Loosening JD 620 wheels

[tractorboy]

I am trying to change the position of the rear wheels on my "new" 620. I have the three wedge bolts loose. I finally broke the two jam nuts free and cleaned up the rust, which prevented them from moving. However I can only turn the jam nuts to about 1/8" from their marks. I have tried working the bolts several times back a forth to break the wedge free. However, I have failed in getting the wedge loose. I have applied heat and lots of kroil but, so far, to no avail. Anyone have a suggestion or trick I haven"t tried yet. By the way, I have a 1" impact hammer with 1000 ft-lbs of torque for the wedge bolts and a 1/2" impact hammer with 650 ft-lbs of torque on the jam bolts.

 

[Anonymous-0]

do you have the 3 other bolts in the second wedge out also? Take them out too if you haven't already. I put a 6' piece of pipe on a breaker bar and start tightening one jack bolt, then the other, then back to the first and so on. If that is not working, more heat on the outside of the hub, try tightening jack bolts more, and if all else fails, smack the end of the axle with a 10 lb. sledge hammer.

 

[Paul_IN]

I know your pain. This may help. Rotate the wheel so the wedge you are trying to loosen is on bottom, then set the tractor down. With the jack screws tightened down get your big sledge hammer and strike the end of the axle a good solid square lick ONE time. See if the jack screws will tighten a little more, they probably will. Repeat. I"ve had success with this method. I would caution that getting bigger and bigger wrenches on the jack screws is not the ticket because I have broken the back of the wedge off. That is not good.

 

[tractorboy]

Thanks,

I will try both in the order presented. However, I too worry about breaking the back of the wedge off. I am also going to try putting a hydraulic ram on the back side before I try hitting the end of the axle.

 

[MBdeere]

Be careful, I used a small impact wrench and it broke off two of the jam bolts. That is a B****!. You might try sliding a piece of 3 inch pipe over the axel and beating the wedges out.

 

[ET]

You can break the back flange off the wedge if you crank those jack screws to tight. Jar it with presure on the screws. I strike the axel with a shaft thats about 4" in diamiter and 40" long weighs about 70 lbs, my battering ram. It delivers a better shock than the hammer

 

[tim s]

We have talked about this a lot in the past. I remove the outer 3 large bolts,and the inner 3 if you can,at least loosen them as much as you can (some times they are too close to the axle housing),drive the pinion bolt out of the housing(leave it out,it will need shined up)place some good blocks and a jack on it's side (pump side down) I cradle all this on a 2X8 on top of a floor jack, jack against the hitch area and the wheel hub, keep up as high as you can, and jack pressure to push out on the hub,don't get to carried away a 1500R will crack, after you have it jacked tight smack the end of the axle "strongly" (like so hard your feet come off the groundalso keep pressure on the jack bolts,they are soft so don't let that big air wrench hammer much on them, this normally will bring them off.Don't do this with the pinion bolt in the hub,with out it in place the pinion cog can 'float' as needed.

 

[Fred from MO]

Do not use heat on the cast wheel centers!! The heating of the inner diameter of the cast wheel will cause it to expand faster than the outer diameter of the cast wheel, thus causing a crack!! Dont ask me how I know this!! Use the 3 inch pipe method and a sledge to drive the wedge as the other fellow says and lots of PB blaster.

 

[tim s]

I have never had much luck with using a piece of pipe for a driver, seems like it swells up and binds on the hub.My machinist just bought an old 60 LP and the wheels are "very" rusty on it, the worst I have seen, I will probably get the opportunity to get them loose for him some day soon.

 

[tractorboy]

Thanks everyone,

I hit the end of the axle and tightened the jam bolts as suggested in stages. I also loosed the three wedge bolts in the back. The wedges are now free. However my next problem is the jack screw, which is also frozen tight. I assume that if I remove the plug on the other end I can squirt PB Blaster in on the gear.

 

[tim s]

The jack bolt you are referring to is what I am calling the pinion drive bolt, they get rusted tight, dig the cork plug out of the one end and use a good 1/2" punch that is ground nice and square on the end and hammer the pinion bolt clear out, leave it "out" till you get the wheel broke loose, clean it up on the grinder and lube it up good, reinstall it "after" you have the wheel loose. If you leave the pinion bolt in while you are trying to loosen the wheel the pressure of the release will shear part of the cog off because the pinion bolt(being frozen tight) will not let it rotate.

 

[ET]

You realy don't have to worry about the pinion. Take the other wedge out and roll the wheel till the pinion is down and not engauging the rack. Push the wheel to where you want and roll it back up onto the rack and clamp it. Moving wheels is usually a one time thing so how bad do you want to beat yourself up?

 

[BushogPapa]

Could you leave the Jack Bolts TIGHT and leave the clamp bolts loose and drive it around until the wedge breaks loose..?
Maybe put it in the field and work it a while..

Ron..

 

[tim s]

You 'will' need to worry about the pinion, if it can't float in the housing it will shear 1 and a half teeth off the cog, when it gives away. If all is loose and dandy no worry,,but this seems to be a tight one for this guy.