Bushhog crazy wheel frame bent. Help

[jyoutz]

Thank you - 2manyrocks. I've been looking at getting a rotary cutter. If I do - it will probably be a Rhino TW35. This one has the triangulated rear wheel assembly. I kind of thought this was for added structural strength.

Still have to avoid immovable objects.

If you get one, be sure to get chain guards and not the rubber shields. The rubber shields tear and don’t go over stumps like a chain guard does.

 

[jyoutz]

I received a NorTrac brush hog mower with used tractor. I really bent the main post and the frame. I have looked at a replacement, but can't find one that fits, anywhere. Main issue is the post length.
Sending off to a body man with right tools to try to salvage it. Bending an 1 1/4" post back into place won't be such an easy task, considering the design of fork.

I had the same issue recently. A friend of mine who is a fabricator made a new post shaft by turning a steel rod to the perfect diameter on a metal lathe. Then he cut out the bent shaft and welded the new one into the wheel fork.

 

[zzvyb6]

The tail-wheel vertical pin must be vertical to work properly, and this means the swivel has to be run under load with the deck at some designated height off the ground and with the 3 pt. hitch geometry to support this arrangement. THEN a high caster angle relative to the vertical pin should work. Except, this tail-wheel frame has very little lateral stiffness. Get a welder to box in the front & rear of the U-shaped tail wheel frame. Better yet, make a new one using steel twice as thick. That one looks like it could be straightened by hand with a pipe wrench.

 

[Smokeydog]

It pays many returns to buy a quality rotary cutter.
This will take effort to straighten, reinforcing and welding to strengthen to probably break elsewhere.
Cheap cutters can’t handle rocks, trees, stumps, hills or any hard use. Good for learning to weld on.

 

[Mtsoxfan]

The tail-wheel vertical pin must be vertical to work properly, and this means the swivel has to be run under load with the deck at some designated height off the ground and with the 3 pt. hitch geometry to support this arrangement. THEN a high caster angle relative to the vertical pin should work. Except, this tail-wheel frame has very little lateral stiffness. Get a welder to box in the front & rear of the U-shaped tail wheel frame. Better yet, make a new one using steel twice as thick. That one looks like it could be straightened by hand with a pipe wrench.

Whose tail wheel assembly are you referring to? If it's mine, it absolutely can't be bent by hand. The frame is about 3/8 thick, post 1 1/4". Body man said heat and frame machine is what he is using.

 

[Tinhack]

On my Ford rotary, the tail assembly is made from boxed steel. The lower extension pieces are channel steel. I used to knock down small trees with this one. My sister destroyed it in one weekend while I was recovering from heart surgery. She ran it too low and beat the ground with the blades. The 1/2" blades were bent up in a curve and the gear box splines are nearly shaved off. I'm thinking of getting it back in service as the Country Line replacement is a cheap tin can. But at least it's 6'. The Ford mower is 5'.

 

[zzvyb6]

Whose tail wheel assembly are you referring to? If it's mine, it absolutely can't be bent by hand. The frame is about 3/8 thick, post 1 1/4". Body man said heat and frame machine is what he is using.

Not your's. Were talking about the O.P.s here.

 

[ArchonOSX]

This is how my Bush Hog RZ60 is framed on the rear wheel.
This unit is probably over 20 years old.
The whole A-frame section pivots up and down on the end bolts and you can adjust the height of the back of the unit with the bolt on the indexed vertical strap.
I have hit a couple of trees and such with it but never hard enough to bend it out of shape.
Happy Day!

 

[ArchonOSX]

On my Ford rotary, the tail assembly is made from boxed steel. The lower extension pieces are channel steel. I used to knock down small trees with this one. My sister destroyed it in one weekend while I was recovering from heart surgery. She ran it too low and beat the ground with the blades. The 1/2" blades were bent up in a curve and the gear box splines are nearly shaved off. I'm thinking of getting it back in service as the Country Line replacement is a cheap tin can. But at least it's 6'. The Ford mower is 5'.

View attachment 981202

Wow! Looks like you would need a tank to pull that. I bought a new 40 hp gear box for my Bush Hog RZ60 for about $400 and new 1/4" x 2" blades were about $140. The previous owners beat it to death but it is still running now with the new parts.

 

[Tinhack]

I bought a new 40 hp gear box for my Bush Hog RZ60 for about $400 and new 1/4" x 2" blades were about $140.

Yikes, my lawn mower has 1/4" blades. I'm pretty sure I can weld up the splines and recut them if I can get the input shaft out of it. As far as the blades, if they bent up, I should be able to straighten them on the press. I even have some Ford blue left over from the 3910 tractor. Should be something to do during the winter. I only paid $35 for it at an auction so I wasn't expecting too much. It turned out to be a rock-solid cutter until the amateur got a hold of it.