Bush Hog crazy wheel revisited.......

[jaken]

OK, I appreciate all the responses I had to my wheel thinking it is a plow. I took a good look at it and discovered that the yoke was bent and re-welded in such a way as to cock the wheel back in the wrong direction. I took the torch to it and cut the weld and straightened the yoke/shaft. Remounted the wheel and gave it a try. Same thing. Next I cut the yoke at 15 degrees and reversed it, welded it back up. Then replaced the hub and shaft which were worn badly and mounted it back up. Confident that it would track properly I started to the field. Went 20 feet and the wheel went sideways trying to plow a furrow!!!!

Don't know how to proceed now. This is very frustrating!



Still can't figure out why yhe images post sideways!

 

[Snowback]

This is a cold response and I need to go look at your other thread as well. I reserve the right to change my opinion after seeing what others wrote there...

I think it is simply the angle of your mounting bracket/fork from pivot to wheel. Perhaps the top was bent at some point. If you look at pictures of new cutters and tail wheels, you will see a pronounced offset where the axle is behind the pivot and allows it to drag properly. This orients the wheel whether you are moving forward, backwards, or sideways. Just like shopping carts basically. (And if they get bent they are a PAIN to keep straight, just like in your case.)

In summary, you want the pivot line to be well ahead of the center of the wheel axle. I took a stab here, but the picture is not perfect. Let me know if that makes sense. (Also others please correct if you see something off...)

Good luck!

 

[Snowback]

LOL!!!! I just looked at the other thread. The other guys have it all right. You still need to be moving that wheel farther out. Use the straight line that the pivot makes as it connects to the wheel mount shaft, not just the angle to the top part of the pin... My only input it appears is a new picture that just confirms the solution. You need the front of the wheel/rim to be roughly in line with the straight line created by the pivot point, or perhaps be even further back if you have a strong enough bracket. The picture on the left above is a perfect representation and is how my cutter rides allowing the tail wheel to spin and follow tractor direction perfectly.

 

[bcp]

Funny! Same photos as I was working on as an example.

Mine:



Bruce

 

[Snowback]

Funny! Same photos as an example.

Mine:

View attachment 473539

Bruce

LOL! That one had the best clarity from a quick Google image search, eh Bruce? I didn't even notice you had used that! I'd say great minds think alike, but mine is only "so-so".

This type of image was shown earlier in the other post, but the importance of the differences of angle are crucial. The best design will create the angle right after the pin exits the pivot housing as in this picture below. If you can make your wheel and connecting pin/shaft look like this, then it will work. I think that it must have been bent in the past somehow and that has straightened it out to the point where it will no longer "caster" effectively.

 

[bcp]

I've seen tail wheels with the pin curved at the bottom to weld onto the yoke at 90 degrees. (Or maybe the factory bends a straight pin after welding)

It is easy to see how someone, with one of those designs, may back into something, bending the yoke and maybe pin. When they repair it they make everything straight, like they thought it should be. But now it doesn't work.

Bruce

 

[kebo]

I've seen tail wheels with the pin curved at the bottom to weld onto the yoke at 90 degrees. (Or maybe the factory bends a straight pin after welding)

It is easy to see how someone, with one of those designs, may back into something, bending the yoke and maybe pin. When they repair it they make everything straight, like they thought it should be. But now it doesn't work.

Bruce

Just for the heck of it, here's a pic of the tail wheel on my bush hog. The reason is it "pointing" the wrong way was because the bush hog had been raised up, and then when I stopped the tractor and parked it, I dropped the bush hog. Whenever I raise it, gravity pulls the tailwheel down so it's pointing the wrong way, but as soon as you start driving forward, it will correct itself very quickly, and it doesn't plow any. :thumbsup:

 

[SPYDERLK]

... Also, it appears the pivot collar is twisted a little sideways from perpendicular. This is contributory. Try to make it as near perpendicular to the bushog body in the left/right plane as possible.

 

[silvertramp]

My tail wheel started acting like a plow immediately after reading your original thread. (Of course.) It's on a 30? year old Howse that has been relentlessly abused. Like the OP, the wheel spun freely by hand. I loaded it up with grease.... my problem was solved.

 

[jaken]

Here's a better picture of my tailwheel setup. I really can't see where there were any drastic bends or modifications except where I cut the yoke 15 degrees and reversed it to angle the shaft back more. The yoke shaft does (or did) line up in a straight line to the wheel shaft but it looks like thats the way the **** thing was made. Only thing I can think happened was the wheel assembly was replaced with another from a different mower. I don't know how to proceed now.