Calling Walter Hudson or any HG Front Idler Experts!

Orangeman · January 13, 2009, 01:53:39 AM

Hello Walter or Any Idler Experts. Here is the problem, I have a good amount of deflection in the front idler (EARLY STYLE). The machine is a 1944 model. When you grab onto it the left and right side of the idler you can rock it to the point where it will almost touch the inside of the frame rail. After disassembly I noticed the cross shaft had worn pretty well and the bronze bushing had worn some, but not through. Noting this defect and learning that the idler received only grease and no oil, I prepared to order new parts to rejuvenate it.

I ordered and have recieved very nice new cross shafts, new bronze bushings, new snap rings and oil seals.

After reinstalling all of the new parts, much to my dissatification I still have some deflection and can wiggle the shaft inside the hub. The deflection is not as bad as it was, but it is not tight. The deflection occurs from side to side and left to right. What the heck is going on?

Is it possible that the bearing assembly is worn or perhaps the inside of the hub is worn out of round in the area where the bearing assembly makes contact with it? The wheel portion external from the hub seems to have very little wear.

I have a good hub that I bought from a close friend, but there is no wheel attached and the rivets have been torched off.

Can a person press out the old rivets and install grade 8 bolts and nuts and lockwashers to make and use my good wheel and bolt it up to the good hub? If so what size press and pilot to use?

Can someone please share thier advice and methods on how they went about solving a problem like this? Thanks in Advance....Orangeman.

I have machinist in the area that could do some machining if necessary. In closing, I want to finish this task and do much of the work myself if I can work through this.

Orangeman · January 17, 2009, 02:22:29 PM

Heres what I found out based on the above post.

Early idler wheel and hub assemblies suffered from egging out in the inside of hub.

If cast bearing assemblies get loose, they wear as well, allowing deflection of idler cross shaft. Add the egging out of the inside of the hub to the wear on the O.D. (surface of bearing assemblies) and you have some major deflection. Not good for track alignment.

Solution is to find a good hub or later style idler assembly that has a good hub, not worn on inside of hub assembly.

Note: After micing the later bearing assemblies I notices the inside of the hub, (i.e. I.D. were the bearing assembly) makes contact with the hub is wider to take up a greater amount of load.

Has anyone else encountered this issue. Seems like the early idler hub had a design defect and was remedied by the later design. Has anyone seen a service bulletin on this subject.

Seems like its pretty quite on here at the moment. Hope everyones winter is going well! Hope the above is of use. :wink:

John Schwiebert · January 17, 2009, 02:26:53 PM

Late HG tractors used the late style idler. There is a bulletin. You will need to make some other modifications. I will need to mail them to you so I will need your U. S. mail address.

Orangeman · January 17, 2009, 02:40:42 PM

John: Sent you a PM. : :wink:

walter hudson · January 19, 2009, 04:09:40 AM

Did you replace just the bushings or the bushings and retainers ? The bushing holders wear on the inner end and allow side to side motion of the idler wheel.Switching to the later style wheel would be a good idea .You will have to grind a few places on track frame for clearance.

Orangeman · January 19, 2009, 11:14:32 AM

Hello Walter:

Thanks very much for the reply. You stated exactly what I found upon disassembly. Some of the older gentlemen here in my area have a few spare idlers laying around . I think I will have to dissassemble a couple to make the front idler perfect again.

Will have to wait for the snow to clear, about 2' on the ground and pretty cold.

Have you ever tackled pressing out the cold rivets from the hub?

Hope you are doing well!

John Schwiebert · January 19, 2009, 01:51:41 PM

I got your address will get that ready today. I am not the rivet expert but on another Oliver related topic we made a jig and center punched them, drilled a pilot hole and then used a larger bit almost the size of the rivet and drilled the heads out. Then a sharp chisel would cut the then thin rivet shell. By drilling a good true pilot hole then you can also drill the rest of the rivet and punch these out. Your rivets are shorter as some of ours for the other problem were close to 3 inches long. Good luck.

Orangeman · January 19, 2009, 05:14:32 PM

Hello John: Thanks for the info, and sending the service bulletin. Let me know if I can return a favor. Sure appreciate your help and the others that posted on this issue.