WheelHorseVH 104 #1 Posted January 30 Hey guys, my ‘96 520H has a decent amount of play in the wheel. I know this topic has come up before and been beaten to death but I haven’t come across anyone describing it this way. On mine, when I turn the wheel to the point where the first gear meshes, I can see that the next gear doesn’t turn but the castle nut on it does. Take a look at the video. You’re looking down past the engine oil filter from the left side of the tractor to the gear reduction setup. Is this just a loose nut issue? Or something else? Thanks in advance. IMG_2119.mov Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cleat 5,926 #2 Posted January 30 I my latest build of a 520-8 I outlined how to shim the gear on that shaft to eliminate much of that play. I hope that helps. 2 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WheelHorseVH 104 #3 Posted January 30 @cleat I was hoping for a quick answer with some ideas but man did you give me way more than I bargained for with that other post of yours! I spent this morning going through that entire post, awesome work. Thank you for the shim idea and the detailed pictures. Do you think I can remove the castle nut and do it on the machine? Or do I have to take more apart? Or do I have to just do a full ground up rebuild like you did?! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cleat 5,926 #4 Posted January 31 23 hours ago, WheelHorseVH said: @cleat I was hoping for a quick answer with some ideas but man did you give me way more than I bargained for with that other post of yours! I spent this morning going through that entire post, awesome work. Thank you for the shim idea and the detailed pictures. Do you think I can remove the castle nut and do it on the machine? Or do I have to take more apart? Or do I have to just do a full ground up rebuild like you did?! Well, that depends on whether you have enough room to work. Also if there is play in the shafts that require new bushings. The block on the bottom that holds the steering shaft to the steering block may have some shims from the factory that can be removed to get rid of play between those gears. But start with the shim stock on the small gear so it is located where it needs to be. I would recommend a total tear down of the steering system to do the best job. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WheelHorseVH 104 #5 Posted February 1 Got it, thanks again. Now I have to take a look and see if I can remove everything related to the steering assembly without needing to dismantle a ton of the tractor. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WheelHorseVH 104 #6 Posted February 5 So as I was assessing the amount of play in the wheel, I noticed something that I had not expected to see. When turning the wheel slowly, right at the point when the gears first start to mesh, the left tire starts to turn and the right one stays put! About 1/2" of movement arc at the front tip of the left tire before the right one starts to turn. Turns out that the inner tie rod on the right side is shot so I'm just replacing all 4 and doing new thrust bearings for the spindles to front axle at the same time. Anything I should look out for? I assume that the thrust bearing replacement is straightforward. For the tie rods, I will say I have always been the type of guy that leaves alignment to the pros with my cars. I know this should be much easier but its just measuring work that I don't want to have to do. I wish I could just measure the current ones and keep it the same but I think there is a bit excessive toe out currently so I should just realign. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lynnmor 7,305 #7 Posted February 5 Have you removed, cleaned, inspected, greased and adjusted the wheel bearings? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WheelHorseVH 104 #8 Posted February 6 No I have not, so I will add that to my list. Do the wheel bearings need to be pressed out of the wheel? Thanks for the suggestion. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oliver2-44 9,739 #9 Posted February 6 9 hours ago, WheelHorseVH said: doing new thrust bearings for the spindles to front axle at the same time. Anything I should look out for? I assume that the thrust bearing replacement is straightforward. What bearing are you referring to as thrust bearings? There are not any bearings on the front axle for the spindles or center pin. 2 hours ago, WheelHorseVH said: Do the wheel bearings need to be pressed out of the wheel? The wheel bearings tap out with a long punch. I like to use a piece of wood to not damage them. They are an inexpensive tin housed bearing. There are some slightly better sealed bearings available on the Jungle and bay sites. But the original ones worked for years if kept greased. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lynnmor 7,305 #10 Posted February 6 9 hours ago, oliver2-44 said: What bearing are you referring to as thrust bearings? There are not any bearings on the front axle for the spindles or center pin. The wheel bearings tap out with a long punch. I like to use a piece of wood to not damage them. They are an inexpensive tin housed bearing. There are some slightly better sealed bearings available on the Jungle and bay sites. But the original ones worked for years if kept greased. There is a roller thrust bearing between the axle and the spindle, they are available on McMaster-Carr. I replace the thrust washers as well and use the old ones on top of the axle to reduce play and keep dirt out. A 520H has tapered roller bearings like a car, in fact 1" trailer wheel bearings, (available in kit form) are the correct ones. The bearing races in the wheel hub will tap right out with a punch and hammer. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oliver2-44 9,739 #11 Posted February 7 My bad I was thinking C series Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WheelHorseVH 104 #12 Posted February 16 @cleat so I pulled the gears apart tonight. I tried to shim like you showed but it didn’t work. The biggest wear in the shaft or the gear was the corner where the flat on the shaft becomes rounded. Do I need to machine and (bush or shim)? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cleat 5,926 #13 Posted February 16 You can try to file the flats on the shaft until they are flat once again. The gear is hardened so it likely is OK but you would have trouble filing that anyways. If you have a really good straight edge, you can check the shaft flats to be sure they are totally flat with no high spot in the middle. If the straight edge rocks on the flat then you can file carefully until the straight edge sits nice and even. Now the shim stock should fit better when you reassemble. Shim until the gear has as little rotational play as possible but it still needs to be able to slide on the shaft. Be sure to shim the same amount on both flats to keep the gear centered on the shaft. You will likely not get it perfect and it may not have been perfect when it left the factory but you can make it better. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
