Finally Adjusting TW35 wheels

[FordTractorMan]

Right after I bought this tractor in Feb., I asked about how to adjust the rear wheels. I finally decided today to take a stab at it and whoever mentioned I might need a stick of dynamite was right. I"ve got the bolts in the right holes and they"re tight - they won"t move anymore. Sprayed penetrating oil on the wedge & axle. I didn"t put a torque wrench on the adjusting bolts, so I hope I haven"t broken anything. I took a few moderate licks at it with an 8lb. sledge, but no movement yet. Plan to hunt up my bigger hammer tomorrow. If I get the wedge loose, how hard will it be to slide the wheel in? It"s full of fluid...
 

[Bern]

8#, that's all? Better get something at least twice that size. And prepare for a workout. If you can get a piece of thickwall pipe and hit the wedge, you will increase your odds of success.

Once it's broken free, I have found that pushing on it while rocking it back and forth makes it fairly simple.
 

[FordTractorMan]

Thanks, Bern. You mean a piece of pipe that will fit over the axle and butt up against the wedge?What's the danger of tightening the the adjusting bolts past 300 ft./lbs? Can that damage the wedge?
 

[RickB]

The absolute last thing you want to do is break the flange off the wedge. That's what can happen when the jack bolts are overtorqued. Seen that with Deeres and it gets ugly. As Bern says, big sledge, big workout.
 

[juniur]

i use a piece of thickwall pipe with a 1" plate welded to it . a few hard licks with that will "usually" knock the wedges loose.
 

[Bern]

Yes, that's what I mean.

Do NOT overtorque the jack bolts - as Rick says, you will regret it. DO make sure the threads for these bolts are clean so as to get maximum pushing advantage. Get a 7/8 NC tap and clean the threads first.