MF35 lift arm bearing wear

[Chris Wilson]

I have a nice little MF35, that i use for moving bales and general smallholding duties. I have an old cable driven post knocker for it, and it is showing up some wear issues on the lift arms. the knocker is totally stable and accurately adjustable in one plane, via the male and female threaded tie rod, whatever it's called . The other plane (left to right stability looking at the front or rear of the tractor) is stabilised by the lift arms themselves, which have play where they enter the top casting, and some wear in the link arms and adjuster box. I think the lift arm wear is inside the casting, what do they pivot on, needle or ball bearings, or bronze type bushes? What's likely to need replacing to make them play free? As it is the knocker will move laterally at random, from where it's set to, making it hard to knock posts in straight. I intend to change the link arms and adjuster box for new pattern parts. I fear the holes for the pins in the lift arms are also oval, but I may ream those out and also ream out the top holes of the new link arms, and make some OS pins, if the lift arms are expensive to renew.

Thanks for looking.

 

[Jerry/MT]

I have a nice little MF35, that i use for moving bales and general smallholding duties. I have an old cable driven post knocker for it, and it is showing up some wear issues on the lift arms. the knocker is totally stable and accurately adjustable in one plane, via the male and female threaded tie rod, whatever it's called . The other plane (left to right stability looking at the front or rear of the tractor) is stabilised by the lift arms themselves, which have play where they enter the top casting, and some wear in the link arms and adjuster box. I think the lift arm wear is inside the casting, what do they pivot on, needle or ball bearings, or bronze type bushes? What's likely to need replacing to make them play free? As it is the knocker will move laterally at random, from where it's set to, making it hard to knock posts in straight. I intend to change the link arms and adjuster box for new pattern parts. I fear the holes for the pins in the lift arms are also oval, but I may ream those out and also ream out the top holes of the new link arms, and make some OS pins, if the lift arms are expensive to renew.

Thanks for looking.

The rock shaft uses bushings that are contained in the lift cover. You have to remove the cover to get to them.