C series front wheel bearings

[Marv 924]

I think I am going to replace the front wheel bearings with sealed bearings. The grease squeeze out using the greaseable bearings always makes the wheels look bad. The new bearings would have to be of excellent quality I think. Just any ole sealed bearing would not do. Anybody have suggestions .

Marv

[rjg854 11,385]

I m contemplating the same thing. Like to know what others have used.

[SylvanLakeWH 25,600]

Very pleased with the bearings I received from wheelhorsepartsandmore.com
 

(Vendor section on this site.)

 

Lowell is a great guy to work with.

 

Edited July 6, 2021 by SylvanLakeWH

[Lee1977 6,666]

I bought some sealed bearing off E-bay for my 312-8. I have not greased them. I think they will last just as long as the other type. 

[pacer 3,173]

I too got disgusted with the mess, and waste of grease packed spindles had and some time back I started a search for a sealed flanged bearing. I had to dig a bit and found some on the bay - (it was some 3-4 yrs ago so I dont remember who). They were offered in a 10 pack and I got them and they turned out to no only be sealed, but were far better quality than I had been getting in the open ones. Soooo much nicer!!!

[roadapples 6,983]

me too...

[Mickwhitt 4,642]

I replaced the stub axles and use trailer hubs with taper roller bearings, much much better than the flanged things that were original. 

I did intend making some kind of modifications so that the original wheels could be fitted with a ball bearing but it was more bother than changing the stub axle to use trailer hubs. 

 

[JoeM 7,874]

55 minutes ago, Mickwhitt said:

use trailer hubs with taper roller bearings

3/4" are tough to find here. Most trailers have went to 1" now. 

 

I have used these sealed bearing so far so good. Seem like high quality.

 

[pacer 3,173]

4 hours ago, JoeM said:

Seem like high quality.

 

@JoeM - I do believe those are the ones I found and they were MUCH better than the open type .... and hard to beat that price too!

[Lee1977 6,666]

6 hours ago, Mickwhitt said:

I replaced the stub axles and use trailer hubs with taper roller bearings, much much better than the flanged things that were original. 

I did intend making some kind of modifications so that the original wheels could be fitted with a ball bearing but it was more bother than changing the stub axle to use trailer hubs. 

 

I went that way on my C-120 but i needed a wheel. new tires and a replacement front spindle. I went just a bit heaver 3500 # trailer axles,hubs and 6 ply tires.

 

[Skipper 1,788]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MF5A4GF/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

I have used these for years now, on all sorts of mowers, also the horses. Probably fitted more than 50 of these, and never had one fail. At $1.59 a pop, that's a pretty big no brainer for me, over those pesky greased bushings in the cheaper machines, and an easy no mess replacement for the greased type.

 

They also come in a 5/8 bore, that fits the big deck wheels on the 60 inch deck etc.

 

Can only recommend

[Jeff-C175 7,202]

4 hours ago, Skipper said:

fitted more than 50 of these

 

Are the seals on those removable for insertion of Peter's favorite grease?  I just ordered a ten pack.

 

Edited July 6, 2021 by Jeff-C175

[Skipper 1,788]

Sorry, I do not know, have never tried. I would think so. It's just those normal black rubber shields so........

[gwest_ca-(File Mod) 11,046]

Some bearings have one seal on the outside and are greased by the grease fitting as normal.

 

Others have two seals and are pre-greased so can not be greased. If you try the grease pressure will push the bearing out of the hub. Guess how I found out.

Suggest replacing the grease fitting with a set screw/Loctite to plug the hole so that does not happen. The inner seal will not allow grease to enter the bearing.

 

Garry

[cschannuth 3,816]

M. E. Miller tire has excellent sealed bearings also.

[ebinmaine 67,610]

1 hour ago, Jeff-C175 said:

 

  I just ordered a ten pack.

 

Me too

[Jeff-C175 7,202]

1 minute ago, ebinmaine said:

Me too

 

And now I'm going to have to figure out a way to get all that grease BACK into the grease gun!  Seems a terrible waste of grease.  Maybe if I duct tape my shop vac to the butt end?

[ebinmaine 67,610]

1 minute ago, Jeff-C175 said:

 

And now I'm going to have to figure out a way to get all that grease BACK into the grease gun!  Seems a terrible waste of grease.  Maybe if I duct tape my shop vac to the butt end?

Definitely work. It's duct tape and a vacuum. What could go wrong?

 

[Jeff-C175 7,202]

5 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

duct tape and a vacuum

 

Maybe I should email RG and see if he has a good solution?

[WHX?? 48,828]

17 hours ago, Jeff-C175 said:

Are the seals on those removable

Yes they pick right out. I use the same ones as Skipper. The thoughts around here are pick the inner seal out and grease for workers, queens and light duty leave them sealed. When you pick the seal out you will find not much grease in them but then again they are not flying down the interstate. These are not what one would call precision bearings but in my endless quest for being anal the search is still on for precision ones like this.  As cheap as they are maybe just run them sealed and replace them every couple of years?? I don't care for the way grease packed spindles attract dirt on the plow mules.  

Note if you decide to pick the inner one out and grease be careful with the grease gun. you can push the outer seal right off... don't ask me how I know.... 

[WHX?? 48,828]

16 hours ago, cschannuth said:

M. E. Miller tire has excellent sealed bearings also.

Are these the ones Craig? Hard to believe they are precision as claimed but certainly more $$ so  ? 

3/4" Precision Ball Bearing Front Lawn & Garden Tractor Wheel (millertire.com)

[clueless 3,005]

I bought the same 10 pack that Pacer posted, a few years ago and did two of my tractors. On the second tractor after pulling one of the wheel and used a paint stirrer and a small putty knife to try and collect all the grease in the hub and on the spindle. I got most of it and it was well over a cup, that's a lot of grease just to keep two 1/2" thick bearing greased. Just clean out the hub and spindle leave a little coating of grease on the spindle to keep it from rusting, pop in the bearings and your good to go for many years. Also like Garry said remove the zerk fittings and replace them with set screws, because you are someone else someday may decide to grease them only to find out you wasted a half a tub of grease just to pop out the bearing .  

[Marv 924]

Thanks everybody for your comments. I ordered the 10 pack from Amazon today.

Marv

[cschannuth 3,816]

12 hours ago, WHX24 said:

Are these the ones Craig?

that’s them. My sons have a mowing business and they have a sulky that they use behind one of their big walk behinds. My sons are big guys and these have lasted much better than the wheel bearings that came with the carts originally.

[tom2p 2,394]

back in the day when we rode dirt bikes ... bearings subject to dirt / mud / water / debris obviously - and high pressure spray from the 50 cent car wash 

 

when we got a bike - new or used - we replaced the stock/OEM front and rear wheel bearings with sealed bearings and then never had a problem ... 0.0 maintenance