Finally rebuilding the front hubs on my WD...

IBWD Mike & plummerscarin -- Yeah, I'm going to get after it with the wire wheel on my angle grinder here soon and prime and paint it, I think it'll be salvagable.

wjohn wrote: How's the lower bearing for the vertical spindle shaft? My WD hub bearings were in good enough shape to reuse, but that big bearing supporting the bottom of the shaft was shot.

Hmmm... The hub bearings were toast, but I didn't check the bottom shaft. Easy way to check it? Assume you have to take the bolt out of the bottom center and drop the whole thing, or do you take the top plate off?

SteveM C/IL wrote: I would think a 4 lb hammer and a cold chisel would knock it off.

That's another option on my list... Going to go back out this weekend and see if I can make any progress with that or my puller. Last option is cut it off I suppose.

I pulled mine out, but I'm thinking I noticed play between the shaft and the main casting. Try grabbing the lower part with the spindles/shaft and seeing if you can get any play between it and the main casting. Then you can also remove that bottom bolt and drop the spindle casting off the shaft, as you suspect. As I recall you would have to remove the top cover in order to get the shaft w/ gear out as it goes out the top. Maybe that won't be necessary if you don't have noticeable play.

On my WD the bearing was in terrible shape. I think it had been run loose for a long time. You can see the indentations in the bearing race and how much it had worn down into the spindle casting.

Sorry for giving you another "while you're in there..." item - but doesn't hurt to check and hopefully yours is okay.

Went at the stuck bearing today with an angle grinder, 2 foot pipe wrench, and a 2 foot long chisel (tight quarters in there). Finally got the thing popped free after cutting the cage. I can definitely see why it was stuck...

Somebody definitely punched the spindle to get some extra bearing bite, to the point it almost seemed like it must have been a press fit or something (either that or the bearing egged out, too damaged in removal to tell the whole story probably).

wjohn wrote: garden_guy wrote: Hmmm... The hub bearings were toast, but I didn't check the bottom shaft. Easy way to check it? Assume you have to take the bolt out of the bottom center and drop the whole thing, or do you take the top plate off? I pulled mine out, but I'm thinking I noticed play between the shaft and the main casting. Try grabbing the lower part with the spindles/shaft and seeing if you can get any play between it and the main casting. Then you can also remove that bottom bolt and drop the spindle casting off the shaft, as you suspect. As I recall you would have to remove the top cover in order to get the shaft w/ gear out as it goes out the top. Maybe that won't be necessary if you don't have noticeable play. On my WD the bearing was in terrible shape. I think it had been run loose for a long time. You can see the indentations in the bearing race and how much it had worn down into the spindle casting. Sorry for giving you another "while you're in there..." item - but doesn't hurt to check and hopefully yours is okay.

Well, I didn't unbolt it to take it apart due to working on the bearing removal today... But I did let the front jack down to see what kind of play I've got. There's definitely some "turning" wiggle to it, and there's definitely some vertical wiggle to it (you can see when I let the jack down how much the assembly "dropped" down).

So... I am assuming at a minimum that bearing in mine must literally be toast, unless something else lets that wiggle up and down like that (the set screw in the front not being able to sit tight?). If I don't get to it this spring, I'll have to put it on my list to tackle this winter... Been spraying the top cover bolts with penetrating oil in preparation to take them off to see what kind of wear or damage I've got inside.

Do you have a number on the bearing/race you replaced it with? I hear they've switched to a tapered roller bearing from a barrel style if you contact AGCO?

Ted J wrote: Bill, you stated  "Have all the hub rebuild kits on hand", where did you get the kits and what all is in them?  Thanks Your B'day is the day after mine!!

I picked up these rebuild kits from DJs a few years ago (I got 4 kits, used 2 on the other WD back in like 2019). Each kit has a new inner bearing and race, outer bearing and race, a felt seal, the big seal washer, and a big cupped washer.

Hey, happy birthday to both of us soon!

Almost forgot - my vertical shaft was also worn where the bearing rode on it (more evidence that the bearing was locked up). I welded this back up and used a flapper disk in an angle grinder to smooth it out to about the original diameter of the shaft. Ideally you'd have a lathe but I figured for very low speed as long as you have a good fit between the shaft and bearing it will probably last forever. Couldn't be any worse than putting it back together without building up the groove at all.

Again, hopefully yours isn't this bad... But even if it is, it can be fixed.

Great stuff here, thanks guys! Going to try and take the rest of the front pedestal apart this weekend. Will try and take the top cover off, unbolt the bottom and take that assembly out, and pull the spindle out of the top... I don't have to disconnect the steering or anything right, I can take it apart as is? Or do I need to remove the front crank? Can't tell if I need to punch or pull any other items to pull it all apart.

Posted a few questions on facebook and I see that A&W tractor sells several pieces I may need here. I'll probably buy a bunch here soon... How exactly do the spindle shims work? Do I need to add or remove shims to try and get it "tight" for that bottom bolt?

224908 -- bearing cone

224909 -- bearing race

238028 -- narrow front spindle bearing shim (.005)

205932 -- narrow front spindle shaft washer shim (.025)

202101 -- cork seal (lower)

202102 -- cork seal (upper)

I also saw a "212916 -- spindle seal kit" but not sure what all is in this? looks like the two seals below and a flat washer and a cupped washer, but don't see where that is used on the vertical spindle in my setup...

I do have a caliper to check the spindle dimensions so I'll have to check that this weekend. I'll measure it and maybe can emory cloth the top if it isn't too far out of spec so I can just get a slip fit of the new bearing. I think somebody just got over-zealous with the punch... May have to see if I can get the vertical shaft out if it can be welded up for a worn keyway or like wjohn had with the bearing inner spinning on the shaft instead.

SteveM C/IL -- Seems like this is a fairly common WD problem from what you're saying (the infamous high speed wobble). Thanks for the tips on the crank removal! Hope to get that done this weekend and see how the shaft looks. Interesting that my other WD the bearings in the hubs were destroyed (basically just slamming in and out against the race until they spun in the hubs and cracked), but on this one the hubs seemed okay but it steers harder so seems like the pedestal took most of the beating... I kind of figured that bearing would just out once I got the lower bolt and casting off, so makes me think it has worn into the shaft a touch to make it "hold on" up there... Very curious if the key and the lower casting is worn to the point where it has its own inherent wobble or where the "loosest" piece of the puzzle seems to be...

wjohn -- No worries. Hopefully I'll have another update this weekend if I can find some time to tinker.

Curious if the high speed wobble is due to front end alignment, and the need for a bit more "toe-in" of the front end.

I cleaned up the worn surface on the lower casting by removing material to make it as close to flat as possible again. As I recall, I was able to do this because the new tapered roller bearing was slightly taller than the original bearing. I was able to put some shims back in, too.

I do not recall the bearing being retained to the shaft by anything other than a very slight press fit. I think I just pounded the shaft up and out? Make sure to clean up the keyway in the shaft if it has any raised edges so that those won't fight the bearing on the way through..

I officially have the wheels back on!

The new rim stands out just a whee bit in cream.

Hey it's Sugarmaker! Been awhile. I had to go back and read thru your old WD45 thread several times while tearing into the front end of my WD, along with some great help from the folks in this thread like wjohn and SteveM C/IL. 

Wish I had more time and a concrete floor in my shed to work on, as the dirt floor is kind of not fun for lifting and working. 

But I agree, I am thinking much like yours I'll leave the rims on this one cream. Good call on using a jack to brace that pin... If I ever get back in there, I've definitely got some good ideas.