Oliver 550 broke the knuckle on the front axle

[NormL]

I was abusing my poor old Oliver today and it bit me back. The left front wheel knuckle has been broken and welded before and now it broke again. I'm starting this thread on the off chance that you folks can help me broaden my search for a replacement part. Did Oliver use proprietary parts for their front ends? Mine is the adjustable type. I have the manual for the tractor and the part number is: 1EAS-713-A. It is described as Knuckle and shaft - left steering, in the book.

I'm hoping someone knows whether Oliver developed all their own parts or are other manufacturers using the same parts on the front ends of their tractors. Another consideration is the possibility that the FEL is causing the axle parts to fail due to overloading. Is there a way to beef up the capacity of the knuckle and shaft since I have to replace one anyway?

 

[NormL]

I was able to locate a new replacement part for this old tractor. Amazing! The only problem - well, actually two - The cost: almost half what I paid for the tractor, and not any stronger than the original and that broke under the load. So - onward and upward - to plan "B".

I have a bale loader out back from which I have been stripping parts and upon checking the axle hubs found that the wheel rims of the tractor will bolt right on!:thumbsup::thumbsup: I don't know what those axles are rated for but I'm guessing for a good deal more than the Oliver's axles. The plan "B" calls for cutting off an axle stub and welding that to the shaft of the broken axle. Neither my welding skills nor my welder are equal to the task so once I have the junk from the previous repair cleaned off the shaft I'll take the parts to a neighbour's shop, owned by a highly skilled tool and die maker.

Some Photos: 1): This photo shows the spindle and the shaft from a previous repair. 2): The break and how much of a weld was actually holding. 3): When the wheel fell over, the broken shaft (2nd photo) came down on the tire and punctured it. 4): The axle and hub on the bale loader. I cut off the other side. This one is for if the other spindle on the tractor goes. 5): This spindle has 1/4" more diameter inside the inner bearing than the one that broke off.

 

[oldmech]

Hi! My first choice Buy the used part. You know!.Not easy to weld two steel kinds.The old spindle is hard tempered steel and the knuckle is cast iron. The baler axle is probably medium carbide steel more easy to weld. But !Very hard to find a good welder . Oliver 550 are a better tractor than A fORD 8N jubilee 600 or 800. Better brake Better tranny 6 speeds two reverses first gear is more slow. More heavy .More height to ground. May be you can find a used part on Ebay for a better price. Good luck ! Oldmech

 

[NormL]

Hi! My first choice Buy the used part. You know!.Not easy to weld two steel kinds.The old spindle is hard tempered steel and the knuckle is cast iron. The baler axle is probably medium carbide steel more easy to weld. But !Very hard to find a good welder . Oliver 550 are a better tractor than A fORD 8N jubilee 600 or 800. Better brake Better tranny 6 speeds two reverses first gear is more slow. More heavy .More height to ground. May be you can find a used part on Ebay for a better price. Good luck ! Oldmech

I agree with you 100%.:thumbsup: I prefer the Oliver over the ford for all the reasons you list! The one you missed and was what was 50% of the reason I bought it is the live PTO. I dislike "ground drive" with a passion! Useless for baling, rototilling, mowing, etc. The other 50% was the slower first gear you mentioned. Once i have the Oliver fixed up and working the way it should I plan to sell the Ford. It's an OK loader tractor but useless in the field.

I have great confidence in the welding skills of the shop I'm taking this to plus I have little to lose since I have the parts right here. I did find the baler axle to be quite hard when i went to cut it off. I started with a reciprocating saw and a bimetal blade. I soon switched to a skill-saw with an abrasive blade. A bit tricky to hold steady but a lot faster.

 

[Short Game]

Go for it. You'll have the first hybrid on the block. :thumbsup:

 

[NormL]

Go for it. You'll have the first hybrid on the block. :thumbsup:

Yeah! Almost sounds environmentally responsible. Maybe I can call it a S&PC Builder's Network innovation along the lines of what Iplayfarmer and I were joking about a while back on my backhoe thread.:laughing::laughing: I believe you put your two cents in there somewhere, too.

 

[NormL]

Here's an update on the fix (hopefully) of the front axle. I squared the stub on the lathe and could have beveled it too but the shop guy said he would rather do that. I'm OK with that! I also ground off the old welds from the previous fix and established the angle at which the stub is to be attached. I got that info off the axle that is still standing.. Right now it looks like the wheel will mount 1/4" further away from the knuckle than the original. I can take that off the stub if it matters but does it? It is already only 3/4" from the end of the stub to the beginning of the part of the bearing that the seal has contact with and it has yet to be beveled. The greater the margin we can maintain, the easier it will be on my anxiety avoidance rituals.:laughing::laughing:

 

[NormL]

I don't know that anyone is still following this thread but I'll post the latest photos anyway and if the weather holds tomorrow I should have the rest of the damage fixed. The first photo shows the welding I had done. The second one has the hub from the bale loader ready to mount the wheel. Theres the hybrid you were talking about, Short Game.:laughing::laughing:

When the wheel dropped off the opposite side hammered into the power steering pump and sheared off a couple of mounting bolts. They're not a bunch of fun to get to and I ran out of daylight so, tomorrow!

 

[Short Game]

Looks like Christmas.

 

[Short Game]

Is that bearing the one you are running? If so, what keeps the grease in it?