Front Drive Casting Repair Kama 554

[EddieWalker]

Rob,

Is this the same axle that you rebuilt last year?

I'm not sure about this, but of all the threads on here and all the types of tractors that everyone owns, has anybody had anything similar happen to their front axles like you have?

Eddie

 

[Diamondpilot]

No problems here but Rob has admitted many times he is hard on the old Kama. He uses that thing like a dozer. Nothing wrong with that Rob, its yours and you can do as you want. My guess is if you gave Rob a brick he could find a way to tear it up. LOL!!!

Love your work Rob. Not knocking you one bit. Its neat that you get 100% out of your machines and then can fix them. You never ***** or complain about it breaking. It always starts with a good background story how you broke it and how you are now going to fix it.

Chris

 

[3RRL]

Rob,

Is this the same axle that you rebuilt last year?

I'm not sure about this, but of all the threads on here and all the types of tractors that everyone owns, has anybody had anything similar happen to their front axles like you have?

Eddie

Hi Eddie,
I don't know but I'd guess someone has had some kind of axle failure before ... I dunno?
Your question about the same axle as last year ... it was not the axle itself last year. If you remember, it was the the small bevel gears on the axle and front drive that stripped. I replaced them. This failure was a cracked casting. The gears I replaced are inside it. The casting cracked where a sleeve on one fits into a bearing on the other casting.

I might off base, but I think I know what you're getting at though.
And that's OK with me if that's the case ... (correct me if I'm wrong).
I know you're not a fan of Chinese tractors and question their reliability. I seem to have bad luck breaking things that most others don't. I'm pretty sure I use mine the same as other brands and perhaps shouldn't have some of these failures. Maybe it's because it's an inferior machine? But then again, maybe I use mine a little differently too exactly for the same reason? It's not like I'm worried about breaking an expensive tractor. There are a lot of things I do with mine that I should really have a bulldozer for, but I don't, so I'm a little hard on the machine. I think though, that if I crashed into a boulder with any brand machine (same size) there is a good possibility that their casting would break too.
I just bought a brand new 2008 Silverado 2500HD earlier this year. Guess what, Loretta accidentally backed up into a huge Oak and we had to replace the bumper and rear quarter panel because they were crushed. I paid over $40,000 bucks for that truck. I think a Ford, Dodge or a cheap Chinese truck would do the same, don't you?

Sorry in advance if I'm off base Eddie. LOL ... Maybe I read too much in your reply and perhaps you were suggesting I'm just a crummy tractor operator.

 

[Reg]

Nice job, nice process documentation.

Man o' man, can't bear to think of the mess I would have made of that.
Spatter all over the mill's table wouldn't have been the worst of it (-:

 

[rtdiggr]

As always Rob nice job, like someone else said you don't complain something broke and you fix it. it is nice to have a "little skill" to replace that at a dealer would probable be over $1000.

Shane

 

[shvl73]

Oh man! I'm sorry to hear about the truck! I'll bet Loretta was upset.

 

[EddieWalker]

Hi Eddie,
I don't know but I'd guess someone has had some kind of axle failure before ... I dunno?
Your question about the same axle as last year ... it was not the axle itself last year. If you remember, it was the the small bevel gears on the axle and front drive that stripped. I replaced them. This failure was a cracked casting. The gears I replaced are inside it. The casting cracked where a sleeve on one fits into a bearing on the other casting.

I might off base, but I think I know what you're getting at though.
And that's OK with me if that's the case ... (correct me if I'm wrong).
I know you're not a fan of Chinese tractors and question their reliability. I seem to have bad luck breaking things that most others don't. I'm pretty sure I use mine the same as other brands and perhaps shouldn't have some of these failures. Maybe it's because it's an inferior machine? But then again, maybe I use mine a little differently too exactly for the same reason? It's not like I'm worried about breaking an expensive tractor. There are a lot of things I do with mine that I should really have a bulldozer for, but I don't, so I'm a little hard on the machine. I think though, that if I crashed into a boulder with any brand machine (same size) there is a good possibility that their casting would break too.
I just bought a brand new 2008 Silverado 2500HD earlier this year. Guess what, Loretta accidentally backed up into a huge Oak and we had to replace the bumper and rear quarter panel because they were crushed. I paid over $40,000 bucks for that truck. I think a Ford, Dodge or a cheap Chinese truck would do the same, don't you?

Sorry in advance if I'm off base Eddie. LOL ... Maybe I read too much in your reply and perhaps you were suggesting I'm just a crummy tractor operator.

Hi Rob,

I wasn't implying anything about Chinese tractors, and especially about your skills as an operator in my previous post. I was thinking that there must be something wrong with that axle to keep giving you problems. Whether it's a Chinese thing and their quality control, or not, it does seem odd that you taking it apart again.

I can see where you use your tractor quite a bit, probably more then most of us, but I don't belive for one second that you abuse it, or use it for anything then it wasn't intended for.

Would it be worthwhile looking into another front axle to replace the damaged one? I know that you have the skill to rebuild it better then new, and your repair will outlive the rest of the axle. I just hate to see you rebuild it one piece at a time when front axles are pretty basic and rarely give anybody any problems.

Either way, I enjoy seeing your repairs and following your progress.

Eddie

 

[IH3444]

That is one sweet fix, and repair Rob.

 

[Ronbo]

When I sow that Rob had broke something else, Iwas excited because I knew he was going to fix it better than new and we were going to be able to watch.

Thanks Rob

Ron

 

[Red55]

Rob-
Being out in California I am surprised that some "director" hasn't contacted you on doing a series. Basically cause I remember when the "Old Yankee Workshop" started and a few years later Norm was amazed at how a show that was supposed to last only a few seasons just kept on going. The producers figured out that people who have "zero" woodworking skills love to watch Norm build furniture from scratch. People with all levels of mechanical skill enjoy watching your repairs. Reading your threads is the best of both worlds Lots of fun and the reader doesn't even break a sweat! Thanks for sharing the documentation has got to take as much time as the repair itself. -Ed