... the rims looked like plain tractor style rims... I
couldn't detect any rings, wedges, or bolts... other than the lugs... :beatsme

We are probably all barking up the wrong tree.

Click to expand...

Arf, arf... :laugh... let the odyssey continue...


OCR

dustmaker , try spraying some truck wash on the lock rings and go for a walk beside it . If it is the lock rings chances are the truck wash will quieten the noise and you will know what it is .

Noisy split rims on WA180:

We cannot abandon are quest... the truth is out there... :cool2... :laugh

Is this what dustmaker is referring to as a large split rim?

These are pictures of the tires and rims on our Hough 80B.






OCR

Noisy split rims on WA180:

Is this what we are referring to as a split ring... on a truck tire?






OCR

Those chains look about as handy as a hip pocket in a pair of underpants , their mostly below the tyre surface .

Split rim/split ring

G'day OCR,
The truck wheel has a split ring, but I would not call the loader wheel a split rim. The only thing split is the small locking ring that holds the sleeve and the inner ring (for the want of a better description) from coming off when the tyre is inflated, by locking to the rim. If dustmaker has the tyres inflated to 45psi, I would be very surprised if the noise was coming from there.

Rn'R.

Iron Horse said:

Those chains look about as handy as a hip pocket in a pair of underpants , their mostly below the tyre surface .

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Well... that was rather sarcastic!!!...

And... I think some one is trying to jerk my chain... :lmao :lmao

their mostly below the tyre surface

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You're right though... that type of chain set up does tend to fall in the grooves. I just needed a little help getting around on hard packed snow...
on log landings... and they actually worked better than I thought they would.


OCR...