Wheel bearings Sovereign

[kwt]

So last night I was blowing snow down by my shed and felt myself run over something big. I looked back and saw that it was a front tire and rim. Yikes. This is my 2000 Sovereign with the Honda repower that I bought last fall. It has front wheel weights so checking  the bearings is a little tougher. That's my excuse, I'm sticking to it.

 

This morning I check things out and find that the bearings weren't dry, but could have been serviced. I'm pretty sure than the locking collar just slipped off and out jumped the wheel. Both races are rough and the inner bearing is in pieces. I've read about using deck bearings in stead of wheel bearings and might do that. I really want this tractor to be running and not outside 150' from the house so I'll probably get whatever bearings I can get the soonest. I hate the thought of taking parts off the one tractor that's not operational (3112v), but I might just pull a wheel off of it to get me back in business.

Do you gentlemen, and ladies if present, know if the 1969 3112v wheels and bearings are the same?

[Brettw]

The 3112V bearings will be the same.  As far as deck bearings, that will not work unless you have new wheels that would have a race that would work with those.  Deck bearings are flat standard type bearings,  the wheel bearings on these are tapered as are the races.  The bearings are still available, and many of us have spares (me for one) and could help you out.  For now, pirate off of the 3112.  If the races are rough, you can even swap out the wheels.

[kwt]

I'm definitely swapping the whole unit. Wheel, tire, races, bearings.

 

Deck bearings are pretty much whole units. The race is pretty much part of the bearing assembly. If using deck bearings, I'm sure I would have to remove the races from the wheels.

[B-16_IC]

If you decide to swap a whole wheel be sure the borrowed wheel has holes for the weight hardware, not all do. Just trying to save frustration. 

[kwt]

Swapped. No holes for the weight. Temp fix. Tractor is up @ the house where it belongs.

 

Still wondering about the deck bearings. P204RR6

[PhanDad]

If I remember correctly, you can use somewhat standard trailer bearings, such as Timken “Set2”.  They were easy to find and included both the bearing and race.  

The mower deck bearings aren’t tapered. 

 

[PhanDad]

PS - If I remember correctly, U use Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BZ52DO/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=192908788056&hvpos=1t1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9427486523196501224&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=t&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9007249&hvtargid=kwd-303853071119&ref=pd_sl_2pt6nrvtlo_e

Cant beat that delivered to your door. 

[kwt]

I'm aware that they aren't tapered and that they are ball. I'm just wondering if guys have used them with success.

[Chris727]

All you have to do to use deck bearings is remove the old race from the wheel. @RayS has done this with success in the past. I still use the Timken cones myself. Sometimes I can get by with cleaning and repacking them if I'm in a pinch. New cones and races are cheap so long as you don't need the cone with the seal built into it. If so they are around 40-50 each through Simplicity but I have found them through NH or AGCO a bit cheaper. These bearings with integrated seals have a double lip seal and don't seem to have the moisture problems that I have seen with the newer style Simplicity seal/washer combination used on RBT's. Some FDT rims will not allow the race to seat deep enough to allow the newer style seal to contact the rim. 

Edited February 18, 2019 by Chris727

[RayS]

You can remove the old race an install deck bearings in the front wheel. Have a tractor that I done this to 10 years ago and another 5 or 6 years ago. Works great. No greasing and no mess.

Edited February 20, 2019 by RayS

[LMichaels]

Good to know. But, how do ball bearings handle side load (horizontal) stress?

[deebig]

1 hour ago, LMichaels said:

Good to know. But, how do ball bearings handle side load (horizontal) stress?

The Z9504 deck bearings have a thrust rating of 60 lbs. This is the dynamic rating for a continuous load. For your application this is not an issue. In other words.....it will work just fine.

[kwt]

That's good to know Ray. In addition to needing new bearings and races, the seal is garbage, so I would have to get one or two of them.

Edited February 20, 2019 by kwt
spelling

[Bill725]

Quoting directly from one of my mechanical engineering books, "Tapered roller bearings are designed to take substantial thrust loads along with high radial loads, resulting in excellent rating on both. They are often used in wheel bearings for vehicles and mobile equipment having inherently high thrust loads." The mechanical engineers at Simplicity chose tapered roller bearings for a reason, and the so called engineers at MTD chose otherwise.

[deebig]

2 hours ago, Bill725 said:

Quoting directly from one of my mechanical engineering books, "Tapered roller bearings are designed to take substantial thrust loads along with high radial loads, resulting in excellent rating on both. They are often used in wheel bearings for vehicles and mobile equipment having inherently high thrust loads." The mechanical engineers at Simplicity chose tapered roller bearings for a reason, and the so called engineers at MTD chose otherwise.

True but the thrust load on a Simplicity front wheel is almost nil. If there was a high thrust load the spindle would have had a threaded castle nut and not a locking collar held with one tiny setscrew.