Can a worn out front axle pin & bushing bend radius rods

diyguy

Member
I've seen a lot of pictures here of bent radius rods on N-series tractors and if there's a comment about the cause, it's usually something like "must have hit something really hard". I don't know that I've seen a comment that says for sure the bend was caused by collision ... but then I haven't read every one.

For may years my old tractor has had a loose front end with a worn out bushing & pin, allowing the axle to "rock" to and fro around the tire spin axis when it hits bumps or holes ... if that makes sense. Also, the tractor has a badly bent radius rod.

I'm wondering if one causes the other: does the twisting action of the rocking axle put enough force on the rod to bend it over time? Or did the previous owner smack something good and hard causing the bend?
 
Well after hitting a few stumps in the tall grass I bent the left radius arm twice. The second time I had to remove it where it was and drive over it with the truck to get it fairly
straight. Later it went to the metal shop in town and they took the rest of the bend out. The rocking of the front end is sorta like front suspension of a car, just a bit rougher. There
is a large pin up front which provides this action. It works like a see-saw in a way. If the radius arm is bent there may be a chance the front axle assembly may be bent also, depends
on the force incurred. The only way I know of to bend the radius arm is to hit something head on. I am sure that there may be other ways, but they seem unlikely to happen often.

William
 
The radius arms are what keep the axle
from rocking, the center bushing is much
too narrow to do anything in that
aspect.
 

It must be inherent to a N I don't think I have ever seen a 100 are 1000 series bent... If I did it did not stand out like it dose on a N...
 
I just straightened out the radius arms
on an NAA that otherwise didn't appear
to have had a rough life so curious what
happened to bend them. And I also have
an 850 parts tractor with bent radius
arms but that one appears to have had a
loader and abuse since the front axle is
bent in the center as well. So it seems
to happen to all different ones.
 
It is my opinion that the often neglected center pivot pin, aka king pin, once worn is the primary cause of bent radius rods.

Colin, MN
 
Radius arms are bent, worn axle pins or otherwise, as a result of the design. Loader use adds to the bending forces.

Dean
 
I have.

It's more common on tractors that have been used with loaders but can happen to any, worn axle pin or not.

Dean
 
When I replaced the center pivot bearing on my tractor, l keep it lubed with spray graphite,
This material will lube the joint but not collect dust and dirt,

Hopefully I will never have to change this bearing again,
 

My 4000 SU had a loader on it before I got it, both radius rod had been bent. They had straightened them and welded a piece of angle iron under the bottom to help reinforce them. Bent radius rods was common on tractors with swept back axles and loaders.
Back in the day disking over freshly plowed ground was also hard on radius rods if you did it enough. It was hard on me to bouncing and jerking with no power steering.
 

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