Deck Bearings

[Ga.Cubby]

How can you tell if bearings are bad. My 42in. deck on the 109 uses the old st 745 pump type bearings. They turn free and have plenty of grease but roar like crazy.Used ones are 50 bucks apeice and am afraid that used ones may roar also as there is no way for the sellers to test run them. Can only visually inspect.

[Yosemite Sam]

Doesn't that just suck!!!

The old deck on my 109 was the same way, it made an awful noise and when you pushed the end of the blade up and down it would move a little (like things do when the bearings are bad), I didn't want to spend the money... Ok truthfully, at the time hell I didn't have any money. I took them apart, cleaned them, put them back together, pumped them full of grease and used them just like there wasn't anything wrong with them. The only thing was, I gave them a shot of grease just about every time I mowed. They lasted FOR YEARS, still noisy and still a little loose, but they ran a long, long time.

I know this doesn't fix anything for you, but if you keep them lubed, there is a good possibility that they too will last long enough that you can tuck a little money at a time into a spindle bearing fund, or a new deck fund... and it won't hurt so bad when they do finally shoot craps on you.

Hopefully someone else will have a better plan for you than than I had.

Good Luck

[Ga.Cubby]

Can the old spindles be replaced by a newer style?

[Yosemite Sam]

I can't tell you that, but I can tell you that the local IH dealer told me that "they didn't make that same style bearing any more and had gone to a different style bearing and they were $60.00 each". At the time it might as well have been a million, cause I didn't have the money, so I didn't ask any more questions. I don't know if that was $60.00 per bearing or $60.00 for a new spindle assy. Keep in mind that this was 20+ years ago. I don't know if you could have bought a new spindle assy. for $60.00 20 years ago or not.

[Ga.Cubby]

I would buy one spindle at a time if somebody could recommend a good used parts source that guarentees their used parts.Scared of Ebay once you get it you cant return it.

[JayBrd]

Might be the same Ole same Ole, but give Scott a call and see what he says, He hooked me up with deck bearings for the "O"... They might have what you need.. Great guy and willing to help..

http://www.ihcubcadet.com/Sponsers/Madson

[JMD]

GA Cubby I'M a seller on Ebay you can return anything you buy using paypal. Ebay is for buyers not sellers. You have 45 days. you will have to pay return shipping most cases. JOHN

[JMD]

Ga Cubbie I don't care if its says no warranty. pay with paypal and you will get your money back.

[aagitch]

Yeah buying used things like bearings is sometimes scary cause it could last two weeks or years. I thinks when my bearing start getting noisy I'll go the new route.