What did I learn on Monday...

Well...

I learned that I jump to conclusions too quick and that some folks can get in a rush with field repairs.

Story...

Sunday I had the Super C out checking her out and planning to wash for a show next weekend.

Circle the yard... hear something go "clunk" look down and realize the right front has decided to go it's own way sorta. Wobbling way bad.. not tracking to it's sister. Think it's lost it's bearings.

Run the C up on a brick on the good front .... right one literally falls off the axle.

What I can see in the top of the grease is the remnants of the outer bearing cage for the outside bearing. Also see half-dozen bearings too.

Instant conclusion... (without taking apart since I had 8 other projects in need of attention and not wanting to dig into axle grease right that minute) need new bearing and race. WRONG.

Go to the day job on Monday... order bearings... pickup bearings after the autoparts store gets them from warehouse.

Start taking wheel apart from the cap side... what the heck... this bearing is still whole. Cup/race looks reasonably good too. Keep digging old grease out of wheel. More bearings ... wth..

Find the axle nut... stripped clean of threads Find pieces of cotter pin.. Pretty much throw everything in a bucket and start cleaning. Haven't found washer at all.

Start cleaning the axle and the inside bearing. Found ding on axle that keeps the outside bearing from sliding all the way in when I washed it.

Inside bearings look good... both races/cups in the wheel look good once I washed all the old grease out.

Current thoughts...
1) I jumped to a bad conclusion Sunday on first seeing the old bearing cage
2) Somewhere in it's past someone had a bearing failure (possibly in the middle of a field) and dinged the axle. Rather than pulling it all apart and cleaning out, they grabbed what was easy to see of the old one, pushed the new one in as far as it would go (burying the old cage and some of the old bearings in grease) and put the nut on without a washer.
3) I'm starting to understand why so many folks think the first thing to do with a new to them tractor is take it apart and see all of it.

What I'm thinking this morning (have day job to deal with first)...
1) File off the burr on the axle so the bearing fits right
2) Pickup a couple of new washers (picked up new axle nut last night).
3) Still debating on washing the old bearing some more and returning new bearing.
4) Inclined to NOT deal with the cups/races right now as it's hotter than hades and I've still got other projects. I'd already been thinking that the front end was going to be a fall/winter project since it was loose when I got it.
5) Soon as I've got the right one remounted, I'm going to pull the left and inspect the nut/cotter pin / bearings (Heck I ordered/picked up enough to do the outers on both sides, may as well while the tools are out and I've got axle grease all over... )


Questions...
1) Anyone ran into situation where old bearing pieces just pushed into the grease and left before?
2) Any thoughts on plan bullets 3 & 4?

Randy

If I had it apart, I'd replace the bearing. Then you it's good.

I agree, put the new bearing in while you got it apart.

I've seen my fair share of half baked repairs but never what you describe! LOL saw my BIL replace a shaft on his combine because a paddle chain broke. About 10 hours worth of labor with him and my nephew + 600 dollars worth of new parts.........and he puts the the same chain back in it. 4 hours in the field and he's in buying a new paddle chain and another new shaft! Farmers of yesteryears were a bunch that would do anything to save a penny and did some really messed up repairs. I remember seeing guy blance tractors on 55 gallon oil drums during a split to save labor or the cost of building decent stands. Worked for one guy who put a 560 IH back together with a new clutch and a bad IPTO shaft because he wasn't going to replace that shaft till it wasn't working at all. So about 2 months later we had to split the tractor again. 2 others guys I worked for, one in MN and one in KS both had equipment wired together.....and they both owned welders but didn't know how to use em!

But I also had a kid who was on my tank crew who couldn't figure out why he had to keep putting front wheel bearing in his car. He didn't know that there was an inner and outer and was just packing the outers!

Rick

Saw a sign in a garage one time, said "Ain't it funny, seems like there's never time to do a job right, but there's always time to do it over!
I've thought about that often over the years, I think it's helped me do better work.