Axle pivot bolt - not really a bolt
 

On my 1966(?) Cub cadet 123 I am swapping out my axle for an axle with beefier spindles (putting a front loader on my 123). I lifted up the tractor, and the axle pivot bolt looks more like a pin. It definitely is not a bolt. And the ends of the pin are flush with frame pivot brace. I cannot see for the life of me how to remove it. It does not budge trying to drive it a little from front to back and I am afraid to try to press it out rear-to-front using the oil pan as a brace.

Is my parts diagram lying (it shows a shouldered bolt)? Or is this an owner mod? Any idea how to remove it?

Its dark in that are of the shop, the pin area is full of grease and a old sloppy re-paint job so it is hard to see. But I will try to get a picture.

Thanks in advance!

It's a pin with a spirol pin to hold it in place.

Oops! Mine has a bolt. And is really sloppy. One of three major issues, to work on, before all the minor ones. :bigthink:

Great reply - with pictures too! Thanks so much. I did not even see any evidence of the roll/spirol pin. I'll look closer tonight.

Thanks again!

I think I remember someone saying you can hit the oil pan with that pin when it is driven out. I replaced my pin with a bolt. The head had to be ground down but it fit.

The pin is in the front.

Thanks - a little cleaning was all it took to see the pin in the front. The axle pin will definitely need to come out from the rear, forward because of the oil pan. But the grease is ample and not dried, so if I can get the roll pin out, I should be able to get the axle pin out once the weight is mostly off the axle.

Thanks again,

NCDiesel, New pins are still available if yours is worn. Also the bushings can be cut off and new ones installed. I don't know if they are still available from Cub, but some of our member vendors may be able to help you. If you are real handy and have the equipment you could make your own. Jeff in PA might be able to help. He makes some nice parts. Have fun,

Chris

Its been a while - about a week after this post I lost my work area to another project. That one finished up last week so I moved the cub back in.

How in the world do you drive that pin out? I was able to drive the spirol pin out about a 1/8 of an inch with a small punch and then it stopped. More force seemed like a recipe for damage and not for success so I stopped.

Has anyone been able to find something that approximates, or been able to fashion, some type of punch or a pin that works reasonably well?

Thanks in advance!

I use a large gauge nail with the point cut off. Look in the hardware aisle at Lowe's Depot. They make perfect inexpensive punches.

As long as your pin is not coming up against an obstruction, it's just stuck. Hit it a little harder.