Need advice on B6100 inside-out wheels & hubs

[ShaunBlake]

1) Hubs are mounted facing in, at the differential;
2) Hubs have no pins, held only by compression screw;
3) Wheels are mounted facing in;
4) Valve stems are on inside;
5) Ag tires are oriented correctly.

I must admit I had a clue that I noticed the hubs were 'wrong' after seeing an image ShaunRH posted, and checking my new manual, but I had gathered that the hubs optionally could be turned inwards so, 'okay'... but that didn't make me wonder, and I paid no attention to the wheels/tires until I began dissassembly, and started to wake up.

I like the added width -- what is it, about 5" total? -- the the reversed wheels give me, but don't relish having to crawl under it to inflate the tires. But they are tubed and filled so I really don't want to dismount them and turn them so they are properly oriented properly with the valve stems on the outside. So I'll likely switch sides.

Now that I know there were no pins in the hubs, I'm even more thankful that I had no bad experiences in the backyard, where the slope is mostly between 10 and 15 degrees. (Stains in my tidie whities from 'nearly' tipping over no longer count as 'bad experiences'!)

So: the pin looks to be 7/16"x 3-1/2; would any such pin serve? Surely it doesn't have to be hardened?

I surmise that mounting the hub at the outermost hole in the axle (with the hub on the outside) would over-stress those components -- what's your thought? I think I really need every inch, and now that I think about it, I think I need the ~2-1/4" or ~2-1/2" each side that reversing the rims provides. Now that I realize the tires are filled, with the sloped terrain tippiness I've experienced (and no, I wasn't tipsy, though I do admit to being very Irish)

Any/all recommendations you make will be appreciated. Please bear in mind that safety is tops, yet this puppy isn't going to be used in a commercial way; it's just going to be used to putter around the yard, digging and filling a little and spreading mulch an such.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Wheels dished in (wouldn't worry about the valve stems, you only need to check pressure a couple time a year.
Hubs with the pin to the inside and yes just about any pin will work.

 

[Lil Foot]

would any such pin serve?

I replaced my worn pins with bolts & nuts.

 

[ShaunBlake]

I replaced my worn pins with bolts & nuts.

<sob> Drove all over town trying to find something that would work... lots of 3" pins; lots of 3/8" bolts (but threaded the entire length). No 7/16" x 3-12" clevis pins!

Finally found one bar of 7/16" steel in my Ace store, but after grinding off the burr from the shearing-to-length, it was a "jam" fit... If I fab my own pins, I will have to drive them into the axle (prolly could forgit the snap pins) but even with anti-sieze, well, I wouldn't want to be the one to have to take 'em out!

I've read several threads along these same lines and got real excited but the actual application suffers. I don't have a machine shop; nor do I have a hone (and if I honed out the axle, the poor sucker who comes after me with the Kubota 66621-1716-0 pin is going to curse me for wallowing out the hole!) and I don't have a cyindrical grinder to properly size the steel shaft I thought was going to slide right into those holes. <sob>

Frankly, I've lost too much time trying to do a "proper" job of it. I've decided to forget drilling the rod for snap pins or even threading them. I will grab a can of anti-seize and coat everything before I get one of TomCat's BFHs and driving a couple of rods through the axles.

We'll see how it goes...

 

[pendoreille]

have you looked for 11mm rod...smidge under 7/16

 

[pendoreille]

and then the carpenters way....clamp belt sander upside down on work bench, chuck rod up in drill motor turn on and hog off. clean up with emery paper and get a kiss of a fit. dead nuts!

 

[Lil Foot]

Pretty sure I used a standard 7/16 x 20 bolt, 3 1/2 to 4 long.
Can't check now, tractor isn't here.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

That pin does not have to be tight in the hole, it's under very little stress on it.
#1 job is spacing adjustment so the both sides are in the same location.
#2 job is a safety to keep the hub where it's at and like I said it can do that with little stress.

 

[85Hokie]

and then the carpenters way....clamp belt sander upside down on work bench, chuck rod up in drill motor turn on and hog off. clean up with emery paper and get a kiss of a fit. dead nuts!

OR.........I have taken a bolt, place it in a drill, spin it against the disk sander, and boy o boy , you can shave a many thou or 20 thou is a hurry ! , like Wolfman said - little if any pressure is on the bolt - it is one of those "just in case" bolts.

 

[D2Cat]

This problem is being way over analyzed. Like others have said, it's not critical.

Could go to any hardware store that sells bolts, go to the metric bin, get one that fits. If you can't find metric buy a 3/8 X what ever length you need. It doesn't require a tight fit.

