Building up very worn axle pivot pins

Ken Macfarlane · Mar 9, 2014

On a MFWD tractor I bought a couple of years ago I knew the front axle was sloppy and have been putting off getting into it.

Rolled the axle out from under today and the 4" diameter pins on the housing are worn about 3/8" down from round. The castings still have remains of bushings in them so they should be ok.

A poured babbit bearing would be perfect but off course is not the right repair. I'm taking the axle to the machine shop for a quote tomorrow but will probably not like it.

Anyone ever built an axle up that much? How on earth could you get it reasonably round without a machine shop?

jon f mn · Mar 9, 2014

Post a pic, it will help give advice.

Janicholson · Mar 9, 2014

Welding up the pins is easy. making them round is not too hard. I have made a jig for a wheel grinder that followed the remaining cylindrical shape and could be moved and adjusted to contact the surface. I used a piece of channel and a bracket welded to it to hold the grinder. It worked perfectly. Jim

Ken Macfarlane · Mar 9, 2014

Here's the pics, not quite 3/8" material missing from the worst side.

Previous owner didn't grease and it had a loader on it. 4000 hours.

Ken Macfarlane · Mar 9, 2014

The rough stump is the input shaft he sheared off, then stick welded back together. Yes, don't worry about those hardened splines just stick a welder in there.

Janicholson · Mar 9, 2014

A jig to set up a grinder should be pretty easy (use both the larger and smaller OD of the shaft to position it (V block style). Jim

jon f mn · Mar 9, 2014

For this I would just clean it up good and build it up with 7018 rod. Get your new bushings for sizing. Then grind it down to close, and finish it off with emery cloth. If your carefull with the grinder you can get real close with that. I've used an orbital sander to work it down from there too. With the bottom still good you have a good start and you can bring the top up to fit you bushing.

Brendon Warren · Mar 9, 2014

Not a machinist... is there maybe a way to turn that shaft down and have a bushing made to take up the slack?

george md · Mar 9, 2014

Weld it back to size plus some, Put it on a

horizontal boring mill,do a reverse bore to

size. Did the center pivot on dozer blade

last year.

george

Janicholson · Mar 10, 2014

The device shown is made to rest on the inner ring of the “pin” and the outer uniform diameter.
Rubber sheet or steel shims can be used to hold a die grinder or other (Tool Post grinder is Ideal) to the channel with clamps. The device is held to the shaft and moved circumferentially around the shaft (it can’t take off more than adjusted as the lowest it can get is when it is touching on the pin on 4 touch points.
Adjustment is made to take off progressive layers of weld by removing shims or tightening the motor to the bracket with a hose clamp through holes not shown. Jim

Janicholson · Mar 10, 2014

See my 22:32 reply An idea that saved me $400.00 on a IHC TD18 Main final drive shaft with radical grooving Jim

Ken Macfarlane · Mar 10, 2014

Thanks, will build from your idea, I think I will make it so I'm never bearing on the worn surface so it will have to have an adjustable offset.

Would be a lot easier if they had made this as a recessed hole to take a replaceable pin.

Owen Aaland · Mar 10, 2014

Talk to someone at your nearest truck repair shop. They should know someone with a portable grinder/lathe to repair truck axles after bearing failures. The last one cost me about $100 to have built up and re-machined to original specs.

Building up very worn axle pivot pins

Ken Macfarlane

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jon f mn

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Janicholson

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Ken Macfarlane

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Ken Macfarlane

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Janicholson

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jon f mn

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Brendon Warren

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george md

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Janicholson

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Janicholson

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Ken Macfarlane

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Owen Aaland

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