1979 ford 1700 4x4 NEED HELP!

79ford1700 · Jan 18, 2014

Alright guys. I have read some forums on this site and other sites online about the axle hubs on this particular year tractor having a design flaw and being too small from the factory. I have owned this tractor for a year or so now and have been crossing my fingers ever since hoping that I don't break an axle hub like other people have. Well I think it finally happened last night while plowing snow.

Got kind of stuck and had to keep rocking it back and forth to get it out. Finally got it out and come to find out my left front tire will only spin a full rotation and then it locks right up. Was able to limp it back up the driveway and put it away in the lean to on the garage but now I am stuck with nothing to plow with and its only January! If anybody has any insight on this situation or knows where I can find some new/used parts for the front end I would love to hear it. Need to get this thing fixed ASAP or I will be stuck buying a plow truck to finish out this winter with. Thanks for any help TBN friends.

mostly_gas · Jan 18, 2014

There are gears on the end of the axle, I would look there initially.

michael.white · Jan 20, 2014

My father has that same tractor with the too-small diameter axles. He's broken both and found the most cost effective solution was to have them repaired at a weld shop. From what he told me, since they have to be welded clear through rather than just around the outside, you have to take it to a specialty shop. They then must be turned down to the correct diameter. The local New Holland dealer handled it for him. It took a couple of weeks due to how busy the weld shop was, not because of how difficult the job was.

Maybe call around to see if you can get them repaired quickly.

nsmithnd · Jan 21, 2014

I thought everyone in the U.P. had a plow truck !!?? :thumbsup:
I haven't had any axle issues with my 1700 (yet).
Not sure how hard the tractor was used by the 2 previous owners, but now it gets minimal-light use so hopefully it will hold up.
Please post pictures of the project when you tear into it.

Have to say that Skandia jumped out at me when I first saw your thread.
Spent 3+ years at KI (youngest son was born there).
Are Da Yoopers still performing? (darn it - "Rusty Chevrolet" will be stuck in my head all day now).
Left there in 91 and have been curious how the base closure has impacted the area.
Guessing things have transitioned to a new "normal" after all these years?

-Neil

79ford1700 · Apr 14, 2014

The base closure hasn't done any kind of good for the area. Cheap cost of living brought nothing but bad news to the area in my eyes. Seems to have brought a lot of "rif-raf" around. There are a few businesses opening out there now but it seems like none of them last very long because of location. Used to be such a nice air base but not so much anymore. Mostly low income housing.

Anyways, I ended up buying a cheap plow truck just to get thru the winter. Spent endless hours working on that thing just to get it into the shape I wanted it. Should've just bit the bullet and fixed the tractor but didn't and now I am kicking myself in the butt. Since the weather has finally warmed up a little here and the snow is melting I got a chance to tear down the front end of the 1700 this weekend. Upon taking off the front left tire and pulling the gear case off with front hub I noticed that I had chipped a tooth on the lower (bigger) gear in the gear case. The tooth that broke off happened to fall perfectly into another tooth, thus explaining a full rotation each way before the tire would lock up. Haven't done much looking yet but does anyone have and leads or info about where i could go about finding a new gear? It is still operational the way it is now as only half of the tooth broke off but I would like to fix it correctly so I don't damage anything else in the future. Any help would be great. Thanks.