The "Colossus" project

[Cvans 1,009]

I wish you lived closer you could bring them over and we'd have you going in no time. 

Without a lathe how are you going to make sure you drill straight into the spindle? Your going to want to keep your wheels mounted with the original spread or steering is going to be difficult as stated above. 

I would cut off your trailer spindles just beyond the hubs. Bore them and the slip them onto the WH spindles. 

This might be a good time to make friends with someone who has a lathe or will let you use theirs. The latter might be a stretch. 

[ebinmaine 67,464]

5 hours ago, Cvans said:

I wish you lived closer you could bring them over and we'd have you going in no time. 

Without a lathe how are you going to make sure you drill straight into the spindle? Your going to want to keep your wheels mounted with the original spread or steering is going to be difficult as stated above. 

I would cut off your trailer spindles just beyond the hubs. Bore them and the slip them onto the WH spindles. 

This might be a good time to make friends with someone who has a lathe or will let you use theirs. The latter might be a stretch. 

 

 

I'll be the only one driving this unless on rare occasion someone like @JCM or @Stepney wants to take a cruise.

Anyone who stops by would be welcome.

 

"Armstrong steering" isn't an issue as long as I'm not breaking parts.

I'll use an old strongman trick.

Don't try to steer unless you're already rolling.

 

To do the drilling I'm going to mount the axle stub in my drill press. It's an old stand-up type no name I inherited from my grandfather. I've never tried to do any precision work with it so it's about time I learned to set it up right.

 

Biggest issue will be starting as close to center as I can.

 

Machine shop work on the private side for me is non existent.

It's also quite expensive around here in comparison to other areas.

 

I have a friend who can get things done for us but she lives over 90 minutes away and the state is on lockdown for the foreseeable future anywhooo...

 

No worries.

 

@wallfish I like the DOM idea but the stubs have a place for the grease seal. 

 

[wallfish 16,995]

1 hour ago, ebinmaine said:

 

@wallfish I like the DOM idea but the stubs have a place for the grease seal. 

Another small ring of tube for the ID of the seal over the 1" tube for the spindle solves that. Mine is buried but I'll see if I can get you a pic.

Here''s some more options to use those spindles

http://www.p.f.engineering.50megs.com/photo.html

[Tractorhead 9,064]

Good ideas of reworking the Spindles.

 

The reinforce brings you the ability fo more load if required. 👍

[953 nut 55,215]

@ebinmaine, why don't you get some one inch OD by 3/4 inch ID bushings so that the trailer hub bearings can be used on the existing axles? You could drill and tap the ends of the axles for a bolt and washer to hold the bearings in place.

[ebinmaine 67,464]

10 minutes ago, 953 nut said:

@ebinmaine, why don't you get some one inch OD by 3/4 inch ID bushings so that the trailer hub bearings can be used on the existing axles? You could drill and tap the ends of the axles for a bolt and washer to hold the bearings in place.

Part of the reason I want to use the stubs is so I can add several inches to the width of the front of the tractor.

[953 nut 55,215]

4 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

so I can add several inches to the width of the front of the tractor.

May want to look for another front axle.   If the axles are extended away from the bend in the spindles the 3/4" front spindles would be subjected to too much additional load and having the wheels so far from the pivot point will make steering extremely difficult. 

[ebinmaine 67,464]

4 hours ago, 953 nut said:

another front axle

I have one here that is actually a shortened version with a 2" square tube as the axle itself. I thought about taking that and cutting the centerpiece out and widening it.

 

I'm not at all worried about difficulty steering on my own part as long as I'm not going to be breaking things.

 

[ebinmaine 67,464]

6 hours ago, wallfish said:

Another small ring of tube for the ID of the seal over the 1" tube for the spindle solves that. Mine is buried but I'll see if I can get you a pic.

Here''s some more options to use those spindles

http://www.p.f.engineering.50megs.com/photo.html

Thanks for that link John. I'll take a look at it later today when I can see it better on the big screen.

 

[19richie66 17,500]

13 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

I have one here that is actually a shortened version with a 2" square tube as the axle itself. I thought about taking that and cutting the centerpiece out and widening it.

 

I'm not at all worried about difficulty steering on my own part as long as I'm not going to be breaking things.

 

With all that weight of the engine sitting over top those axles and then the extended section on the end of them,  I think that may be a little much. Definitely would try and find a 520 axle with the heavy duty spindles/hubs. Wish you were closer as I have a green front axle but it has heavy duty 1” spindles. I’d gladly give it to you. 

[troutbum70 857]

Eb today steering the machine is not a problem, but none of us are getting any younger. And also we don't know what tomorrow will bring, I used to think like you and now with a partially disabilled arm and coming up on 68 years young I find myself not able to do things I wish to do. Plan for the future with project and then enjoy for a lot longer. Just sayin 

[ebinmaine 67,464]

7 minutes ago, troutbum63 said:

Eb today steering the machine is not a problem, but none of us are getting any younger. And also we don't know what tomorrow will bring, I used to think like you and now with a partially disabilled arm and coming up on 68 years young I find myself not able to do things I wish to do. Plan for the future with project and then enjoy for a lot longer. Just sayin 

All wise words

[ebinmaine 67,464]

I'll take a look and see what I have around the house tonight or tomorrow and see if I can put some sort of different focus on this front axle.

