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John Deere Tractors Discussion Forum
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Axle Wedge Headache!!!

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Meatcutter

11-06-2006 20:15:33




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I know this has been brought up before, but I was hoping for a new approach to this problem. Wanting to move rear wheels out on a JD 4430. Wedges are frozen. I've got the three outside bolts backed out 3/4 inch. The two jack screws tighten in against the wedge. The inside three bolts backed out 1/2 inch. I have spent a week using Blaster penetrating oil on everything. Even removed the cork and sprayed oil on the pinion gear. I have used heat around the wedge and wheel. Made a driving tool out of a 3 1/2 inch heavy pipe with a piece of flat steel welded over the end. Knotched out the end so only the bottom wedge would receive the blow when struck. Hung a 150 lb. railroad rail from chain hoist and hit end of pipe. The wedge has not moved any. Hit end of axle with 12 lb. sledge. Nothing moved. My next step is to drive with bolts loose and use brake to try and make something turn loose. Any new ideas? Thanks

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buickanddeere

11-08-2006 06:45:39




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 Re: Axle Wedge Headache!!! in reply to Meatcutter, 11-06-2006 20:15:33  
You have been reefing on those bolts and likely stretched them. Replacing the bolts with new from Mother Deere may reduce the risk of breakage in the future. Big box store bargain bolts are not recommended.



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meatcutter

11-08-2006 15:44:01




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 Re: Axle Wedge Headache!!! in reply to buickanddeere, 11-08-2006 06:45:39  
Good idea. Thanks



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Mike M

11-07-2006 12:42:52




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 Re: Axle Wedge Headache!!! in reply to Meatcutter, 11-06-2006 20:15:33  
If you ever do get it off when you go back together don't try to get it "real" tight all at once. Take it up kinda tight then drive it recheck it and use it and recheck it. You should get some on it a few times but then you will not get anymore on the bolts. NOW IT IS TIGHT.



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johns48b

11-07-2006 09:13:42




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 Re: Axle Wedge Headache!!! in reply to Meatcutter, 11-06-2006 20:15:33  
after spending 6 days in icu with 24 staples in my head i don't jury rig nothing any more and i cetainly wouldn't even think about driving a tractor where the rear wheel might come off. you've got play safe guys.



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WTW

11-07-2006 08:28:01




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 Re: Axle Wedge Headache!!! in reply to Meatcutter, 11-06-2006 20:15:33  
First and most important DO NOT strike any of the bolts with a hammer as not only will you destroy the bolts but good chance you will break the shoulder from the wedge and then once you have accomplished that you got allot bigger mess than you started with. Here is a way I have done it with the circumstances that you have (before and after the wedge and or bolt were broken). Knowing you already have the three outside clamp bolts loose and forcing screws tight continue with these additional steps. Second, loosen the three 3/4" bolts on the stationary wedge on the inside of the wheel just enough to relieve the lock washers under the heads of them. Third, jack up the side of tractor that you are moving the wheel on far enough to suspend the wheel off the ground. Fourth, block off the end of the final drive axle housing edge with heavy iron bars or plates (must be iron not wood). Block right up as close as you can get to the heads of the three inner wedge bolts (will require different amounts of block height depending on how far the wheels are out on the axle). Fourth, continue to back out the three inner wedge bolts against the iron blocks with an open end wrench. Use the best wrench that you have and tighten all three bolts until you either move the wheel off the wedges or you can not turn them anymore. In the event that the wheel does not move and you have the three inner bolts as tight as you can get them, Strike the end of the axle with the heaviest mall you can swing. After two or three licks tighten the inner and outer forcing bolts some more. This should eventually move the wheel off the axle. What you are doing instead of forcing one (stuck) wedge out from between the wheel and axle with two bolts, instead you are forcing the wheel off both wedges with five bolts. The only damage that will occur striking the end of the axle, will be the hammer marks where you strike it. You can fabricate a striking protector for the end of axle shaft to protect it from hammer marks. The force the striking creates will not be on the outer bearing due to the inner bolts forcing pressure on final drive housing. After you get the wheel loose and you are ready to reposition it, be sure to tighten the inner stationary wedge in the wheel first. A little time will be spent doing it this way, but it usually works and sometimes you have no other choice. I have moved many stuck wheels that many people have given up on using this method. One case a tractor had the wedge shoulder broke off and owner plowed with the tractor three years and wedge never did come loose until the day I came up with this method. Good Luck, DW
PS What do I know? well I been moving wheels on John Deere tractors for 28 years for what ever that is worth.

