Tips on taking front wheel hub apart???

MiserableOldFart · Oct 30, 2017

I have a problem in one of my front hubs in TC26DA, at a minimum a shot seal. Won't know more until I get in there. But it doesn't want to come apart, and, unlike other makes I've seen in videos online, there are no "notches" to put a prying tool into. So how do I get it split apart without scoring the faces of the pieces? I assume that it's just permatex holding it together, but I'm afraid of doing damage if I try to get a prying tool in there.

Any help would be appreciated.

MiserableOldFart · Oct 31, 2017

OK.. here's a tip for anyone else.. I tried utility knife, putty knife, etc. with no luck. Finally got the idea to try a very old, thin bladed pocket knife I have had for about 40 years, and it was old when given to me. Sharpened it up and it tapped right into the thing and it came apart easily. But now the innards don't seem to match the diagrams I have, so it's more head scratching time..

jcl22 · Nov 4, 2017

I'm sorry,
I got so frustrated with trying to post pics on this site. I stopped looking at last week. I could of gave you some tips. But glad you got it done

RickB · Nov 4, 2017

Pull the inner bearing off the axle stub with a couple rolling head pry bars. Lift the bevel gear off the splined axle. Remove the two halves of the lock ring. Turn the remaining axle, seal, bearing and cover over and drop the inner end of the axle shaft onto a wood block while holding the cover. The axle should come out of the cover , bearing and seal.

jcl22 · Nov 4, 2017

Thanks rick. He figured it out and posted on my post

MiserableOldFart MiserableOldFart is offline
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MiserableOldFart's Avatar Join DateJun 2006Posts272LocationDelaware County Catskills NYTractorNH TC26DA, Kubota GR2120
Default Re: Fwd wheel bearings replacement
Just finished replacing seal and bearing in my TC26DA. Job is likely very similar. An easy job the second time, but needed some head scratching on this, my first. Trickiest part was getting the case apart which worked easily with an old pocket knife after trying all kinds of things. Unless the stuff is real expensive, I would replace the two bearings and the seal, get a spare snap ring in case the one in there goes flying. Nice to have but not absolute necessity would be as set of seal/bearing driving tools, and a cheap hook type seal yanker. A sturdy workbench near the tractor is good as well.
Now that I've done it once, I don't expect it to be much of a problem in the future. But I would get at it quickly! The innards of my outside bearing had pretty much disintegrated, tearing up the seal (which gave the black oil leak that showed there was a problem) and put a lot of small pieces of metal in the case. Certainly didn't do the gears any good, though they seem OK.