[Lee1977 6,658]

I only extended the spindle 3/4" on my C-120/180.

[Lee1977 6,658]

Somebody used a JD front axle on a loader tractor It's wider some where around 40 +  inches for the total width.

Tractor Data gives the width at 49" for a 400 series JD. I think those axles have a one inch spindle.

Edited April 7, 2020 by Lee1977

[Mudrig150 298]

53 minutes ago, Lee1977 said:

Somebody used a JD front axle on a loader tractor It's wider some where around 40 +  inches for the total width.

Tractor Data gives the width at 49" for a 400 series JD. I think those axles have a one inch spindle.

Yes they do. The 300 series have one inch spindles.

[Pullstart 62,848]

Speaking of off colored tractors, would a Case 210 have a heavy front end?

[8ntruck 6,999]

EB - when you get the axle stubs set up in your drill press, start with a smaller diameter pilot drill, say, 1/4 inch, then work your way up to the final size in a couple of steps.

 

The following are just idle thoughts that sprang into my head:

Extending the spindles will increase the scrub radius of the front wheels when they are turned for steering.  This increases the steering effort and will probably increase the amount of kick back at the steering wheel when you encounter the rare rock on your property.  The resulting increased steering effort might cancel the advantage of the gear reduction steering you worked so hard to incorporate in this project.

[Stormin 9,981]

On ‎4‎/‎7‎/‎2020 at 1:04 AM, ebinmaine said:

I spent a little while tonight removing some stub axles from an old trailer project that I'm not going to use at this time.

These stub axles are going to be end-drilled and installed on the spindles so I can use the regular 5 x 4.5 wheels on the front.

I have a set of 6 / 12 Carlisle super lug that are basically NOS but sat outside. There's one spot that has a bit of weather checking. Nothing serious.

They were sitting on the back of one of the rigs we brought home from the auction.

I don't remember how to date code tires but there is a 09 at 1 indentation.

I assume that means they were manufactured in 2009.

 

 

 

I took some measurements and I would like to cut 2 inches off of each stub axle and then drill them to put the Wheelhorse spindles into them.

 

 

 

 

I do have a couple questions.

 

Is there a fairly easy way to find the center on the end of the stub shaft so I know where to begin drilling?

 

 

 

 

Also, how much of the horse spindle should be stuck into the end of the stub shaft? I'll have to cut it some because I'm only going to have about 2.5" of stub shaft after I trim it to get the right tractor width.

 

 

     

Have a look here, Eric.  Near the bottom of the page.    https://myoldmachine.com/topic/936-c-120-refurb/page/15/

 

Personally I wouldn't attempt to drill the stub axles by hand. Best done in a lathe. No one near you with one who would drill them for you?

 

Edited April 8, 2020 by Stormin

[ebinmaine 67,464]

29 minutes ago, Stormin said:

No one near you with one who would drill them for you?

Not without charging an arm and a leg.

[ebinmaine 67,464]

5 hours ago, 8ntruck said:

the rare rock on your property.  The resulting increased steering effort might cancel the advantage of the gear reduction steering you worked so hard to incorporate in this project

The rare rock...

 

 

No gear reduction steering on this one... Wish there was...

 

[Super-C 4 me 612]

1 hour ago, ebinmaine said:

The rare rock...

 

 

No gear reduction steering on this one... Wish there was...

 

Eb send me a text or message, I might be able to help you, with a swept axle

[ebinmaine 67,464]

Just wanted to take a second to thank all of you for your input and please keep it coming.

 

I get quite a large amount of fascination and pleasure from learning different things and this project has brought me into  different places.

 

Welding and fabrication.

 

Right now steering and that type of geometry.

I've been looking at the load capabilities and tensile strength of different sizes and shapes and types of metals.

 

 

All kinds of things that I've never had a need to really look into before and I've really enjoyed it.

[ebinmaine 67,464]

4 hours ago, Stormin said:

     

Have a look here, Eric.  Near the bottom of the page.    https://myoldmachine.com/topic/936-c-120-refurb/page/15/

 

Personally I wouldn't attempt to drill the stub axles by hand. Best done in a lathe. No one near you with one who would drill them for you?

 

@Lee1977 and @Stormin, when you did that conversion did your front axle come out any wider than stock?

 

Looks like you both added about 3/4 inch per side?

 

What I'm looking at is adding about 2 inches per side.

 

I'll look at the other axle I have that was shop made and see about modifying that so the width is added to the axle beam and tie rods instead of to the length of the stubs.

[Lee1977 6,658]

1 hour ago, ebinmaine said:

@Lee1977 and @Stormin, when you did that conversion did your front axle come out any wider than stock?

 

Looks like you both added about 3/4 inch per side?

 

What I'm looking at is adding about 2 inches per side.

 

I'll look at the other axle I have that was shop made and see about modifying that so the width is added to the axle beam and tie rods instead of to the length of the stubs.

Don't know the original width of the C-120 It now measures 37"in width. The wheel are trailer wheels and are 5 1/2" wide. I also widened the 312-8 the Wheel Horse trailer hubs were 4 1/2" long and I removed 3/4" on the out side of the hubs. It measures 33 1/2" wide  but the wheels are only 3" wide. The 1989 520-H is stock and it measures 36" wide.

Edited April 8, 2020 by Lee1977