How Is A Land Pride Blade Held Together ?

[Gordon Gould]

Something's adrift there... I have the same blade without the tilt option, and the hole in the stud lines up height-wise with the slots in the castle nut as you can see in the pic. Mine has almost no slack in the pivot, iow the nut is fairly tight. Your's looks like it's almost a quarter inch higher for some reason.

You really should take it apart, if something's shifted it may break if you keep using it. I think the stud is welded in, but I'm not 100% sure without taking mine apart. Easiest way is to lower the blade to the ground, then remove the castle nut and top plate washer.

You should be able to see what's happened at that point. If not, get someone to support the blade and then raise the 3 ph. Mine's light enough that I can pick up the tail boom with one hand and support the blade with the other. I'm not a gorilla either..

I'd say the bolt has broken loose from it's weld, nothing much else would allow it to raise like that, probably just the head holding it from coming through. They may have used a longer bolt than needed and simply welded it at the required height.

Sean

Thanks chilly - You have the same questions and concerns I have. I have taken it apart. I took it apart before I posted this thread. I could not tell what has happened. So I posted this thread.
The stud emerges from a solid plug welded into the top of the black pipe. The stud is threaded down into this plug. How far I dont know. I cannot turn the stud in or out with a wrench and two nuts jammed onto it. I cannot drive the stud down with a 3 lb hammer. It is solid. It does not appear that a weld broke and it pulled up. That is why I am confused There is no access to the underside of the stud because of the plate welded across the bottom of the pipe.

 

[Chilly807]

Interesting, now I AM curious.. I hadn't realized you'd already had it apart.

Well, I'm going to use mine later today for plowing out a hauling road and two driveways, so while it's still in the garage I'll pull it apart for a couple pics to compare with yours to see if we have any differences. I'll measure both the stud and the kingpin to see if they're the same as yours. I can't for the life of me imagine what could have shifted in yours.

Sean

 

[Gordon Gould]

Interesting, now I AM curious.. I hadn't realized you'd already had it apart.

Well, I'm going to use mine later today for plowing out a hauling road and two driveways, so while it's still in the garage I'll pull it apart for a couple pics to compare with yours to see if we have any differences. I'll measure both the stud and the kingpin to see if they're the same as yours. I can't for the life of me imagine what could have shifted in yours.Sean

If nothing is broken as seems to be the case the only two senerios that make sense to me are 1: The stud is just threaded in no welded and over the nine years I have had the blade it slowly backed out. But that doesn't explain why I can't turn it back in. Or 2: At the original time of manufacture the stud was assembled so it was to long. When they did the final assembly and mounted the blade weldment they positioned the crown nut as if the stud was the proper lenght. The upper part of the black pipe just barely caught in the frame hole that is supposed to capture it. After nine years the end of the pipe wore and broke free. I don't know.
A picture of the top of yours under that big cap washer will help me determine if mine is the same inside. Especially the depth of that welded plug incase some how it moved. The plug on mine is flush with the end of the black pipe.
THANKS
gg

 

[Chilly807]

Here is mine, the worn section on the stud is where the bell washer rides on it.
The kingpin housing is about 4 3/4 inches high, the kingpin comes almost flush with the top of it.


Sean

 

[Gordon Gould]

Thanks Sean, You have really gone out of your way to help me. Your pictures are great. I only see one difference between yours and mine. On the picture where you show the height of the stud to be about 1 5/16" I have 1 11/16". Mine is 3/8" longer. I noticed the wear on your stud where your crown washer rides was well defined so I took mine apart again to see if mine was the same or if the wear was spread out as if the stud had been moving. I have much less wear but it seems to be confined to the thickness of the crown washer like yours. That wear point is now under my crown nut because I pulled the king pin up when I tightened things. I think that tends to show that the king pin has been hanging low for a long time and the stud is not moving, but not sure. A good mystery to me. What do you think ?
I figured if I cant find anything wrong other than a long stud I might as well use it. I used it for an hour on my woods road and log landing. All is well.
Thank you again

gg

 

[Chilly807]

You're quite welcome Gordon.. as far as going out of my way, my way is rarely a straight line anyway so a little deviation isn't unusual..

I take it you've had the blade from new? If not there's a slim chance someone might have mixed and matched parts over the years, but I doubt that. It might have been something that got past the QC at the plant. Was there a cotter pin in place when you got it?

I'd mark the position of the stud with a paint marker or punch mark and keep an eye on it, although from what you said it's unlikely to turn on it's own.

Your best option may be to add another washer or two under the nut so the castellations register with the hole in the stud, then you can use the cotter pin again. If you don't use one, every time the blade pivots it wants to turn the nut, since the stud is locked into the blade, and the nut and bell washer ride on the frame top.

Good luck with it, it should be fine if everything stays put now. I'd still like to know why the stud is too long, something isn't quite right there. I'd think if it had been backing out, you'd be able to move it either up or down with the jam nuts With any luck it's a factory screw-up.

They're not a bad blade, I'm keeping my eye out for a used 1884 though. I'd like something a bit heavier for ground work, and the extra width would be nice for snow clearing. Of course, that means I'd have to re-mount my angle cylinder on the new blade. Darn.. another welding project

Sean

 

[Gordon Gould]

I've had the blade since new. And there was always a cotter pin. I wish I could remember if there was always a 3/8 " gap between the rotating blade plate with the holes for the angle set pin and the lower frame with the holes. That would tell me alot. But I cant even remember what day it is.There is no gap now that I tightened it. I put a cotter pin back in and just smashed it down into the castle nut but your washer suggestion is better. I did mark the location of the stud at the top of the king pin and at the nut and will watch it. Thanks again for all the kind help.

gg

 

[mojoinco]

Looks like a stud to me. It may have worked its way out, but the threads be jammed from wear. Just a thought. I find that some heat helps to make things move (shouldn't be anything harder than grade 5 here). Just my fantasy 2 cents.

 

[Gordon Gould]

Just to follow up.
I emailed Land Pride service and asked about that stud. In their reply they said that the stud should be a bolt fully threaded into the end cap from the under side and welded in place. They said it cannot back out.

 

[djradz]

Great Pictures! As noted, you sure went out of your way.

Just a general comment. Why don't manufacturers wise up a little and place a second cylinder around the first so the hole in the top and bottom pieces doesn't keep wearing bigger? I bought a new Woods 8 ft landscape rake last year and they made it just like your pictures show. I expect with time it will wear and loose. Fortuneately, my old International rear blade did the cylinder within a cylinder. Doesn't seem as if it is that much more work and results in a far superior, stronger and more precise connection.