Source of mower spindles

[BAGTIC]

I have a 425 with a 48 inch finish mower. The treads in one of the spindles have stripped.

I would like to get a new spindle unit but don't know what brand spindle Power Trac uses. I doubt that it is their own design. Does anyone else know?

Also where can I get some of the little blade adapters (bushings)?

I may have to resort to PT but hope I can find something more readily available or cheaper.

 

[J_J]

What is the cost of a new spindle?

I doubt if you will be able to find a match for the PT spindle. You could probably match up something if you had some new ones to compare. Essentially, if the blade to deck is the same, then it really would not matter about the design, as long as the pulley size was correct.

An option for you would be to have machine shop make a copy of the original.

They could also weld on some more metal to the thread area, and turn it down and re-thread the spindle.

 

[ToadHill]

You could try using JB Weld on the threads then recut them with a die.

 

[woodlandfarms]

What would be the chances of welding a nut inside the spindle and using longer threads? You would have to do it to both.

Carl

 

[Clarke]

A couple of mine did that I just put a longer bolt in. Worth a try. I have the 60", PT sells individual parts for the spindles on mine I don't know about yours.

sg

 

[coolconnection]

I know this is an old thread and I didn't want to start a new one, but I bought my new deck blades and getting the deck ready for next spring and now I find I have a bad spindle. Does anyone know how much power-trac charges for them or how anyone else fixed theirs with this issue. The bearings look great and no signs of wear just the spindle has a big notch all way around where the bearing rolls. It is like the bearings aren't doing anything at all, they are not locked up either. Anyone else ever have this problem? It looks like they used some really soft steel for this. Wonder why, unless for safeties sake. I called Power-trac and they are closed for the holiday.

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

On my 72", the spindles appear to be stub trailer axles. It may be worth taking a look.

 

[coolconnection]

Well ordered a new one at $28 not including shipping from Power-trac and installed it already which isn't to bad a price I think. After disassembly I found out that the all the grease I have been using didn't do anything because when the spindles were assembled someone at the factory didn't remove one of the inner bearing seals. So essentially I was greasing a sealed bearing spindle. Disassembled the other two spindles and they had the inner seals in them as well but didn't have any damage to the spindle shaft. Didn't want to do it but I am glad I did and it was a good learning experience. I guess if you have an older deck you have to replace the entire spindle assembly and it is quite expensive. So now I am ready for spring, working spindles with brand new mower blades.

 

[woodlandfarms]

While there are zerts on the spindles, I have heard they are sealed bearings. Not completely sure on this but.

 

[coolconnection]

I was told by Power-trac that the inner seal needed to be removed on all the bearings. This is why I disassembled the other two spindles so I could remove the inner seal so the grease will get to the bearings. I got 2 new bearings with one seal already removed on each for reassembly from them, so now when I grease it will actually do something.

 

[J_J]

Really dumb to sell/install sealed bearing, and then tell you the inner seal must be removed.

Manufacturers sell the bearing in about 4 to 5 different versions.

Some bearings are rubber sealed and some with steel on rubber seal.

Shielded bearings.

Both sides sealed

One side sealed

No seal

In a sealed bearing, they only fill to about 25 to 35% of free air space.

Some people use a grease injector to punch through the sealed bearing and lube it.

Interesting video.

How-to Lube Sealed Bearings - YouTube

It is interesting that some people grease the spindles ever time they use the machine or use, an 8 hr schedule or whatever. not knowing the bearings are sealed.

They make bearings with one side sealed for use in a spindle assembly, with the unsealed side toward the inside, with a grease zerk in the spindle wall.

 

[coolconnection]

It is interesting that some people grease the spindles ever time they use the machine or use, an 8 hr schedule or whatever. not knowing the bearings are sealed.
They make bearings with one side sealed for use in a spindle assembly, with the unsealed side toward the inside, with a grease zerk in the spindle wall.

Well it was interesting for me and I am glad I did, there wasn't to much grease in those bearings under the seal. From what I understand the seal was supposed to be removed but somewhere in Power-Tracs assembly process someone just didn't do it. I grease my spindles but not on an 8 hour schedule. That spindle shaft can hold a lot of grease now I know how it is assembled. It is a big void in there. I was skeptical on taking the spindle shaft apart just because I didn't know how but once the top bolt is removed it wasn't to hard. Just remember to keep things all clean.

 

[frischtr]

Cool, when you called PT, you just got the shaft part right? Not the whole assembly. I was trying to hold one of my spindle assemblies together for the rest of the season, but when mowing the other day, the upper bearing totally disintegrated. After disassembling, it didn't look good. Did yours look something like this:



I'll need a new shaft, a couple new bearings, and a new pulley (the keyway is beat to **** from all the rattling due to the failing bearing).

 

[coolconnection]

Yes it looked exactly like your picture. That's the part I ordered and received. Just make sure when you reassemble the spindle you use some Loctite on the top bolt.

 

[frischtr]

Thanks, $28.50 + shipping on the way. the whole assembly was $92, btw.

 

[MuncyBob]

That's a cool video JJ. I just may try this with the bearings in my wood boiler fan. So, if a PT has sealed bearing why do we have zerks?

 

[woodlandfarms]

My mower, after being told I had sealed bearings, did not.

 

[J_J]

That's a cool video JJ. I just may try this with the bearings in my wood boiler fan. So, if a PT has sealed bearing why do we have zerks?

Supposedly the zerk is to inject grease to fill the void to keep water out.

Any grease that leaks into the bearing is good, but water is not good.

I did a lot of bearing replacement on wheel bearings and spindle bearings on my Dixie Choppers.

They had a cast iron housing assembly with a 1 in spindle and sealed bearings at the top and bottom, with a 1 in DOM tube to keep the bearings separated and in place.

On some of the sealed bearings I removed the seal on one side and they faced to the inside/grease side of the spindle housing so grease could penetrate when greasing.

If you can see grease come out the top bearing, water can get in.

You need sealed bearings especially on the top bearing to help keep water and dirt out.

A water proof grease is recommend, such as boat trailer bearing grease.

 

[J_J]

My mower, after being told I had sealed bearings, did not.

Did you purchase the mower new or used.

If used, the other person might have replaced the bearings not knowing much about bearings.

Open faced bearings are cheaper.

 

[woodlandfarms]

So my mower bearings are open (having replaced them once). You are saying that I could get the same size as a sealed bearing? I do get rain in the top bearings.