Whats the best way to work on a narrow front tractor? I've got an old school farm jack, but I know how dangerous they are and I am leery of them, and would prefer something more stable/less dangerous.

Say I want to work on my WD... I was thinking either a bottle jack buiilt up on some cribbing or a hydraulic jack (the kind that rolls on four steel wheels and has a big handle).

Is it easier to jack up the front end with a bottle jack and set it back down on a bunch of concrete blocks or 4x4 posts?

What do you guys do?

Worked well.   Used 8x8 and 6x8 with some smaller boards for fine adjustment.

Please NEVER,EVER use 'concrete blocks' !!!!! ONLY use solid blocks or good timbers. Hollow concrete blocks WILL fail..one day. I prefer timbers  as concrete can chip and fail. Besides a solid 8by8 concrete block is dang HEAVY !

I'm wondering if you can get the jack between the front wheels to lift ? Don't own one so I don't know what space there is.

I use a 3T floor jack and timbers to lift my D-14s.May take awhile but it's SAFE.

egads I sound lke an old ,busted record...

Jay

Everyone does what they have to do but I will not have one on the farm. Big bottle jack, or big floor jack and two different types of jack stands that are stout enough to be used splitting the 190XT and a large pile of wooden cribbing.

Can remember what we called a "barn jack" growing up, large base with course threads and a swivel top and those things were heavy. When our dairy barn was straightened by cabling, they first brought it more into line by leveling with those barn jacks and they had plenty of them that were far larger than ours. New beams for additional support were slid into place with RR Jacks, same theory as the Handy Man, just super duty.

Cribbing is everything and new 4x4's are cheap from a big box store, it is your life after all.

If at all possible, also have someone there to assist.

If just one wheel has to come off then Don(MO)'s method will work.

These tractors tend to swing around when the front end comes off the ground. I have seen it happen. I am fortunate to have a couple steel saw horses that are just the right height with a couple wood blocks.

Better shot with front wheels off, and blocking to the frame rails. Used a floor jack to raise it gently then put blocks in place. I know you may not have these. But giving suggestions, and be safe!

Wood cribbing would be the next best thing!

Regards,

 Chris

Back in the day Pop went to a Junk Yard and picked up an engine lift for cars.  It was wide enough to startle the narrow front tractors.  We took the hood off the tractor and placed a bracket on the four valve cover bolts.  Worked fine with no problems.  When we were in the field and had to split a tractor or lift the front we looked for a solid tree.  Did the same thing as with our engine crane but used a block and tackle or a chain craw for a lift.

Primitive - compared to the equipment you have now days - but it worked and we were safe.

Good Luck!

Bill Long

Oh, and an extra hat tip to Sugarmaker -- I have seen the tractors want to "swing" a bit myself. I like your saw horse cribbing. I don't have anything like that; will have to go on the hunt for big sturdy wood.

On a side note, it looks like you can get to the bearing in the front of the pedestal.... From the bottom? You don't have to take the pedestal off to get into the bearing? Is that what I can see from your picture? Must just be that big bolt in the front that goes into the magical keyway? That's the other thing I feel like I need to do to this one pedestal that is wobbly, as I figure that bearing in there is pounded to death.

Stan's idea of a frame bolted in two places on each side of the frame and  to the ground on each side is a good idea. If you have some steel its a good time to bust out the cutting touch and welder and fab up a custom support.

 To remove and repair the lower vertical bearing and seals in the pedestal you will need the tractor front off the ground 4-6 inches and blocked, under the frame.

Take both front wheels off. Hubs are optional as far as take off.  Loosen the lock nut on the front and remove the sq head set screw (tightens against key). Then remove the large bolt (sq hd)  from the bottom of the vertical shaft. 

The cross axles should come down and off the vertical shaft. Note the placement of any washers, and or shims too. Remove the sq cover on top of the pedestal and push/lift the vertical steering shaft up out of the pedestal. Now you can examine the bearing and races also the seals can be examined (top and bottom).

 If the bearing is bad then this is the time to remove the outer race with a long bar from the top. 

Also this is time to check the bearings at each end of the worm gear. Yea its a pain but mine were dry, worn out and causing the tractor to bind up during steering.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Chris