Size of nuts and bolts - TEA 20 front axle?

Not sure if axle is the correct term but it's the adjustable, multi-hole beam which allows you to widen or narrow the track of the front wheels.

I don't want to change the track width but do want to remove one bolt on each side and shift them as I've read here and elsewhere the two bolts on either side should not be immediately adjacent to each other. The risk of shearing them is greater I believe unless they are spaced at least a hole apart.

Anyway...the tractor is a few hundred miles away so can't run out and check but I want to buy a couple of sockets and a breaker bar to tackle them this weekend.

Anyone know those two sizes offhand?

Thanks :lol:

Those bolts are 5/8 X 2-7/8 NF. according to the parts book. Richard

Sorry I don't know the size of the ends what I had posted is the size of the bolt.

I've seen both 15/16" AF and 1" AF heads on those front axle beam bolts in TEA20s.

I suspect the standard or correct size is 1" AF, which is the size of the Ferguson plough spanner which came with your tractor:



Bob in Oz
'53 TEA20

I have some differant size bolt and nut sizes on my tractors from 7/8 to 15/16 to 1 inch. Why not pick up two of the correct size bolts and add them to your axle and leave the ones you want to remove for another time.

Thanks guys for the quick responses. What do the AF and NF stand for that you have referred to in several responses?

NF stands for fine thread.

That picture is just a tease isn't it? That is nice to have items like that. Richard

Thanks for the explanation -- and yeah -- that's a fine wrench (or spanner Bob? ) It looks heavy.

Heres one you younger mechanics (and maybe some older ones too) can put in your bag of tricks...the wrench size is one and a half times the bolt size. This works for the SAE type bolts and nuts...but don't go figure on a 1/4" right off the bat cause it don't work for it...but a half inch bolt, one and a half times a half inch is 3/4" Savvy???...3/8"+ 3/16" = 9/16". Anyhow, that's my story and I'm stickin to it....and as you're heading to the toolbox for that next wrench and use this formula, just say "thanks Fred" ...I'll hear you.
PS Why don't you be a good boy and tell us a system for the dreaded metric bolts and nuts. ohfred

[i:e504e77706]"What do the AF and NF stand for that you have referred to in several responses?"[/i:e504e77706]

"AF" - Across Flats - the size of the spanner jaws or socket size you need to get onto that bolt head!

The TEA20 came with a "tool kit" - a Ferguson spanner and a grease gun. The Ferguson spanner was 1" AF one end, 11/16" AF on the other and supposedly would fit most of the nuts on the tractor and all the nuts on Ferguson implements. It is graduated in inches on one side and is also used as a dipping fuel gauge. I have a number of new Ferguson spanners.

Bob

more confusion..the nut and bolt head on mine,nicely painted,are too small for a 1.1/8 AF but too large for a 1". probably a 1.1/16 may be it but don't have the spanner.
The bolt shaft though looks to be 5/8.so if you take a couple of pipe wrenches [I call them Stilsons]and a piece of pipe for leverage you should be ok.I have found them to be veeery tight.

The two wrenches I always carry to a remote field with my Fergusons are 11/16 and 1 1/16. Other than carb nuts and small stuff like that, those two will fit most everything on Harry's tractors, unless someone has changed them.

Dumb luck has made me an expert on this topic. Just last night I removed these exact bolts.

You will need two 1 1/16 socket (same as the wheel lug nuts, lift bolts and many others) Note bring the sizes near this becaue if they have been replaced in the past it they may not be the orgional sizes.

A breaker bar and probably a length of pipe for extra umph.

If you have a second breaker bar that is good, if not use a good socket wrench but mind how much torque you put on it so you do not break the wrench... Thank goodness I had Craftsman and could go get a replacement.

Spray the nut down with penetrating oil.

In my case I put one wrench and socket on the bolt head and reacted the load out on the radius arm. I then put the breaker bar on the nut and with a 3 foot pipe gently applied pressure until it started to turn. On three the nuts came off fairly easily.

On the fourth It creaked, popped and groaned. I backed it off until I was concerned how much pressure I was putting on it. ~1 turn, then sprayed penetrating oil on the exposed thread, and then turned it back on to allow the nut threads to pick up some oil. I then repeated this on and off until the nut came off.

To remove the bolt I was able to turn them in the hole via the bolt head. I put the nut back on until it was flush with the bolt. (this helps to protect the threads) While turning the bolt in the hole I tapped the nut with a 2 lb hammer. This exposed a little of the bolt shaft, applied oil and then tapped the bolt head back in to get oil into the hole. Repeated this until the nut was up against the axel. Then I started to back off the nut to allow more of the bolt shaft to show.

I repeated this back and forth, applying oil the hole time until the bolt was free.

Mine were really frozen up as the tractor sat out in the Michigan weather for who knows how many years. With patience and oil you can get them out.


The radius arms are a different matter. I ended up snapping the bolt head off. The 8 foot cheater bar had nothing to do with it....

But the issue I found is the bolt will want to spread the fingers of the radius arm. I am applying oil, but the contact area is 4" and I am not confident it will penetrate the whole way.

any help?

You know, after posting below about the wrench sizes...I got to thinking about the old Ferguson and Ford tractors and came to the conclusion years ago that you could almost overhaul either one of them with a 11/16 and 1 1/16" wrenches. So, if you think my post was inappropriate for the Ferguson's...I hope you don't forget it...just keep it in mind for the modern SAE bolts and nuts. And now, I'll give you another one that I've kept in my head for years and that's how to figure the tap drill size for a given thread. Tap diameter minus one over N...N being the number of threads per inch. Quickest example is 3/4 10...3/4's is .750 divided by 10=.650" and if you look at a drill chart...the chart will give 21/32" (.656)for approximately 75% depth of threads...Savvy? Anybody need this kind of stuff before I check out...67 now and need to pass some of this stuff on to the younger brains. ohfred

ohfred -- I'm mighty appreciative of your tips. Going to print and post em above my workbench for safekeeping. I'd love to be able to pass along some Metric wisdom but alas, I'm the product of a school system in Canada that switched on me right in the middle. As a result, I can only think fuel mileage in mpg yet with sockets and rulers, it's gotta be mm... Go figure.

Anyway, for anyone else interested, here's the update. Get out your reading glasses now and tell me the winning socket size!



Yep -- that's 15/16 on those front axles (posing next to it is good friends 1 and 1 1/16, brought along for company just in case).

I discovered since the bolts were sitting right next to each other, the axle joint had sagged a might on the inside and needed a nudge from the bottle jack to true it up enough to allow the bolt to run clean through both sides of the hole that was to be its new home. See below...



Three of the four came loose with the breaker bar and a good push, the fourth simply would not budge no matter how much I heaved. Maybe the 8 footer next time, eh?

(Oh, and no, I'd never lift much using a cement breeze block for support but I figured it would probably be good for the hundred pounds or so of upward presssure to true up that axle...)

Thanks to all for the input!

Oh, for the love of .... My head hurts.

Why can't everything be simple and.....METRIC! :x

That's a unique towball arrangement on the front there.

Yes the front towbar and plate welded on was some previous owner's devising. There's also a great ruddy loop welded on underneath for attaching who knows what to. I guess he had call to pull or push something large on a regular basis. The front ball is definitely handy for manoeuvring trailers about. Although reverse gear is too high to pull much weight easily I imagine.