JD 640 hay rake tine bar bearings

[BWFARMS]

Has anyone found a cheaper alternative to doing the tine bar bearings on a JD640 hay rake? Several years ago I had a New Holland Rake and had to replace the tine bar bearings, they were about $19.00. So I quit making hay, sold all my stuff......Now I'm going to make hay again and I'm replace all my equipment that I sold off.....Got what I felt was a great deal on a JD640 hay rake, looked it over, full well knowing that it needed some tine bar bearings replaced. No big deal right? HA! AE50456 $220.50 all the Deere rakes are built using the same part.

 

[BWFARMS]

OOPS!!! I posted without finishing my post..... so 11 in the parts list is the shaft (knuckle), E16080, $45 bucks from Deere..... this is what's worn on my new rake.....the nuts loosened up and they wobbled in the reel wearing the shafts down to about 1/4 inch diameter. Its a 5 bar rake that I paid $500 bucks for, to do the whole assembly (#14), your talking $2200.00 which far exceeds the value of the rake. Just the shaft (#11) with out any bearings x10=$450, which I can stomach..... Next how the heck do you get the shaft and bearings out of the housing? It's solid cast....I'm thinking about drilling a hole in the back so I can use a pin and press the out. Am I on the right track? Thanks!

 

[tomstractorsandtoys]

You are thinking right. Drill a small hole in the back and then press it apart(after removing snapring on other side). Any bearing place can get you new bearings and races. I then thread the hole you drilled and install a grease fitting which makes them better than new. I buy new snap rings as well. To remove the races from the inside turn your welder up high and put a bead of weld on the inside of the race which will cause them to shrink and they can usually be pried out. We redid our 640 a few years ago and added the fifth bar and replaced every bearing in the whole rake as well as new drive dogs and universal joints. Tom