FILENAMES:

FaxleA.JPG
FaxleB.JPG
FaxleC.JPG
FaxleD.JPG
FaxleE.JPG
FaxleF.JPG
FaxleG.JPG
FaxleH.JPG
FaxleI.JPG

DESCRIPTION:

These are pictures showing the process of repairing the front axle
on a garden tractor. Posted by Matt Maguire <maguire@gallatinriver.net>. 
Matt provided the following description:

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Files contained, 10 including this file;

Faxle.txt  - 	this text file

FaxleA.JPG - 	A dark area that wouldn't clean up gave me a clue
		that the axle had been heated and straightened. The
		axle is blasted, and the magnaflux gives me the bad
		news of a crack.

FaxleB.JPG -	After some press work I no longer needed the
		magnaflux to find the crack.

FaxleC.JPG - 	I chose to repair the crack by brazing with the
		powder torch, I don't get this torch out often, but
		when I do, it seems I use it a lot. The material
		is a nickel silicon boron with a bit of copper.

FaxleD.JPG - 	A veiw of the brazed axle after blasting, grinding
		and peening.

FaxleE.JPG -	The kingpin bores are machined to accept automotive
		type bushings. (SEE NOTES)

FaxleF.JPG -	The center pin bore is also machined to accept the
		same type automotive bushings.

FaxleG.JPG -	A new center pin is machined. (SEE NOTES)

FaxleH.JPG -	One of the tie rod arms had been broken and rewelded
		out of position, so I moved it and welded it back on.
		The welding was done with E7018 electrode.

FaxleI.JPG -	The front axle assembled on the bench to check all the
		geometry before painting and placing in the tractor.

*NOTES*

 I bought my dad a vintage CASE #195 garden tractor in 1999
for fathers day to replace his Sears tractor. By the fall of 99'
we had rebuilt the engine and discovered that there was a lot 
left to do, so I hauled the tractor back to my shop where I could
continue this journey and hopefully get it in shape for fathers
day 2000!

 The axle kingpin and center pin bores were quite a bit oversize after
some 35 years of use. I chose to use a thin wall automotive type
bushing with a teflon filled lining to save casting wall thickness and
this type of bushing allows for very small to no clearance fits with
an expected life far beyond the original cast iron to steel interface
lubed with grease. These bushings will work well dry or with boundry
lubrication.

 The center pin was machined from AISI 8620. I snagged the material
while trolling through the neighbors steel rack. The 8620 is tough,
will work harden, and is probably the most easily welded of the low
alloy steels containing nickel, chrome and moly. The last thing I 
need is for the pin "keeper" tab to bust off.

 I machined the center pin 1 1/2" longer than the original to allow 
for the welding of rings to the frame, should I later need to "tighten"
things up at the frame bores. Also I drilled and tapped the end of
the pin for 1" pipe in case I wanted to add weights on the front of
the tractor later, (after assembly I decided this was a bad place to
put weights but the tapped hole does give a good spot to hoist the 
front of the tractor from).

 Next I'll post up the repairs to the rear axles, including replacing a 
disk brake that had been removed, and the stellite-ing of the axle at
the bearing areas.


Respectfully submitted,

Matt Maguire