B7100 axle/hub question

[k4me]

Hello,

Still learning my new to me B7100. While doing some dirt moving today, I realized that my rear wheels felt kind of "loose". Stopped, looked and realized that I may have just found another problem area! Look at my attached pics - looks like my right axle/hub has a large amount of play between the hex axle and the wheel. My left axle seems to have a different hub setup. Is the left wheel hub a "fix" for a sloppy axle/wheel fit? Or am I possibly missing some parts here somewhere?

Thanks for any insight!!

PS Just looked at those pics. Yikes - guess I wasn't holding the camera very still!! sorry, hope you can make out enough to see what I'm asking about!

 

[handyman]

I checked my 1983 B7100 mine looks like the top 2 pics. Looks someone might have done a repair on the bottom pics. Vic or someone else will probably jump in. I beleive some did a repair on bottom pics.handy

 

[handyman]

Forgot but the large bolt on the 2nd pic is to tighten up on the axle.handy

 

[dusty-t]

Hi K4me. It looks like they bought a new hub for one side and not the other. I replaced the ones on my B7200. It costs about $100.00 per side. And yes they were a great improvement. No more wobbling down the road. Dusty

 

[k4me]

Thanks, Handy and Dusty.

Dusty, do your new hubs look like the one on my tractors left side (that is the gold colored one - it looks like a more substantial, cast iron piece. the one on my right axle looks more like a thick piece of bent and welded sheet metal, if that makes sense.)

 

[dusty-t]

The old ones on the B7200 looked pretty much the same as the new ones just old and wornout. The only issue I had with the new ones was the bolts on the hub were really close going into the rim. The new ones were pretty heavy duty for a 17 hp tractor. As long as your axle shaft isn't to worn they should fix the problem. And if the new one fixed the other side you should be good. Dusty

 

[k4me]

Just had another thought to add to this. I have the turf wheel/tire setup on my tractor. The ag tires are 16 inch, while the turf is a 15 inch size. I wouldn't at first think there would be a difference in the hubs, but thought I'd ask if anyone knows if there is a difference.

 

[dusty-t]

I wouldn't think so, if the tires were for a b7100 then you would think they would match the rims to the tractor. BUT I have been wrong before. Maybe Vic will spot this, he would know. Dusty

 

[RDR]

I wouldn't think the hubs would be different either. I have the front tires from an older Kubota 4x4 on my B6100E. All I know is they sat in a lean to for many years. I got the rears (13.6 x 24) and fronts (7-6) ag tires for $50.

I was to cheap to even price the hubs. I made some shim stock to tighten them up. $100 a piece makes me feel good about the shims.

 

[Bellinghamster]

The newer cast hub is Kubota P/N H6640-17300 (as far as I can determine), and is touted by many as a significant improvement over the original welded steel strap clamp style (PN 66704-17150). Apparently they're interchangeable - now obvious since your tractor has one of each!

My old style hubs (B7100DT) are too loose and worn for my liking (thanks to the previous owner's lack of torquing skills), but not nearly as loose as yours appears in the picture! I stuffed in some sheetmetal shims but they keep working their way out. I'd try building up the inside with weld if I could just figure out a way to grind it flat/to fit. I suppose a couple hours with a flat file would do it... In the mean time I may just tack the shims to encourage them to stay put.

 

[dusty-t]

Maybe you can make shims long enough to bend up at each end. Just a thought. Dusty

 

[k4me]

I priced the newer style hub at my local dealer - apparently they have gone up - $190.00. Didn't get around to messing with the tractor yesterday, first thing I need to do is retorque the hub and see if it helps.

 

[Shoes]

I am curious as the whether Bellingham has a method of maintaining perpendicularity and/or concentricty if and when he shims or welds his hubs.

That is my problem with a home fix. It sure would be more cost effective if there a relatively simple method of establishing those features.

This is such a great site!
Thank you one and all!

 

[Butch]

My first tractor was a used B7100. It had been abused and the hubs AND axles were worn significantly. I used an old well drillers trick and bought sheets of various thickness brass shim stock. It took the rim off the hub and then removed the hub from the axle. This is what I did in 1985 and my son has the tractor now and the fix is still working GREAT! (I maintain it for him)

First make sure you mark the axle and hub with punch marks to put reinstall it as it was taken off in the worn state. Also make sure the the compression bolt is loose and the hub slides easily on and off the axle. The punch marks also get you close to where the pin goes through the hub and axle... its gotta line up in the end.

