Poor mans power steering ?
 

any body try this for the 982 i beleave its for the case 444-446 it go's on the front spindle before they go into the axle,looks like it mite work on the supers with non-power steering :bigthink:

steering
 

Hi Bob, Those were talked about on a green forum,but i think they didn't hold up to long. Mike:beer2:

Roller bearings in that area on spindle will not last very long...the loads on it are too high.

I have those on my 1210 with an axle from a 1440. So far no problems in 2 years. Got them from McMaster. http://www.mcmaster.com/# Part #'s 5909K36 for the bearings and 5909K49 for the washers

This front end spindle has that bearing assembly in there from the factory.

Attachment 18792

I have never had it apart, but, it has worked well for my 10 years of ownership and it is a 1989 machine.

Oh, yea, and the mower deck that this GT has easily weighs twice as much as a Cub Cadet 60" deck.

I can't say if it helps steering, this machine has power steering also.

Bcdsfcret
 

Poor Mans power steering. I think that is a good idea as long as the price is ok. Its a bearing and it should last as long as it is greased.

Bearing
 

There's about 40 rollers on that. Assuming ~200 lbs per corner of the tractor that's about 5 lbs per roller, which doesn't seem too bad (yes, I know there's impulse loads from bouncing over bumps, etc). I'd be concerned about the dust and dirt in such an application more than anything.

John

I have an original set up like that with torrington bearings. I took them out. I did want to experiment with having an axle machined to put in bearings like our wheels bearings from our cubs. Because most of out friction I think is in the bolt going trough the axle itself. I would try it on a wide frame axle. Put a bearing top and bottom.
By the way the original did steer nice! But with tri ribs who needs power steering.

Matt

Just a FYI, these are the specs on the roller bearings I used on my Cub. It would seem that with a rating of 3150 lbs they should last. Only area of concern is keeping dirt out. I grease the front end every 5 -10 hours.

Type
Needle-Roller Bearings

Bearing Material
Steel

For Shaft Diameter (Inside Diameter)
1"

Outside Diameter
1-9/16"

Cage Assembly Thickness
5/64"

Dynamic Thrust Load Capacity, lbs.
3,150

Maximum rpm
7,500

Specifications Met
Not Rated

Temperature Range
-40° to +248° F

Compatible Washer
For a complete bearing you'll need one cage assembly and two washers (each washer sold separately). Order 5909K49 for .032" thick washer or 5909K63 for .126" thick washer.

Note
For a lower profile, the cage assembly can be used without washers, but only on material that is hardened to Rockwell C58-C64.

Another thing that needs to be taken into account is the fact that roller bearings do not like partial rotations-they will wear faster in an application like this. It would be very easy to get dirt in there, and as soon as you do, they'll wear out faster. The JD guys over on WFM tried this years ago, and I can't recall a single person that had them last more than a few months.

Also, there is not much to be gained by doing this; if your tractor steers hard, rebuild and adjust the steering box (and install a thrust bearing under the cam plate nut), replace the tie rod ends, and make sure the toe-in is set correctly. I have rebuilt 3 steering boxes and each of those tractors steered with 2 fingers. Putting roller bearings in the spindles will probably not even have a noticeable effect if everything else is in good working order. If the spindles do not move easily, they need to be removed and cleaned. The spindles on all of my tractors turn effortlessly without the addition of a bearing in them.

This seems like another 'band-aid' fix to me that circumvents the actual problem. Fix up the rest of the steering first, as you'll be pleasantly surprised how easy the tractor will steer after you do.