I think my tail wheel is too big

[MikeA57]

I've been using my 5' no name bush hog for a couple of years now (I bought it used) and it works fine when I am going forward, but when I go in reverse the tail wheel spins around and wedges on the back skirt of the BH. Then it digs in until it can't anymore and I'm stopped in my tracks. I thought that I just probably needed to replace the wheel, that it wasn't sized to the cutter but when I looked around on line and it seems that all the wheels I find are 15" in diameter. I presume that is what mine is too, because, like a dummy, I didn't measure the wheel. Do they not make BH wheels in different diameters? I don't see any other kind of adjustment I can make to extend the wheel further from the skirt.

 

[RaydaKub]

I can't completely tell from the picture, but my first take on it is that I'd drill 2 more holes in that top beam and just move the wheel attachment back a few inches. The rear mount looks a little bit more challenging, but I'm sure you could come up with some way to attach it again, even if you only did it with chains.

 

[firemanpat2910]

your "forks" are bent. heat it up and bend it until the forks are at 90* to the ground. Done

 

[RoyJackson]

I don't think the tailwheel fork is bent...MikeA57 doesn't say anything about the wheel binding as it pivots. I think heating and trying to straighten would result in the wheel binding.
What I do think may have happened is the tailwheel and fork assembly was from another cutter. Look at the difference in the paint weathering.

I'd go with RaydaKub's idea of moving the assembly back a couple of inches. Mike may have to cut out and reposition that vertical bracket and cross brace nearest the aft end of the cutter as well.

 

[MikeA57]

I had thought about that and reconnecting the rear mount stumped me for a minute, but I'm thinking that it wouldn't be too big a deal to do what you suggest, then just weld a wider cross piece further in on the legs of the "A" and drill a hole for the rear mount strap.

 

[aczlan]

your "forks" are bent. heat it up and bend it until the forks are at 90* to the ground. Done

IMO,it is the vertical shaft that is bent.
The washer in the green box should be parallel to the ground and the bottom of the vertical tube, not at an angle to them.


Aaron Z

 

[Big Wave D]

Another vote for bent.

My tail wheel shaft comes straight through. There is no bend to it of any sort.

You have so much extra shaft, I'd cut off the bent section and reweld it back on were it becomes straight again.

Everything else looks fine to me about the bracket for holding the tail wheel.

Wish you well in whatever course of action you decide.

 

[JRobyn]

Another vote for bent pivot shaft. How do I know for sure? Because I did exactly this to a bushhog that I once borrowed from a neighbor and carelessly backed the tailwheel into a tree!

 

[Marveltone]

Bent.

It's easy to forget just how far back some of these implements can reach. I've made the mistake of trying to turn around in a space I usually have no problem navigating only to be reminded by a "thud" that the RC swings out way farther than I thought. I haven't bent anything yet, but I wouldn't bet against it in the future, as these things can be tree magnets.

Joe

 

[radioman]

ditto on shaft to forks being bent. its obvious from the pics.

 

[RoyJackson]

ditto on shaft to forks being bent. its obvious from the pics.

Not necessarily...
The link is to a Land Pride cutter operator's manual. It should open to page 44 (which shows the tail wheel bracket):
http://www.landpride.com/ari/attach/lp/public/manuals/312-849p.pdf

And here's the actual pic I pulled from the manual. The picture shows the tail wheel fork canted back from the factory

 

[amaxwell]

Another vote for bent, or been broken and welded wrong. the top of the U bracket forks should be level ,not at an angle like in the picture. The shaft in Roy's diagram is at 90 degrees to the forks.

 

[bigtiller]

Bent ....


Pig Pile :laughing:

 

[ruffdog]

I don't think that tail wheel /fork assy came with that mower. The design does not look like all the hogs I have seen. The forks can not be 90deg to the ground because you will lose the caster effect that keeps the wheel pointed in the right direction. I would be doing some cutting and welding to correct the caster and to strengthen the design.

This is a bad design because it has some of the small shaft below the support which allows it to bend easly. Most fork designs allow the top of the fork to be parallel to the ground so there is no exposed shaft to bend. Very strange!

 

[Depmandog]

Personally I think it's bent a tad, and I would unbend it enough to give yourself a one inch clearance or so when you reverse.

 

[gwdixon]

Not necessarily...
The link is to a Land Pride cutter operator's manual. It should open to page 44 (which shows the tail wheel bracket):
http://www.landpride.com/ari/attach/lp/public/manuals/312-849p.pdf

And here's the actual pic I pulled from the manual. The picture shows the tail wheel fork canted back from the factory

Yes, some forks are canted to make them track better. However, note where the top shaft connects to the fork in the manual's posted image. It is perpendicular to the top of the fork.

The OP should heat the shaft just above where it attaches to the fork (as others have suggested). Then bend the shaft until the top of the fork is at 90 degrees in all directions to the shaft.

A simple square can be used to line up everything.

Remember, it is a "no name" rotary cutter. It appears that the rear tire mount was not engineered to track as well as a Landpride, Bush Hog, or other established brand.

 

[Zebrafive]

Agree with most posters:
1 wrong wheel, yoke assembly
2 bent (small shaft)
3 you do NOT want the fork staight up and down vertical, it needs some caster to it or wheel will not follow correctly
4 eliminate the small shaft.
5 easiest fix would be to move complete bracket assembly rearward, if you don't reinforce the small shaft it will only bend again.

To all who said these things first, I am agreeing with you :thumbsup: just putting everything together in one post.

 

[LD1]

x9 or x10 on being bent. Not the forks persay, but the shaft. Looks like someone backed into something hard with the wheel

 

[RoyJackson]

x9 or x10 on being bent. Not the forks persay, but the shaft. Looks like someone backed into something hard with the wheel

You would think that would result in ether the weld pulling or binding of the tail wheel...

 

[moored4]

Agree with most posters:
1 wrong wheel, yoke assembly
2 bent (small shaft)
3 you do NOT want the fork staight up and down vertical, it needs some caster to it or wheel will not follow correctly
4 eliminate the small shaft.
5 easiest fix would be to move complete bracket assembly rearward, if you don't reinforce the small shaft it will only bend again.

To all who said these things first, I am agreeing with you :thumbsup: just putting everything together in one post.

Yes! Me also!