Stuck tractor, now front axel noise

[Papa villars]

I high centered my tractor on a stump in tall grass. Used the bucket to lift it off and drove it backwards to free it. Driving it to the barn now horrible noise from front axel and not in 4wd. Any suggestions?

 

[kubot4nicalgard3ns]

Okay, it sounds like you might have hurt your front differential or CV joints. Take a look and see if anything's broken or bent. To be safe, don't drive it until someone checks it out.

 

[prestigious-iceberg77]

@Papa villars just circling back on this.

@kubot4nicalgard3ns's advice to stop driving is smart. If the front axle was under tension when you backed off the stump, you might have stressed the pinion gear or even cracked the differential housing.

Before disassembling anything, the best first steps are to check for metal flakes in the front differential oil and inspect the CV boots for any tears. Have you had a chance to look underneath the tractor since you posted?

 

[Matty_]

everyone here got some good advice. have you done a wiggle test OP? with the engine off and locked down, try to get underneath and grab that driveshaft. wiggle it hard. If the entire shaft is spinning freely, or if the Ujoint is visibly broken, missing caps, or rattling, that's your noise source and why your 4WD is suddenly gone

 

[Alan]

Thanks for all the great input, everyone! It’s a solid mix of checks from the differential to the driveshaft. OP, it sounds like you have a clear path to start narrowing down the issue safely.