Is it time for rear axle hub replacement?

Hi Folks. I recently purchased a side distributor 8N. Tractor runs great, starts easily and carries 40-60lbs of oil pressure. Unfortunately it has the classic side to side movement issue when I grab the top of the rear tire and shake it.

From the research I've done, this is a somewhat common problem and is centered around the soft hubs.

My questions are: How much play is acceptable? How big of a job is it to replace the hubs? Is there a "Kit" that has the hubs, seals and everything needed to do this repair and if not, what all is needed to fix this properly? If I replace them and the repair is done properly, how long is that repair likely to last before the hubs need to be replaced again?

Thanks for the insight!

First, make sure your lug nuts are tight.

" How much play is acceptable?"

None

" How big of a job is it to replace the hubs?"

No big deal as long as you carefully follow John Smith's excellent tutorial:

http://www.oldfordtractors.com/

" Is there a "Kit" that has the hubs, seals and everything needed to do this repair and if not, what all is needed to fix this properly? "

nnalert's had one; not sure if YT does. But........do NOT order parts until you pull it down. You will probably need brakes if it's leaking. and you may need an axle too.

" If I replace them and the repair is done properly, how long is that repair likely to last before the hubs need to be replaced again?"

If you remove the retainer & re-torque the axle nut annually, figure 50-60 years!

The pic is of a worn hub & axle. Notice how the axle extends past the rub. The bearing retainer & backing plate also had to be replaced.

75 Tips

It takes a 4' cheater bar to properly tighten the nut, so be sure you make sure it is not just a matter of needing tightening before you start buying parts.

When the hubs and axles get worn the splines on the axle shaft start to protrude past the outside of the hub, preventing the nut from making contact with the hub surface and making it impossible to really tighten them.

There are a few kludges for fixing this economically if the wear is not too bad. One I have not tried involves cutting strips out of shim stock or tin can that go in the slots between the splines on the hub and axle and prevent the axle from sticking so far out. Do a search on this or the other site for details. Another (which I have tried) requires cutting a recess in a thick washer with a lathe so it fits over the protruding splines and allows giving a little more clearance to allow tightening the nut all the way.

Some people will tell you these methods aren't worth the trouble as the shims won't last very long but I suspect these parts wear mostly when they are run loose and last for many years longer if kept tight - I've had my stepped washer on for 20 years or so with no sign of more wear.

Oh, it is not always necessary to replace both axles and hubs.

Like stated above new hubs alone may not fix it. The axle splines may also be worn. Be very careful about buying used stuff. Unless I am missing something you do not really know until you bolt the parts together and find out you end up with the picture above. I did do one where I placed shims between hub and axle and it is still together but not a lot of time on it. All said and done I should have bought new hubs and axles.

Thank you for the advice. I will first look if it is as simple as tightening the nut to 450lbs. That in itself is going to be interesting.

Agreed on the less wear when tight.

Steel shim stock, and not aluminum or brass can actually be a permanent band aid fix.

I helped a guy do the steel shim fix one afternoon. I used palate band straps and tin snips. After cutting and then tapping flat on the anvil with a drilling hammer, we put them in. Actually had to sand them, then tap hub on stiffly, torque, run, re torque and run around the yard till it stopped moving. Junk fixing junk I know, but its been maybee ten years and I know that particular part hasn't come off again. I did rethread a front axle for him a while back though.

Problem with all those junk fixes is if you one day really fix the tractor right, you start out with everything needing replacing!

not as bad as you might think.

150# man and 4'lever and a semi calibrated grunt.

It's a pass fail thing. if you go up to the nut and it's finger loose and you get 5 turns on it by hand before it is snug..
then yeah.. the hub may be loose and snug up.

If ont he other hand the nut is already tight and bottomed on the axle shoulder and the hub is loose.. no amount of trying to
tighten will do anything but strip threads and make veins pop.

the nuts stop turning when they hit a shoulder on the axle. that's why if the axle is proud of the hub.. you have to shim, or
replace hub and maybee axle.

Do You SEE moment around the axle nut and hub area when you rock the top of the wheel.

Do You SEE moment around the axle nut and hub area when you rock the top of the wheel.

The last Jubilee I owned wobbled so bad that I constantly had to keep her rear end filled up cause she leaked so bad on both sides, axles were beyond saving so replaced both axles and hubs, never used that Jube too much and after I got her in decent mechanical condition I traded her for an old Jeep, not a terribly hard job to do , Ford should have made a better set up than this on these tractors...every 8N I come across these days shake rattle and roll from many years of neglect..

(quoted from post at 18:41:18 08/31/16)
Do You SEE moment around the axle nut and hub area when you rock the top of the wheel.

Click to expand...

So I finally got a 2" socket from the neighbor. Yes I can see movement behind the nut and the washer/hub. Putting the 2" socket on though I realized I did not have a 2" nut. It's smaller. It is also a two piece nut there is almost like a castle nut with a coarse thread on the outsode that another nut threads onto. The 2" socket will turn them and it appears as though the threads on the axle/ID of castle nut are stripped. It will not torque down. The threads on the axle appear to be in better condition than the nut. Should I get a correct nut and try that or is it a lost cause and I need new axles?

Well I bit the bullet and bought new hubs and axles. Took me a ltitle while as I was doing it myself. Said multiple choice words at times. Much of which was directed at the right side brake pedal mechanism when trying to get the backing plate and shoes back on. But she is buttoned up, torqued to 450 lbs after several trips around the yard and retorquing. All that and there is no more shake in the rear end! Thanks guys for all the help related to this project.

good deal, glad to hear it

"Said multiple choice words at times."

the power of such words, i feel, is underestimated by some