48" deck locked up!

[TractorLarry]

What about seals ?

-Larry

There isn't a spindle you can't take apart and replace the bearings in. From a commercial brush hog spindle to a TSC/MTD special, they all come apart and they all have one thing in common, stock bearings.

All you do is take it apart and get the outer diameter, width and inner diameter or use the catalog number stamped on the bearing and call or visit any bearing distributor.

In all the spindles I've rebuilt over the years, I've never bought any bearings from a dealer or OEM. The markup is way too high.

 

[7254t]

I for one carry them in stock! when I replace bearings I also change seals!

 

[Fordlords]

One thing to watch out for especially with MTD is they sometimes change the spindle designs for individual mowers without notification. For instance with my 44C deck the spindles were changed through the years to use aluminum housings mounted from underneath of the deck instead of the original steel housed ones that bolted above the deck frame. My original plan was to rebuild the spindles, but when I looked and saw there were 19 individual parts that composed the 44C spindles and the design was different, (plus the shafts I had looked a little worn at the bearing contact points) I had no idea what parts from the new design would interchange into the housings I had that were 25 years old. I wanted my deck to have 100% of the performance of a new one without compromise and I chose the new spindle route in the case of the old 44C deck.

-Fordlords-

 

[oliver28472]

I was headed down the rebuild road on my Woods until we broke a spindle housing. Used heat, hydraulic press, bfh, etc.

 

[RobJ]

$120 for each spindle on my Woods rm360. Not that many parts if you want to keep the housing.

 

[oliver28472]

That's in line with what mine would have been. Found a whole good used deck for $225+tax. RM-48

 

[TractorLarry]

Heavens to Mergatroid! Thats utter highway robbery.

-Larry

$120 for each spindle on my Woods rm360. Not that many parts if you want to keep the housing.

 

[RobJ]

Heavens to Mergatroid! Thats utter highway robbery.

-Larry

What can I say, the actual price was 118 if I recall from an dealer on ebay. Local dealer was a lot more.

 

[MrWiggles2]

Timken spindles are usually pretty good, but anything can seize. When I grease I get a good amount of squeeze out below the spindle above the blades. I had a problem with my grease gun however. I appeared to be pumping in grease, but in actuality, no grease was going in. I knew this because I wasn't seeing any squeeze out. I had to make some adjustments to the compressor and gun and got it flowing again.

Glad we have this topic, I'm overdue by about 20 hours.