I picked up a Ford 4000 (41301 to be exact) that has some front end issues. I had to remove the front axel support assembly, one piece Industrial & Grove axel simular to the AG axel but not adjustable, to do some crack welding. I suspect this tractor had a loader on it for a good portion of its life. I have no plans to ever put one back on it. I only plan on using it as an AG tractor. Anyway, I have come across a few issues I could use opinions on. I am not worried about making this thing like new, but do want to do solid repairs that will not come back to haunt me. Oh, and preferably on a decent budget.
The two left block to support bolts were loose and that allowed it wallow out the two right side holes a bit in the support. The bottom hinged more than wallowed. Maybe 1/8 if an inch worst case on the top, bottom not near as bad. So instead of nice round holes I have oblong holes. I am thinking I should go ahead and correct this. Agree? I was thinking of drilling out the holes and inserting a steel spacer to take up the difference between the drilled out hole and bolt. Do you think I should weld the spacer in?
Around the bottom stud on the block, it has an impression where the support’s right side was hinging on the stud, maybe .020 inch. You can literally see the outline where the support bracket was rubbing (moving) on the block. Do you think I should leave it, shim it, or resurface it? The support looks good, just the block. I am leaning towards pulling the right side studs and resurfacing the area the support bolts to the block.
The left spindle appears to have worn through the upper bushing in the axel. I have not gotten into to it other than observation. The spindle itself has a slight ridge in it about 2/3 the way around just below the seal. I was thinking it would be best to weld it up and resurface the spindle. However, most of the work I have done like this is for spinning shafts where a bearing has failed, not “weight” bearing applications. Do you think the heat would wreck the spindle? I usually just weld a bout an inch or so at a time and let it cool some between welds. Then turn it in a lathe. In this case I would have to do it by hand as the spindle will not fit the lathe.
Like I said I haven’t really looked that close but if the left spindle has gotten in the meat of the axel housing, what should I do about it? I will not know until the new bushings show up for sure, but I do like to plan ahead.
Once all repairs are complete I plan on giving it a paint job. I have seen three color schemes for this series of tractors; Yellow sheet metal and wheels with Blue, Gray sheet metal and wheel with Blue, and All blue except wheels and rear fenders (gray). I am not planning on a showroom finish but would like it to be factory color scheme. Was the all blue with gray fenders and wheels a factory paint scheme for early thousand series or did someone just paint theirs that way to look like the newer thousand series? I believe it was yellow and blue originally but some one gave the sheet metal and wheels a sloppy paint brush job in what appears to have been some kind of off white / cream color.
The two left block to support bolts were loose and that allowed it wallow out the two right side holes a bit in the support. The bottom hinged more than wallowed. Maybe 1/8 if an inch worst case on the top, bottom not near as bad. So instead of nice round holes I have oblong holes. I am thinking I should go ahead and correct this. Agree? I was thinking of drilling out the holes and inserting a steel spacer to take up the difference between the drilled out hole and bolt. Do you think I should weld the spacer in?
Around the bottom stud on the block, it has an impression where the support’s right side was hinging on the stud, maybe .020 inch. You can literally see the outline where the support bracket was rubbing (moving) on the block. Do you think I should leave it, shim it, or resurface it? The support looks good, just the block. I am leaning towards pulling the right side studs and resurfacing the area the support bolts to the block.
The left spindle appears to have worn through the upper bushing in the axel. I have not gotten into to it other than observation. The spindle itself has a slight ridge in it about 2/3 the way around just below the seal. I was thinking it would be best to weld it up and resurface the spindle. However, most of the work I have done like this is for spinning shafts where a bearing has failed, not “weight” bearing applications. Do you think the heat would wreck the spindle? I usually just weld a bout an inch or so at a time and let it cool some between welds. Then turn it in a lathe. In this case I would have to do it by hand as the spindle will not fit the lathe.
Like I said I haven’t really looked that close but if the left spindle has gotten in the meat of the axel housing, what should I do about it? I will not know until the new bushings show up for sure, but I do like to plan ahead.
Once all repairs are complete I plan on giving it a paint job. I have seen three color schemes for this series of tractors; Yellow sheet metal and wheels with Blue, Gray sheet metal and wheel with Blue, and All blue except wheels and rear fenders (gray). I am not planning on a showroom finish but would like it to be factory color scheme. Was the all blue with gray fenders and wheels a factory paint scheme for early thousand series or did someone just paint theirs that way to look like the newer thousand series? I believe it was yellow and blue originally but some one gave the sheet metal and wheels a sloppy paint brush job in what appears to have been some kind of off white / cream color.