 

[OldeEnglish]

If you have a Fastenal near you, try looking for what you need there. They usually carry a nice selection of hardware. If they don't have it, they usually can get it for you the next day.

 

[ShaunBlake]

have you looked for 11mm rod...smidge under 7/16

Yep, no metric rod at my last stop, my Ace; didn't think to go back to the BoxStore.

and then the carpenters way....clamp belt sander upside down on work bench, chuck rod up in drill motor turn on and hog off. clean up with emery paper and get a kiss of a fit. dead nuts!

Thanks for that suggestion, that's how I'd do it next time. But then I'd have to drill the ends for snap clips and that's too much standing in the shop. I'm going to have to make another trip as I don't have any anti-seize and it's clear that I'll need it soon if not now, as well as buy the "final winner" solution.

Pretty sure I used a standard 7/16 x 20 bolt, 3 1/2 to 4 long.
Can't check now, tractor isn't here.

Don't check! 7/16-20 x 3-2/4 would be perfect, but only available online. In fact, "nobody" in town has 7/16" at all, in any length.

That pin does not have to be tight in the hole, it's under very little stress on it.
#1 job is spacing adjustment so the both sides are in the same location.
#2 job is a safety to keep the hub where it's at and like I said it can do that with little stress.

Thanks! I decided to do a primitive weld (drive a pin in it) until the part could be ordered. You've confirmed my hope that there is very little shearing force on it, so anything I can get to stay in place and mostly fill up the hole will suffice.

Fank yew, fank yew, fank yew! Ah'm berry grapeful!

This problem is being way over analyzed. Like others have said, it's not critical.

Could go to any hardware store that sells bolts, go to the metric bin, get one that fits. If you can't find metric buy a 3/8 X what ever length you need. It doesn't require a tight fit.

Well, you're right, D2. (Although I was ignorant of that and unwilling to do something stupid and have a wheel fall off.)

The problem I had was that all of the fasteners I found which were nearly suitable were too short -- the longest being 3" (exactly the diameter of the hub's flange).

Thanks, folks, I'll scoot back to town and get a couple of fasteners of some kind and get this job wrapped up. (Well, at least moving another step closer... I think I just glimpsed Murphy slipping past the window...)

 

[ShaunBlake]

If you have a Fastenal near you, try looking for what you need there. They usually carry a nice selection of hardware. If they don't have it, they usually can get it for you the next day.

Thanks, I do. Sadly, it's almost as far away as my TractorSupply. Worse, they didn't stock the bolt in 3-3/4" length which seems to be Fastenal's longest standard length (in grade 8, anyway -- I didn't search for zinc) or so the online inventory informed me.

With the advice above, I'm going to the closest place with a sufficiently long fastener, prolly a 1/4" or 3/8" carriage bolt. Save me the time to go all the way to Fastenal even if they did have a zinc 7/16x3-1/2 or longer.

 

[OldeEnglish]

If it's hard to find that length of bolt you could get a stick of threaded rod (some call it all thread) and a few lock nuts. You can get that in zinc plated about anywhere including home cheapo.

If you need grade 8, threaded rod doesn't have much of a shear resistance....

I'm surprised fastenal didn't have any options for you....

Hilti may be another option....

Good luck!

I just looked at Fastenal's web site, and they have hitch pins in the sizes/length that your looking for. You just may have to cut the ring off of them. These other fellers would be better to tell you if they are strong enough for what you need...
http://www.fastenal.com/web/product...08 Pins"|~ ~|categoryl3:"611659 Hitch Pins"|~

 

[ShaunBlake]

Thanks for all the advice on B6100 inside-out wheels & hubs

Used some 3/8-24 x 3-1/2" bolts, torqued down real good using one hand on a 3/8" ratchet with ~8" handle. No lock washers, but they aren't coming off before I get proper pins in them.

I had started on the left side and per NIW's stipulation, did one at a time; didn't discover how loose the right hub was until I had finished the right. Maybe I would have cared at that point. With the Wheel Hub Set Bolt torqued down to the median 100#, the hub was loose! I adjusted it to the max torque and it still could be moved a bit with firm hand pressure.

Oh well, it's more secure now than it was. (Ummm... but it's almost half a foot further outboard! Erk!)

So, Tomcat is always whining for pics (and NIW has been known to make the same demands):
Bet you'll be glad to see this ol' gal passing by and heading to the back of the plane instead of plopping her fat @$$ in the seat next to you!

Can't tear up the back yard 'till I go over it with a metal detector, but did drive around back and perform a couple of "maneuvers"... Oh my! I'm sure I can tip her over, but the increased stability is wonderful and will enable me to actually do some work.

And another thanks for all the great advice from everyone who contributed -- the community turned this can of worms into a success!