Super M outer rear axle bearings(checking /replace???)

[mike1972chev]

Well ,This MIGHT be a bit of a loaded question, but I thought I would ask the more experienced than myself...

I am getting ready to change out my rear tires and tubes finally on my 1953 Super M stage 2. I have been debating whether or not to go ahead and take a look into the outer axle bearings and seals while I have it up in the air with the wheels off of it or not??? The tractor seems to have been LOWER hours when I bought it back in 2000 and the previous owner before me just kept it in the shed with his other adult toys and never really did anything with it. Clutch and brake pedal pad , cross hatch treads look like they are NOT very worn. I know, this is a SORT of way of judging hours on a tractor. Engine has had ONE ,VERY WELL DONE rebuild, and runs perfectly ! When I got it home, I drained the 90 WT out of the rear end and pulled PTO to look inside, all looked GREAT. I flushed the rear end out CLEAN and added the almost 15 gallons of gear grease. I have used it a few time a year now ever since...

The gear box and rear end still sounds fine. The axles show NO signs the bearings WOULD be going bad. ZERO signs of axle making it's way up into the outer bearing retainers or any signs of the outer axle seals leaking period. (I also always worry about the INNER bearing at the bull gears coming apart and getting in between the gears and the rear housing and busting them open like I have seen several times.)

To end up here,ALL seems well right now, but we are also talking about a 70 year old piece of machinery also !!! What should I be doing to make sure she can go another 70+ years along with myself ??? Thoughts,opinions??

 

[SinkholeRoad]

If I am working on one of my tractors which has not yet had new outer axle shaft seals installed, then I put in new seals if I have the tires and rims off. The seals are cheap compared to the bearings. I would simply inspect the bearings. If they are fine replace the seals and put it back together. It sounds like you are doing a good job of keeping track of the machine, the axle bearings are probably fine and will likely never give you trouble if you are not abusing it.
Good luck

 

[caterpillar guy]

I'm not sure just when they quit with the greased axle bearings. I know my 806and 856 have grease bearings there so if yours does I would not worry about them just give them some grease occasionally. I don't believe our H has had them done anything to since it arrived on the yard. Our MD has not had anything done to them since we got it back in the early 70's. The only ones I have done anything to was our 1466 and I reshimmed them when we put all the new bearings and seals in it. We put all new bearings and seals with gaskets in the rear end and a delete shaft in it back about 10 years ago.

 

[mike1972chev]

Yea, Cat guy, I ALWAYS hit those grease zerks on the outer axle caps every time I go out for a long day on it ,along with all the other grease points. If you knew me,you would know I am not afraid to do what ever it needs to keep it going. My Dad was a maintenance and upkeep kind of guy coming from the military ,working at GM dealerships ,also having out own auto garage for years after.. (I was cleaning and packing wheel bearings since about age 5.. STILL got that SAME roller stool I used back then ) Just something THIS old,I picture exploding on me one day out of the blue.. :/

Sinkhole,I might just pull the outer caps and look in there,plus re seal it.

 

[SinkholeRoad]

Mike1972Chev,
I believe that the "M" like many others, oiled those outer shaft bearings with the rear trans/diff gear oil. So if it is full now, you may want to drain it down below the axleshaft line or you will be waiting for it to stop running out of the axle tube when you want to change the seals.
Best luck

 

[DR. EVIL]

My '54 Super H had lots of Chicago Rawhide oil & grease seals in it, I know because I've changed about 8 seals so far. Still have the pto shaft to install the seal & gasket. I've done the outer rear axle seals, gaskets and felts, and the upper transmission input shaft seals and gaskets and the lower shaft seals & gaskets. Those sure were easy without a belly pump. The new neoprene grease seals should last about forever where the cow hide leather seals did wear and leak. Not sure how much usage my SH had before we got it, it was the only tractor on 80 acres before it got repossessed, then it sat a couple months to a year on the dealer's lot then delivered a new IH corn planter about 11 miles from the dealership where it planted 160 to 240 acres of corn then maybe was semi-retired again till it was traded in for a new 756 diesel May of 1968. It was promptly hooked to the Deere 490 planter and quickly planted 80 acres then became the chore tractor, 2 trips a day to the hog pastures with hog feed & water. And mowing & raking hay, and running 5 miles to & from town for hog feed 3 times a week, lots of road miles.
I wasn't the slightest bit concerned about the outer axle bearings condition, just sealing up the dripping seals. The '51 M wore a 2-ME picker for 20 falls, picking 240 acres every year, I know we put a bunch of new bearings in the transmission one summer but the rear axle bearings are still factory.

 

[the tractor vet]

Well my advise is RUN IT , don't go looking for something that is not there . When the day comes and it fail's you will be the first to know.

 

[Highwayman]

Golden rule#1:
If it aint broke then dont fix it!!!

 

[1974vette]

If transmission case is full of oil and the axel seals are not leaking i would leave it alone and just use it
Just my opinion.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

Pretty sure the grease zerks are NOT for the bearings, but are for the seals. The bearings are lubed by transmission oil.

 

[D Slater]

Original outer axle bearing was shielded to inside. Greasing to often or to much can lead to shield being pushed out of bearing. Then grease leaves bearing faster.