Hub or axle

[Bullseye]

I’m finally getting back to my tractor to do some work on it and when I took the axles out since I need new bearings I did notice play in the hub so should I replace the hub and axle or just hub or is their some specs on the teeth I can measure to check the axle

 

[Royse]

The hub is softer than the axle. In my experience, it is usually the hub.
If it has been run loose for a long time the axle may be bad too.
Unfortunately, I do not have any specs to share to directly answer your question.

If a new hub slides on far enough that the splines extend past the
hub, then the axle is likely defective too. If the other side is good
and you want to go through the hassle of pulling that hub, you
could pull it off and test it on the other side before ordering parts.

 

[John in Mich]

Buy the hub and fit it on the axle shaft. If the end of the hub extends past the sholder of the axle
spline, tighten the washer and nut to it. Should be good to go. If the end of the hub passes the
sholder of the shaft, need to buy the shaft also.

 

[Bullseye]

Thanks for the info sounds like a plan

 

[Dollar Bill]

Royce & John gave you excellent advice. After you completer your repairs, it's imperative to periodically (10 hours) re-torque the axle nut until it takes a set. If you fail to do this, the hub will loosen and wear again possibly wearing the axle too.

The original 8N Ford Tractor owner’s manual states the axle nuts be re-torqued at the first two 50 hour intervals and then every 100 hours of operation or until the nut can no longer be tightened between inspections.

Torque Spec 2” Axle Nut - 450 ft. lbs.

For our visual learners.....

 

[Dean]

Good illustration, Bill.

For those of you who do not know, Ford once supplied hubs in several different undersizes, though they have been NLS for decades.

I bought one once in the late 1970s/very early 1980s in .010 undersize. IIRC, there were also .020 and .030 (?) undersized hubs then available.

Undersized hubs would be useful to avoid axle replacement if still available and a small market probably exists. That said, I would never buy one made in China.

Dean

 

[kylemorley]

I have made stepped washers to go between the hub and the axle, with a hollow around the axle, to allow tightening of worn hubs. One has been on my 8n for at least 10 years now, and still tight.