TEO20 front axle help please.

Majikthise

New User
Hi all. New member here looking for a little advice. Heavy earthmoving mechanic by trade. First time Ferguson mechanic....

I'm working on a TEA20 front axle with a lot of wear in the front pivot and bent radius rods.

I've welded and bored the front housing back to size, rebushed the front axle centre hole and straightened the radius rods.

The problem is that the axle is now pushed right up against the front of the support and it's hitting the radiator on full oscillation unless I slide the radiator forward in the lower mounting slots. It's as if the radius rods are too long?

Were there different lengths of radius rods available? I know there were a couple of different engines. Maybe different length radius rods to suit different length cylinder blocks? I have the Standard engine, by the way.

Edit. I put the wrong model in the subject line.
 
Sounds like something else is bent too. If getting the radiator out of the way works, do it anyway.
Sounds like the axles have to be compared to a not buggered up axle. The holes and angles are designed to not hit the rad, so you got to measure things up again. good luck.
 
I am aware that Ford ran different length radius rods on his machines. I suspect Harry did the same.
John(UK) might be able to add some knowledge to this. I am in Portland, Ore and should have a set of rods from a TO-20 and digging out my 1973 era parts book...Survey says...part number 180 351 M91
2 EA used on TO-30, TO-20, TE-20, TE-A 20.
nce you get this all together, add some (real) copper pennys behind the radius caps to remove wear.
You get to research what yeras had a better copper content.
 
(quoted from post at 02:12:51 08/24/14) Hi all. New member here looking for a little advice. Heavy earthmoving mechanic by trade. First time Ferguson mechanic....

I'm working on a TEA20 front axle with a lot of wear in the front pivot and bent radius rods.

I've welded and bored the front housing back to size, rebushed the front axle centre hole and straightened the radius rods.

The problem is that the axle is now pushed right up against the front of the support and it's hitting the radiator on full oscillation unless I slide the radiator forward in the lower mounting slots. It's as if the radius rods are too long?

Were there different lengths of radius rods available? I know there were a couple of different engines. Maybe different length radius rods to suit different length cylinder blocks? I have the Standard engine, by the way.

Edit. I put the wrong model in the subject line.

I looked in my parts book from 1956 and there was only one radius rod used for the TE-20,TEA-20,TO-20,and TO-30. You didn't install the axle upside down did you? Doing that would move it closer to the radiator outlets or if the when the axle pin hole was welded and rebored,if it was done lower than it was originally it would move the axle closer to the radiator outlet. Only other possibility would be if someone has installed the wrong radiator or radius rods from a TO-35 which were longer. Post some pics and maybe we can help more. Also measure your radius rod length.

0FEA1AA0-419D-4CB2-B743-1B24C3CF9BC7-3608-0000032421567020_zps1c6ae3b1.jpg
 
This is looking from the right hand side under the radiator. See how the axle is all the way forward? I assume it should be sitting in the centre of the pin?

Don't get too hung up on the radiator comments. It only hits the bottom outlet when the right wheel is all the way down/left wheel up. I think that if the axle were central on the pin that problem would go away.

The radius rods are about 38 1/16" from centre of the hole to centre of the ball.

Edit. I'm too new to post pics. Mods, can you let me post pics please?
 
Check the length of the Radius Rods as has been suggested. Someone could have fitted some from a Ford which are similar.. John(UK)
 
If you welded on the front axle to repair the bushing the axle itself could have arched more than it is normally and that would move the pivot point forward.
 
As close as I can measure holding a light , 38 inches.
The ball socket is welded about an inch up the tube.
From the archives ,8N Fords are 2 inches shorter.
 

I measured a radius rod I had laying around and from end to end its 40" from center of the ball to center of the bolt hole is 38" like duner said. Here is what I don't understand. I took a pic of my front axle from the same angle you did. I don't see the deep cut aways on your axle. Plus I can see a weld on top of the axle on yours. Either it's just the way the pic was taken,your axle is upside down,or there is something plain wrong with that axle.

07A8DBAB-1ABF-4737-971F-D5B017496DAC-5521-00000575C46DEEB0_zps159a353e.jpg
 
Thanks for your help everyone.

As our radius rods appear to be the right length, I agree, the axle must be bent. The weld bead on top is from a previous repair where someone has plated the inside.

I'll take it out later today and put it on a table to measure the offset. Hopefully I'll be able to bend it back to the correct angle.
 
Okay. A little bit of bending action on the axle and we're looking a lot better. Had to move each end about 5/8" relative to the bearing housing.

Thanks to everyone who helped with this. Farm tractors aren't really my thing. If anyone ever needs some help with anything Caterpillar related though, just send me a PM. Or I usually hang out at heavyequipmentforums.

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