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machinery-man

11-07-2006 08:01:05




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 Re: Axle Wedge Headache!!! in reply to Meatcutter, 11-06-2006 20:15:33  
Got my advise from a 30 yr. old veteran mechanic, said he'd been in many rear ends due to damages. But whatever works for folks....



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Steve Ga

11-07-2006 07:29:46




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 Re: Axle Wedge Headache!!! in reply to Meatcutter, 11-06-2006 20:15:33  
If the bolts are backed off,try driving the tractor around.Hit the brake,put it on a slope,etc.



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ET

11-07-2006 07:11:03




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 Re: Axle Wedge Headache!!! in reply to Meatcutter, 11-06-2006 20:15:33  
Take that 150lb rail hanging on the chain and swing it against the end of the axel instead of using that little sledge hammer. Give it a couple of shots then tighten the wedge push bolts. Keep repeating this and it will come loose. The shock is what loosens the wedge. I have a steel shaft about 40" long and about 2or3" in diamiter that makes a great battering ram to loosen wheels. You don't have to swing it very hard to deliver a greater shock than any sledge hammer can give.

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msb

11-07-2006 05:55:51




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 Re: Axle Wedge Headache!!! in reply to Meatcutter, 11-06-2006 20:15:33  
Never caused any trouble yet in literally dozens of wheels.----- -Leave the jack screws tight and the wedge boots loose.Jack that side of the tractor up that you want to move the wheel on and then smack the opposite axle with a sledge hammer a few times.The inertia created will do the work for you.John Deere won't tell you to do this, but that is where the idea came from a long,long time back.The outside axle bearing is what you will be driving against and it sustains more side load on in when turning and doing heavy field work that what a few smacks with a sledge will do.The inertia jars the whole tractor and has the effect of driving the axle through the wedge.Kind of like hitting a hammer on the end of the handle when the head comes loose.

Pounding on the wedge bolts will usually ruin the bolts or worse yet, break the wedge and the wedge still won't be moved.

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machinery-man

11-07-2006 05:20:55




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 Re: Axle Wedge Headache!!! in reply to Meatcutter, 11-06-2006 20:15:33  
I would never hit the end of the axle with a sledge hammer. You are possibly buying trouble by damaging inside the case. Loosen and try the driving as suggested. In my opinion a sledge hammer other than tapping does not belong on a tractor project.



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Steve In PA

11-07-2006 04:38:21




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 Re: Axle Wedge Headache!!! in reply to Meatcutter, 11-06-2006 20:15:33  
When we moved the wheels on my 4020 the only way we got them to move is having my dad crank on the bolts that push against the wedge while i was hitting on the pipe piece we have made. It took him with a 3/4" drive ratchet and a 6' piece of pipe on the handle and me with a 12 pound sledge alot of sweat and about 14 hours later wheels widened out.



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Howard H.

11-06-2006 20:18:29




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 Re: Axle Wedge Headache!!! in reply to Meatcutter, 11-06-2006 20:15:33  

Driving with the bolts loose is the easiest way. We found that driving down the side of the road in the ditch so that the tractor is leaning to one side works them loose quicker.

That and hitting the brake from one side to the other a little bit...

Howard



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Meatcutter

11-06-2006 20:23:39




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 Re: Axle Wedge Headache!!! in reply to Howard H., 11-06-2006 20:18:29  
Thanks, that will be my next attempt.



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