For all the new MT125 owners out there

Doofy · Dec 3, 2017

Ahaa yes, tractor parts on the kitchen table. Now I can show the Wife it is a normal thing.

mslisaj · Dec 3, 2017

LS mt125 owner said:
Here are some pics of the "update kit". There were 6 items: 1) a new parking brake bracket. 2) the HST relay. 3) hydraulic damper for the HST pedals. 4) "hydraulic housing clamp". 5) new stickers for the BH controls w/ the correct directions portrayed in relation to BH movement (never even realized they were wrong until I went and looked). 6) the new drain plug. I'm sure most of the tractors out there have these already installed. My tractor was one of the first hundred sold and did not have these. I was not even aware of the "hydraulic housing clamp" until I got the kit. The 3 pt upper lift arms could shift side to side without it. I spoke w/ the LS rep about the wheel studs... The bolts w/ washers are not being replaced. The wheel is a "hub centric" which centers the wheel on the hub and also bears the weight on the hub.

Thanks "LS mt125 owner" for taking your time to post the pictures of the kit. Just last night before I saw your post I was looking at my tractor and the lift arms for the three point and the four bolts that hold the cover on had the paint broken off them. I thought that strange but after seeing your post here with the gracious pictures someone went in there and I assume put the clamp in. The decal under the seat is there. The Parking Brake Bracket is the new type. Now the damper I could not read the numbers on the one you have in the picture but I have one on my tractor that "looks" like your's. The SSH relay is the same part number as the one in your kit and the engine has the new flat oil pan plug in it. Also the decals on the backhoe controls are correct but get this - whom ever put the decals on put them on the wrong controls. I found that funny as I never noticed that until you brought it up. They give the correct directions, their just on the wrong side. Too funny!

So again thanks for taking your time to post the information. After checking, my tractor has been updated. I may go out there with a heat gun and see if I can remove those two lables without destroying them and put them on the proper side.

Again, thanks for your help. :thumbsup::thumbsup:

Regards,

Lisa

rider7767 · Dec 5, 2017

Great Information. Thank you all for shedding light on everything. I will check mine out to make sure all of the updates are done. I still don't like the wheel bolts. I like the wheel studs above.

mslisaj · Dec 5, 2017

rider7767 said:
Great Information. Thank you all for shedding light on everything. I will check mine out to make sure all of the updates are done. I still don't like the wheel bolts. I like the wheel studs above.

Okay Tony, I agree that I don't like wheel bolts and lock washers. In my 45 years as a mechanic I have never seen lug bolts or nuts with washers, from small foreign cars to class 8 trucks. They have all been the tapered nut/bolt configuration. While it may cost LS a small fortune to ship out 20 "tapered" lug bolts for every MT125 they have produced an executive decision was made that the wheel's aren't going anywhere with the current arrangement of bolts and lock washers. Being I'm the only one with a "show tractor" so far on this forum I'll pull one of those bolts and run around and see if I can find a conventional "lug bolt" and I'll post the information.

I got a **** of a deal on my tractor compared to similar makes and models and I enjoy the mods to make it better and it's my hobby now too. We're all adding our own personal touches to our machines and we enjoy doing that. I'll report back in a day or two with the results of my search. If that gentleman had one in his hand it's certainly not the only one and it can't be that special.

Regards,

Lisa

tomplum · Dec 5, 2017

Yes, you would think if the wheel holes have the taper that it should have a normal tapered wheel stud. Ooh, maybe you could get chrome !

mslisaj · Dec 6, 2017

tomplum said:
Yes, you would think if the wheel holes have the taper that it should have a normal tapered wheel stud. Ooh, maybe you could get chrome !

Never thought of that. Great idea!!

Doofy · Dec 6, 2017

Dorman lists quite a few metric conical seat wheel studs.

LS Tractor Owner · Dec 6, 2017

mslisaj said:
Never thought of that. Great idea!!

I have a '69 bug that has similar tapered wheel bolts.... (They are even chrome). I won't have a chance to pull one and try it on the 125 until Sunday (go back on duty for the next 3 days.... Bummer...) always find something interesting to do just before I go back to work. This week I had my last shift of MANDATORY overtime... We have been on mandatory OT shifts for the past 3 years... Glad for it to be over!! Anyway I hope the VW studs fit... They are readily available.

rider7767 · Dec 7, 2017

I did some digging on the wheel bolts. The rims has the tapered hole made for a wheel bolt. The thread is very unusual. It is a M12-1.25. Dorman makes a wheel bolt part number #610-405 that fits the bill for the most part. After looking at the picture listed, I am not sure the threading is suitable. The threading does not look like it goes all the way to the taper. I am not sure it would work.

I have looked at other makers and have not found anything that would work. I will leave my bolts in for now. Heck, it is still under warranty.

mslisaj · Dec 8, 2017

Well here is my research into this wheel stud issue as promised. Rider7767 has a little different answer but here is what's on my tractor. I have the regular bolts like everyone else. I pulled one and could not get a match with my Metric tap and die set. I went to my automotive parts house and we tried a metric nut and it would not thread on. Then we grabbed an SAE nut and it threaded on perfectly. Turns out on my tractor I have 7/16-20 threaded bolts. A 7/16-20 tap threads perfectly in my axle hub. Well now I'm curious as the bolt that I removed had "metric" markings on it. I took a SAE thread gauge and a 20 thread to the inch gauge fit perfectly. I then took a micrometer and measured the thread diameter of the bolt. This is what I found there. The SAE bolt was .4320" and the bolt I removed from the tractor measured .4316". 4 ten thousands of an inch smaller which is negligible. My bolts are standard 7/16-20 bolts. I took the SAE bolt an threaded it into the axle flange and fit perfectly like the tap did.
But here is the bad news. I could not find a 7/16-20 tapered lug bolt anywhere. Local parts and tire stores, internet searches or anywhere. Tapered lug bolts start at 1/2-20 and go up. So from where I stand this part does not exist and this is why LS assembled it the way they did. Now if someone finds the bolt that fit and work I am ready to stand corrected and would like the part number so I could retrofit my tractor. But for now I'm stuck with the bolt and lock washer.