I first started with the thickest shim stock that could be wrapped around the axle and still get the hub on even if it took a little persuasion. You want to start with the hub snug on the axle.

The next thing I did was examine the wear locations on each hex side on the axle for wear and as thought the hex sides wore uneven. With the hub and initial wrap around shim in place I carefully cut and inserted various shim thicknesses to fill the voids betwee the axle and wraparound shim watching to get the hub as close to center as possible.

This takes a while but when I disassembled the fitted hub, axle and shims and fitted the shim "assembly" on the axle holding the cut shims under the wraparound shim with grease and then held the wrap around shim in place with a piece of copper wire around it.... it left my hands free to install the hub.

I greased the hell out of the hub and carefully drove the hub over the wrap around shim. It was as tight as a mouse's ear! I was very pleased to see how centered the wheel was as I put the tractor on jack stands an ran the rears in low and high gear checking for "out of round".

Worked for me and still does for my son.

Good luck! Butch

 

[dusty-t]

Wow $190.00 I bought mine 3 years ago so I added $20 figuring that they would have gone up but that is insane. If you go with a quick fix like Butch did you have to remember that this is not a car or truck wheel that travels much faster than your tractor. I have cut the centers out of wheels and welded them in other wheels for Garden tractors and had really good luck, and I do mean luck.Not some thing I would recommend in you case. What I am saying is that your tolerances can be larger for a slower turning wheel. Good luck and keep us posted. Dusty

 

[Butch]

K4Me.... you'll be suprised how close you can get it with the shims. On the old (and I mean ancient) wooden Keystone Cable Tool Drilling Machines we had open open pinion drive gears. The drive gear was about 12" and 4" wide in Dia. and the corresponding Load gears were around 3' in Dia. and same width.
The tolerance of the mesh was less than 1/32".

The Load gears and the 2" shaft it was on looked a lot like the wear on your hubs and axles aand was held in place by a keyway in the shaft and gear... the wraparound shim system worked beautifully. Just like on my 7100. The trick is use brass shim stock and don't be afraid to use significant persuasion to affix the hub on to the axle.

Keep us posted... Butch

 

[traildust]

K4Me.... you'll be suprised how close you can get it with the shims. On the old (and I mean ancient) wooden Keystone Cable Tool Drilling Machines we had open open pinion drive gears. The drive gear was about 12" and 4" wide in Dia. and the corresponding Load gears were around 3' in Dia. and same width.
The tolerance of the mesh was less than 1/32".

The Load gears and the 2" shaft it was on looked a lot like the wear on your hubs and axles aand was held in place by a keyway in the shaft and gear... the wraparound shim system worked beautifully. Just like on my 7100. The trick is use brass shim stock and don't be afraid to use significant persuasion to affix the hub on to the axle.

Keep us posted... Butch

Butch, you're a good man for taking care of your son with the tractor.

Oh, with the tollerances you mentioned, it's a good thing you posted before Beer:30


Scott

 

[Bellinghamster]

I formed a piece of galvanized sheetmetal (20-24ga) with two bends that covered half the axle that was the length of the hub, drilled a hole where the pin goes through, then made another just like it for the other side of the axle. I was able to tap one in place but the other was a bit too tight - I didn't have any thinner stock at hand, so cut another piece that was the width of one of the flats and tap in in most of the way - that's the one that keeps working it's way out. The problem is the hub isn't worn evenly all the way through. It's more worn on each end and less in the middle, so ideally the shims would be thicker on the ends/thinner in the middle... not as easy to make.

I'm tempted to cut out the worn formed plates in the center of the hub and just make new ones, but it's be easier to give it it a go if I had a spare set just in case it doesn't work out!

 

[traildust]

..The problem is the hub isn't worn evenly all the way through. It's more worn on each end and less in the middle, so ideally the shims would be thicker on the ends/thinner in the middle... not as easy to make.

This is just an idea, but would it be possible to make some weld beads in the lower areas and then smooth everything flush?


Scott

 

[handyman]

Thats when I go to my 12 inch grinder and and as dusty says bigger hammer to make it fit. Everyone has good ideas on this I may need to use one keepum coming.handy