Soundguy
Old Timer
- Joined
- Mar 11, 2002
- Messages
- 52,238
- Location
- Central florida
- Tractor
- RK 55HC,ym1700, NH7610S, Ford 8N, 2N, NAA, 660, 850 x2, 541, 950, 941D, 951, 2000, 3000, 4000, 4600, 5000, 740, IH 'C' 'H', CUB, John Deere 'B', allis 'G', case VAC
On the 8n and the NAA, the big honkin axle nut is what holds the hub onto the axle. If this nut gets loose, it lets the hub play against the axle. Hub is cast, axle is hardened splines.. what happens 95% of the time is the hub wallows out, and the axle is fine.. Hub is about 50 bucks... or if the hub hasn't worn down and you can actually get it to tighten up on the axle splines before the big nut bottoms out on the axle shoulders.. you may be in luck. Also.. as a money saving venture.. some farmers will take strapping steel.. like is used to strap things down to pallets.. and cut thin strips out of it, and lay it in the grooves around the splines in the hub, to act as shims to get a slightly worn hub to tighten down for a few more years. Another method is to machine some washers so that the nut tightens against the washers.. but the washers have some clearance cut out so they dont bottom out ont he axle, but instead, snug up the hub to the axle. This will all make sens once you take a look at the pieces.
Also.. if the threads on your axle are damaged from the play.. don't worry.. there is a -good- workaround for that as well. The original axle nut had a locking pin, and was one piece.. however.. as I said.. if the threads are a tad messed up, you can get a 'repair nut'.. or it is also refered to by farmers as a '2-piece squeezem' nut' it is actually a tapered threaded sleave that fits over the damaged axle threads, and then has a collar that threads on the outside of the sleave, tightening it up as it threads on, and 'squuezing' the inner piece onto the axle and bad threads. A properly installed squeezem nut will torque down to the same spec as the original 1 piece nut.. 450 ft pounds, and will hold the hub fairly decently.. though the nut is like 12 bucks.. it beats buying a new axle for a hundred bucks.. when just the threads are damaged.
If you can stand by the rear tire and grab the top of it and move it back and forth.. the hub is loose on the axle..
Soundguy
Also.. if the threads on your axle are damaged from the play.. don't worry.. there is a -good- workaround for that as well. The original axle nut had a locking pin, and was one piece.. however.. as I said.. if the threads are a tad messed up, you can get a 'repair nut'.. or it is also refered to by farmers as a '2-piece squeezem' nut' it is actually a tapered threaded sleave that fits over the damaged axle threads, and then has a collar that threads on the outside of the sleave, tightening it up as it threads on, and 'squuezing' the inner piece onto the axle and bad threads. A properly installed squeezem nut will torque down to the same spec as the original 1 piece nut.. 450 ft pounds, and will hold the hub fairly decently.. though the nut is like 12 bucks.. it beats buying a new axle for a hundred bucks.. when just the threads are damaged.
If you can stand by the rear tire and grab the top of it and move it back and forth.. the hub is loose on the axle..
Soundguy