Bearing on new disk clicking.

[N80]

I bought a new 7' Leinbach disk about 3 weeks ago. Works great. Very pleased with it. But, this weekend I noticed that two of the bearings (sealed flange bearings) ping when I rotate the axles by spinning the disks with them lifted off the ground. It is a pretty loud clicking pinging sound and you can feel a click. But, the disks still spin freely and seem to spin as long as the gangs with normal (non pinging) bearings.

One guy told me this was bad and that the bearing would seize soon and could cause damage..... to the axle I guess.

So my question is how serious is this? I don't know how these bearings are constructed but I'm assuming its a deformed ball bearing or pin, or maybe a ring seal??? Should I stop using it? Or just keep going and see what happens? If they need to be replaced now, I'll have to contact Leinbach. It is still under warranty and I certainly have not abused it, being careful of rocks and not making any turns with it down, etc.

Also, if they do need to be replaced, how hard is this to do myself? Do I need a press of any sort? It looks like they come off the gang hanger with 4 bolts and then I'm assuming it just slips off the axle. AND, even if Leinbach agrees to send me new ones, do I really want to use their bearings again? I'm assuming they're made in China...which is where the individual disks are made. OR, should I replace them with good ones? Are there good ones? If so, who makes them? Are they standard sizes? How much do they cost?

Thanks for any help.

 

[wushaw]

Replacing them are easy and can be done by one person.
Just un-bolt the bearings from the hangers and roll the gang away from the disk and take the big nut off the end and start puilling parts off the end till ya get the bearings off.

 

[N80]

Thanks. Thats what it looks like. The burning question is, what do I risk if I let it go? If the bearing seizes, will it damage the axle?

 

[wushaw]

I would check it before you go out to use it and after you get done to keep an eye on it. The gang should rotate real easy.

If the bearing were to lock up for whatever reason I don't see it tearing up the axle, rather it would get real sloppy and make lots of noise.

Something to think about is that clicking your hearing may just be the steel popping in one of the disks like an oil can sound and have nothing to do with the bearing at all....just a thought.

 

[N80]

It is definitely coming from the bearing. The disks amplify the 'ping' but there's no doubt that its in the bearing. But, I will probably take your advice and just check it frequently. It still rotates freely and as long as that is the case I'll let it go. Especially if the bearings aren't too expensive.

 

[dixie306]

I bought a cultipacker from those folks a while, I unloaded it and grabbed the grease gun to lube the bearings, one zerk looked like it had been dragged over a concrete floor and ground down to about 90% angle, the other zerk had been way overtightened and wouldn't accept grease, I replaced both, no big deal, I hooked up, the stands were coated with some kind of very thick plastic coating and had to be scraped off before they'd slide up. Then went down to a couple of plots I'd already tilled, rolled them, spread the seed, rolled them again and headed back to the barn, I looked behind me and something just didn't look right about the cultipacker, I stopped, walked back and found the set screws on both sides hadn't been tighten down and the axle was just before falling out. Nothing but luck I had a set of allen wrenches in the tool box. If I ever buy anything else from them, it'll be checked from stem to stern before leaving the barn

 

[N80]

This disk did need a bit of post delivery, uh, prep. No loose bolts or anything but some of the gang hangers were twisted, etc. Easy to fix. The only other problem was that the paint was just slopped all over the thing with dried 'drips' all over the edges. No big deal there either, I didn't buy it for its looks, but, where the gangs hook to the frame and move back and forth, the paint was slopped on too thick and I had to sand it down so they gangs could be adjusted.

Still, this is an inexpensive disk but it is better built than the typical tractor store brand and costs less......and is better designed than at least one other bigger name brands.

So I'm still not bummed out yet. And I don't care if these bearings click forever as long as they don't ruin anything when they finally seize.