Restoring IH Cultivator Set - Need Input

Hey guys, I've posted this topic in another forum and thought I would share here to see if you guys had any input. This has to do with the 1-row Cultivator for the Farmall Cub, Super A, 100, 130, 140, not just the Cub as it is directed to in the dialogue.
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As many of you are well aware, there are many Cub Cultivator sets (not just Cub really) out there are are in functioning order but are well worn at the joints. With a worn cultivator set, you have a lot of movement and slack in all of the joints causing them to not be very accurate when cultivating through soil and possibly digging up your plants. A good, tight cultivator set is getting harder to find having that 98% of the cultivator sets out there are used and no new ones being made.

I am looking for some suggestions and ideas on how you all have restored them or have seen done. I realize that alot of the joints can be tightened up using the bolts on the brackets, and I will be replacing all bolts on the cultivator with the original style and tightening them that way to see if that helps; but what about the slack from wear when the bolts are tightened all way up? What would you do in that case? Shim? Weld and grind? Sleeve? Has anyone restored a worn set to make them tight again?

I have had some good luck when i replace the bolts or at least get them free so they can be tightened and little oil in the joints dont hurt either

We never had joints apart on the older cultivators
[M--Super C] but newer ones can be tightened with a thin washer on the sides of the joint. Center diameter of the washer would be the size of the bushing or hinge bolt. If bushings are involved, a new one can help firm up a joint.

(quoted from post at 02:20:53 04/02/14) We never had joints apart on the older cultivators
[M--Super C] but newer ones can be tightened with a thin washer on the sides of the joint. Center diameter of the washer would be the size of the bushing or hinge bolt. If bushings are involved, a new one can help firm up a joint.

Click to expand...

I guess I'm not seeing it, but how would a washer help tighten the joints up?

Gene, I plan on doing that (replacing and tightening) to the bolts at the different adjustments on the gang brackets. I would just like to know if there is any other way people have tightened up the worn joints that way we can use the bolt method as a final backup.

Used to cultivate with those, tried all kinds of
things to stiffen them up, never had much luck.
even tried new ones, still a lot of movement. Just
had to adjust them so they wouldn"t take out the
plants. The shields helped some times, and we had a
three tine one we would put on closest to the plant
in the center . It had the same center mount post
with 3- 1/2 inch square tines on it. One of these
for each side used in the center. Speed seemed to
make a difference , slower the better usually.

(quoted from post at 02:48:57 04/02/14) Used to cultivate with those, tried all kinds of
things to stiffen them up, never had much luck.
even tried new ones, still a lot of movement. Just
had to adjust them so they wouldn"t take out the
plants. The shields helped some times, and we had a
three tine one we would put on closest to the plant
in the center . It had the same center mount post
with 3- 1/2 inch square tines on it. One of these
for each side used in the center. Speed seemed to
make a difference , slower the better usually.

Click to expand...

I remember looking at a Farmall 140 and Farmall Super A (both at different times at different auctions) that had a set of the late model cultivators (used but original paint) and you could grab them and they wouldn't move AT ALL. They were so tight....just like you'd think they were from the factory new. They had no play at all. Maybe they had been "rebuilt" some sort of way, maybe just the bolts tightened at the adjustment points, or maybe they were just barely used.

Regardless, I'm sure someone has tightened them up some kind of way that works well and is cost effective considering what this is.

Three Ideas for you:
If the Push pull motion of a joint is sloppy from ovaled out holes I either put in larger bolts after drilling them round, or drill then insert a tube that matches the new hole diameter and has an inside diameter of the old bolt (through both the inner and outer parts of the joint). This would allow the use of an old bolt, or a new bolt of the original diameter.
Sometimes a washer can be welded to the worn out hole to reinforce the position if side to side space allows.
Welding up the holes (gas welding is preferable as one can use mild steel and be able to drill the holes out to size) then using new bolts.
If originality is not important and usability is, Heim Joints can be purchased that can replace the worn linkage joints (google Heim joints)
Some locations can have new holes drilled next to the old holes to allow "new" control.
Jim

We never did get all the slop out. Typically the shank is mounted to the inside of the lift arm. In that arrangement the shanks will always move to the outside when plowing. If that is a bother to you then I suggest you get a piece of bar stock the same thickness as the tool bars. Using "U" bolts lay the bar stock across the tool bars and clamp them together so they remain the same distance apart under all conditions. It will work fine until your crop gets too tall for the bar stock but then you should not be that close to the plants with your sweeps and a little movement is ok.