By
Duramax7man7
Hey Fellas.
Got a great deal on an almost complete front end off of 520h to go my 312-8. Everything is in really good condition. A tiny bit of play but not really bad at all. Nothing like my 90' 520h had on it before I replaced the spindles.
I fabricated myself a plow extension kit last week before installing the front end today. I was sold the axle, spindles, good tie rods, lower steering shaft, lower steering support on both ends (front and steering tower areas) as well as the set of 8" rims with all working order hardware. I slap a new set of 16" x 7.5 -8" rubber on the rims, repacked the bearings and spindle thrust bearings and lubed everything after each piece was installed and still on the jack stands. Just have to pick up the tied rod washers and adjust the tie rod lengths and she'll be in fully operational order. Only thing left will be to build a new angle adjust handle for the plow and I'll be done.
Figured I'd offer up some progress photos. Enjoy!
Pre install... (excuse the clutter still working on that. Summer time will get er done!)
New (used) axle, spindles and rims with all hardware. Pre tire removal. Was letting the soapy water sit on the beads for a few before replacement. Makes a world of difference. Really lets the tires slide right off the rims and the bead breaks with ease after only a couple of minutes of sitting with this solution on it. Dawn dish soap! Gotta Love it!
New Rubber on... Will refinish the rims this summer. And I will be breaking the bead and using paper to cover the tires. No more painting rims with the tires off. ha ha.
Pulled the old 312-8 tie rods with a 1/2" OE wrench at the top of tie rod end and 9/16" wrench on the bottom.
Pulled the 1/2" Retaining bolt for the axle pin and plate assy. as well as the C-clip for it form the front.
Dropped the whole front end out of the tractor at this point. Didn't even take the rims off. Trying to keep time down.
Pulled the battery and steering column pin and lifted the steering wheel shaft out of the way to get the lower column support.
Removed the two 9/16" bolts/nuts for the steering wheel shaft and lower steering shaft support and pulled that out. Interesting that WH moved to a threaded cotter pin locked nut later in years on the lower steering shaft from just the cotter pin and washers on the 520h that I have.
Pulled the two 9/16" bolts and nuts from the front lower steering shaft support. At this point the lower steering shaft assy. was completely free but I also had to take and extra step and remove one side of the mid tach-matic support assy. which allowed me to slip the lock and pin mechanism out so that the lower steering assy could pass by it. Also had to lift the tractor up a bit more for clearance of that stuff as I had to pull it down and to the rear to remove and install it. Didn't photograph that. But you can see the parts that need to be removed in the picture below. I just loosened the three 9/16" bolts on the top, right hand side of the photo.
Old 312-8 Lower Steering Shaft assy with shorter tie rod mount plate next the swept axle's lower shaft assy. and the beefier tie rods. Big difference in placement. Could weld a plate I guess to the bottom of the old style with the right measurements and angle. For anyone that wants to take this route, let me know and I'll get the right dimensions with a sketch up of it all.
By MainelyWheelhorse
By SOCKDOG
By Duramax7man7