Poor mans power steering question

[rich_kildow 269]

I have everything apart and ready to do this mod on my 7116 and was wondering if anybody has added grease zerks anywhere to maintain the wheel bearings? Obviously I'll repack them while I have it apart but I wonder about putting a zerk in the caps, essentially making non-pressurized Bearing Buddies.

I have some 1/4" 28tpi zerks that I could put the the cap and back up with a nut, grease would flow through, hitting all the bearings and making maintenance easier.

[rich_kildow 269]

I figured out that there was a thrust washer in there, it was just worn into a little ring. Problem is, the washers I purchased, which thought were the right ones, have a larger OD than what was originally in there. These are what I got, using the numbers from the above mentioned thread:

Koyo NTA-1220 Needle Roller and Cage Thrust Assembly, Open, Steel Cage, Inch, 3/4" ID, 1-1/4" OD, 5/64" Width, 14000rpm Maximum Rotational Speed, 8200

Koyo TRA-1220 Thrust Roller Bearing Washer, TR Type, Open, Inch, 3/4" ID, 1-1/4" OD, 1/32" Width

Koyo TRB-1220 Thrust Roller Bearing Washer, TR Type, Open, Inch, 3/4" ID, 1-1/4" OD, 1/16" Width

Is this what the JB weld is there for, to support the washer since it spans the recess for the old one while only being supported on the sides?

A there is a problem related to that I just found while test fitting. The shaft on the right side, which is the one with the E clip, not the key and set screws, is not long enough with everything in place. With the 2 thrust washers, the bearing, and the washer that was on the top, there is not enough room to get the e-clip in place. I did find that another 1/32" thrust washer (I ordered 2 sets to do another tractor) will cover the top of the shaft and leave enough room to put the e-clip in. Any issues with doing this?

[PhanDad 3,616]

Yes, the JB Weld is to fill in the damage and level the base for the bottom most washer. I put some oil on the top of that washer and stack some set collars (item that holds front wheel on) to make sure the bottom washer is square to the shaft.

I've also found the right side shaft to be too short. My solution was to grind the top of the axle boss until the e-clip could be installed.

[rich_kildow 269]

PhanDad, that makes sense. I think I'll give it a shot with the 1/32" thrust washers I have since grinding can always be the backup. Thanks for the clarification.

[powerking_one 0]

When I originally wrote this modification/thread back in 2002 it was based on my 2110 Landlord "patient". My reasoning for using the thicker 1/16" bottom thrust washer was it is stronger than the 1/32" one. Since these are very hard/brittle steel it would hold up better to the vertical bottom shock loads the spindles might encounter. I don't think the vertical spindle dimensions were very tightly controlled in manufacturing and so there's no surprise you had to adjust the number/thickness of the washer stacks.

Regarding adding zerks to the wheel bearings; I think that's totally overkill. They are tapered roller bearings used on Chevy's/others and trailer wheels for years and years. Thus they are turning on these tractors about 1/10th the speed and 1/10th the load of car/trailer application they were designed for. Pack them by hand every 5-10 years and they'll most certainly out live the tractor as long as the grease seal is good, they stay clean, and no water gets into them.

Tom(PK)

[rich_kildow 269]

But overkill and over-engineering is what I'm really good at!! I can't look at something that is already stronger than it needs to be and has done its job longer than I've been alive and not find some insignificant way to make it marginally better.

Seriously, though, good point. It's the first time I've been inside the front wheel and I was amazed and how big those bearings were. I'm used to finding plastic bushings on Craftsmans and Murrays.

The JB weld set overnight. I used some clamps to apply upwards pressure on the spindle against the axle to keep things tight and aligned. I suppose that when considering how to cap the axle, all of the pressure is riding on the bottom of the axle boss on the thrust washers/bearing. Everything on the top is to keep out contaminants and keep the wheels from falling off.

[rich_kildow 269]

All done and back together. I don't notice a huge difference, but my thrust washer wasn't totally gone before, either. For the few bucks this cost, it is a good thing to do if for no other reason than it is a good time to grease the wheel bearings.