Axle tubes dented at the ends.

[rmm727 8]

On my RJ project, the axle tubes are dented slight towards the ends. I have thought of 2 ways to fix this but I wanted to run it by some of you on here.

Option 1, find something roughly 1-1/16" in diameter, heat the end and press it through. I would probably grind a ramp on the end to keep it from gouging the ID of the tubes.

Option 2, take a tubing cutter and trim about 1/16-1/8" off the ends and then deburr. What problems would I run into with this? I think I could just slide the hubs over to make up for the shorter tubes.

[smoreau 658]

if your only talking about the very end 1/8" I would think you should be able to straiten that out with a smaller pipe and roll the curled ends tell they come out, Pictures would help if you have any.

[Coadster32 793]

If I'm not mistaken, you'd have open the end back up to accept the width of the bearing if you cut some material off the end of the tube.

[Don1977 604]

They may have dented the tubes because the bearings were loose and needed to be tightening. That would be bushings on that model.

[rmm727 8]

There were no hubs on this one when I got it and the caved in portion was on the bottom like someone dropped the frame on each side. Will get some pics up when I get a chance.

[rmm727 8]

Ok, neither of my ideas would work. I pulled the seal off the one tube when I was in the bearing shop picking out replacements. The axle tube is machined to accept the seal, which is larger in diameter than the bushing. See pic.

Looks like I can pick up a piece of 1-1/4" CR rod and press it into the end to form the tube back into shape. If you look at the pics, I may have been a little picky as you can barely notice the caved in spot.

In other news, got my bearings came in the mail today. I ordered 7 R12RS bearings to replace the 4 ground and 3 unground R12 bearings. I will just pull the seals out of these and have regular R12 bearings. My local shop qouted me about $10 for the ground R12s and about $15 for the unground ones. I got these for about $2.50 a piece. I think this will work replacing the lower quality unground bearings with the better ground ones.

Also, I stopped at a local Toro dealer and asked if he happened to have any tranny gaskets. He had 2! Needless to say, I bought them at $10 a piece. I scanned one to PDF to make new ones in the future on a laser cutter.

[rmm727 8]

Well, the bearings I showed above are too wide. I should have know better that you couldn't take the seals out and it'd be right. Anyways, went and bought the right bearings. I just got some parts back from the sand blaster. Decided I would paint the insides of the side plates with Gyptol. It repels oil and lets it drip freely back to the bottom of the trans. Figured that would be a good idea considering how pitted the inside of the trans is. Anyways, I tried my luck at the Wheel Horse dealer again and asked if by chance he had any axles for it. He had 2 on the shelf from 1960! Bought them. Both of my parts trans' had jacked up axles.

[Kelly 1,029]

You better take your dealer a nice gift, not many parts around like that any more.

[rmm727 8]

The gaskets weren't too bad on price. I think he added in for inflation on the axles. I could of had new ones made for probably less but oh well.

[stevasaurus 22,868]

You were lucky to find the gaskets and the axles...you will only find that stuff on someone's shelf. Like you said the R12s are too wide, when you bolt the trans back together you will pinch the shafts and they will not turn. I have been rebuilding a couple of these and trying to find the right parts. Hope this helps.

The bronze axle bearings...#CB 1618-12

The axle seals (only from TORO)...#83-2840

The input shaft bearings and cluster gear shaft bearings...#S 8 K

The brake shaft closed bearings...#SKF 412-35

The seals for both of those is...#471643

You will have to hone the bronze bearings to fit the axles after you put them in.

[rmm727 8]

Here is what I got when I went to my local bearing shop. I am friends with the guy the runs it. I brought him all the parts and we measured it and here is what we came up with.

Timken 240731 Seal - 1.000 x 1.250 x 0.125 Axle tube seals. Look like they will fit fine even though many have said this was a dealer only item.

SFK 7628 Input and brake shaft seals

Bunting Bearings EP121412 - 3/4 x 7/8 x 3/4 Bushings for the cluster shaft gears (I think?)

Bunting Bearings EP161824 - 1 x 1-1/8 x 1-1/2 Axle bushings

Bunting Bearings CB222414 - 1-3/8 x 1-1/2 x 1-3/4 Bushing for carrier (Need to cut the length down on these)

KYK R12 Open bearings (Saw no need for the shielded ones, maybe I'm wrong again)

INA SCE108 - 0.625 x 0.813 x 0.500 Needle bearing

[stevasaurus 22,868]

Good luck with the axle tube seal...I want to know if they work for you...just paid $21.02 each at my Toro dealer bought 4.

That CB222414 carrier bearing is the only one I match up with you on...and you are right...need to cut 1/4" of one end. The numbers that I have above all work, I would like to know how you fair with the ones you have...please. :)

[clemedc 29]

yes please keep us posted :eusa-whistle:

[rmm727 8]

Will do. Was going to take some pics of those parts but never got around to it. I pressed out the carrier bushings using a socket. Forget what size I used. They came out pretty easily. I then pressed the gears off the cluster shaft (I think that's what its called), pulled the woodruff keys and went to press out the bushings from the cluster gear. I used a 5/8 socket and was only able to press them in so far when the press would bind up. Couldn't figure out what was happening, thought I should be able to press the bushings the whole way through. Switched to a 9/16 socket and was able to press them all the way. Didn't know there was a step machined in there. Oh well, didn't screw anything up. Did shave material off the OD of the bushings though.