Front axel Pin mount

[mike melillo]

Has anyone here replaced the steel bushings that are welded to the frame and carry the front axel pin?

This seems to be one of those things that gets worn out, and since I am completely disassembled I feel it should be dealt with. On my 149 thats apart, the hole is fairly sloppy, and the roll pin hole is sloppy on one side.

On my 125, even with a new axel pin, It's managed to work a new roll pin out of its perch, and had the axel pin slip out causing the steering to lock up. As a temporary fix I stuffed into the roll pin hole a tapered dowel pin like in the image attached. I don't want to deal with this problem on the 149 that I'm restoring, and I don't believe a tapered pin is a good long term solution in this application.

In looking at those steel bushings attached to the frame they appear to be brazed on. I know removal will be difficult, and as much so keeping a clean hole for reattachment. Plus the bushing looks steeped into the hole, and it wouldn't be practical to braze that back together. The bushings would need to be welded.

So does anyone know of a good fix for this without having to fabricate my own bushings?

Mike

[bkw3614]

I would think a good machine shop could set up the axle and carrier and do a line bore; and make a new, oversize pin to go into the standard bushings, as long as they weren't worn out too badly. I would have an spare pin made and have them give you the size of the final finish bore so that an extra part could be made in the future, if need be.

This is an expensive way to repair the problem, but probably worth it in the end.

[J-Mech]

You could always ream the hole on the bolster with an adjustable reamer. Do the same to the axle and have a machine shop spin a new pin to the new size. If going to that trouble I would have them put a oil impregnated brass bushing in the axle though. That would save cutting and welding on the bolster. I'm pretty sure those bushing are spun welded or just plain welded. I'm sure that IH didn't braze them in. Too time consuming to braze.

[mike melillo]

I think making a new pin may be a worthy approach. By the time I bought the steel tube, turned it, removed the old bushings, and cross drill it, the cost me be nearly equal to having a new pin made and straightening the hole.

I doubt I have the right size reamer, I need to check. I only have a few, and the cost of a good reamer is more than what someone would charge to do the job.

I too though it was welded, but it's tough to tell with all the paint globed on over the years. When I blast it down I'll know for sure. Looking at the front bushing, there is a spot weld on the bottom side, but that's all I see. That's why I think it's brazed. The spot weld alone is no way sufficient to deal with that force, and the fit is pretty close between the bushing and the frame.

I'll bring it to a artisan metal shop I work with and have them quote it. I'll let you know how I make out.
Thanks
Mike

[ironman]

About a year ago I bought a set of bushings from a machine shop selling stuff on eBay.
Their i.d. is kerrprecision1. They cost me $22.99. I was pleased with the product.
Unfortunately I just looked the seller up on eBay and they don't seem to be selling anything currently, nor have since May. Or maybe they changed their i.d. You could try messaging them on eBay if you have an i.d. I believe they also make the pin as do other folks on eBay. If you don't like the pin idea, some of the Cubs use a large bolt and nut instead of a pin.
Getting back to the bushings, you will have to grind the welds off the old bushings to get them out. Not that tough, use an angle grinder with a thin cutting disc or an air tool cutter. When you put the new bushings in, have everything in place before you weld, i.e. the axle, and the axle pin through the bushings and the axle. This will line everything up. Then tack the bushings in place. Then remove the pin and axle and complete the welding. If you don't have all the pieces lined up before you weld, you will never be able to get the pin through. Oh yeah, weld don't braze. Doesn't have to be all the way around, just 3 or 4 spots on each bushing. Good luck.

[ironman]

I just did another search on eBay. Another seller i.d. is quietline.
You get the bushings, the pin, and roll pin. Price is $48.68 with free shipping.
Here is link.....
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cub-Cadet-Fr...item460fcf2749

[mike melillo]

I cleaned off the paint, and had a close look at the frame where the collars are attached. On my frame there is no visible weld at all on the rear collar, and only a slight tac weld on the front collar. Although I cant get the frame cleaned enough to see the ring from the brazing I am convinced it is furnace brazed.

There is no evidence of these being crimped in, and there are other locations on the tractor that were constructed this way, like the hub from the flywheel to the driveshaft. That hub is a flat sheet of steel brazed to the hub.

I cant say if IH changed process over the years, but the 3 frames I have spanning between 1968-73 are all the same.


Anyway, I took it to a metal smith who agreed that the beast approach was to oversize the hole, and turn a new pin, like bkw3614 suggested.

I should have it back by the weekend and i'll upload some images.

Mike

[mike melillo]

This axel pin thing has become more complicated than necessary. I had my frame with the metal guy I use for complicated fabrication, and for two weeks he did nothing. I got impatient, and started looking elsewhere but all the small job shops have closed down or moved out of state. Today we mostly have aerospace high volume shops around here, and had a hard time finding a shop willing and or capable.

So I bring my frame to this guy who agreed to replace the bushings, oversize the axel pin, open the axel bore, and make 2 new pins. 4 days later I pick up the frame and his employee decided to go down different path. He reams out the hole to .760, and makes 2 new pins.

I took it home because it was fitted nicely assembled. But when I inspected it up close I didm't like the finished result. The pin/front bushing was OK, pin/axel really nice, pin/rear bushing sloppy. Plus the roll pin hole was not clean either.

So, I'm taking it back on Monday and he is going to bore out the old bushings, fabricate new ones, and new pins, making the rear bushing the same size as the front.

I sandblasted the area clean, and you can see that there is no braze holding these to the frame so I'm pretty sure J-Mech is right about them being friction welded. See image.

I hope to have the frame back by next weekend, and I will post images when properly fixed.
Mike

[J-Mech]

Originally Posted by mike melillo

This axel pin thing has become more complicated than necessary.

That's true.

Originally Posted by mike melillo

I sandblasted the area clean, and you can see that there is no braze holding these to the frame so I'm pretty sure J-Mech is right about them being friction welded. See image.

In the first pic you can clearly see the spot weld, so we know that one is attached. I'm sure the rear one is too. I wasn't guessing, I knew they were welded and not brazed. This really isn't that complicated of a repair for a welding shop. They are a machine shop too right?

[Yosemite Sam]

For the life of me, I can not imagine what is making this so complicated???

Buy the "kit" from the guy on ebay, knock/grind/cut the old ones out, take the frame, the new bushings, and a bolt that is big enough to hold the bushings in place to an independently owned body shop shortly before closing time... Any of the guys at the body shop would be more than happy to weld the bushings in for $20.00

Once the bushings are welded in place, use the bolt to mash the channel back together so you get a good fit on the axle.

Boring the hole in the axle is simply begging for trouble!