bushhog rear wheel digging up grass

I am a widow and need to know how or what to do to the rear wheel on my bushhog that tends to turn at an angle and digs up the ground. I cannot afford to buy any parts, just want to know if I can make some sort of adjustment or do something to it to make it stay upright or not slide or whatever it is doing to dig up the ground. I'm trying to keep up the farm after my husbands death and need to use this bushhog right now.

Sounds like it past due for a good lubrication. Look for a grease fitting on the wheel shaft housing. Pump grease into it until it comes out at the ends of the housing. Run it for a while and grease it again. If the shaft has not frozen to the inside of the housing the grease may break it loose. Also look for a grease fitting on the center of the wheel. It should be greased as well. Some people use just regular chassis grease. I use EP grease. Either are available at any auto parts store. It comes in a cardboard tube. You will also need a grease gun that is the correct size for the tube. If your husband ran a farm he will have a grease gun and most likely some tubes of grease some where.

Sounds like the tail wheel vertical shaft is froze up. Usually caused by dried grease and dust inside and grease fitting plugged, not allowing you to get grease in "Zerk". You need to do 2 things. One get the wheel freed up. With the tail wheel off the ground, remove the cap (probably held in with a cotter key) and spray with WD 40 or PB blaster, or ATF, or oil and try to turn it left to right. May have to let it soak 24 hours. May end up having to heat it.
Second thing is to try and grease using a grease gun on the grease zirk. If it doesn"t take grease, you may have to screw it out and clean both the zirk and in the fitting to the shaft and also also spray thru the hole. Grease should be able to come thru the zirk, when snapped on the grease gun, before putting back on.
Are you also using the depth control lever (8N and above) to hold the front of the chopper up, or using depth chains. failure to have this right can cause undo pressure on the rear tail wheel. The side skids should be off the ground.
Charles Krammin SW MI

can you post a pic? it may well need lube. however.. if the spindle bushings back there are worn out and the sfahft is lening.. or if the tailwheel bushings / bearings are hogged out tand the wheel is running crooked onthe hub. or the rear bracket is bent.. you will need some work on it.

Such symptoms are usually (not always) caused by insufficient caster, which itself is usually caused by backing into an immovable object and bending the caster wheel assembly or mount.

If the wheel pivots in the mount as it should, you will need to repair or replace the caster assembly or mount.

Dean

Thanks to all who responded to my question. I am headed out to grease everything I can find to grease and will go from there. Thanks again!

pictures will help. as has been stated. a bent spindle will cause it to not track..

Bought a new 4" cutter years ago and the tail wheel on it dug up grass every time it had to turn. I took it off and used it like that till I sold it.Only way to make it better as far as digging is concerned, was to lower the wheel a lot, which made the cutting height too high. Has to do with whether the swivel is designed so that the swivel shaft is vertical as much as possible.

any results or pics?

Jean...in another method of explaining... the tailwheel rolls on an axle that needs grease. (If your wheel is rolling...that's not your problem, but grease it anyway. regularly.)

If your tailwheel turns off to one-side when you turn the tractor..and refuses to follow "in trail"... upright...then the vertical shaft (with the large washer and cotter-pin) above the tailwheel assembly is frozen in-place and needs to be un-frozen and greased. IF you leave your mower outside in the rain...it will do that regularly. (Take an old plastic coffee-container and store the mower with the coffee container installed upside-down on that vertical shaft.)
To free that vertical shaft can be a "bear". Spray some WD40 etc and let it soak. Then use a long pipe, crow-bar, pry-bar, etc, sticking thru the tailwheel assembly above the tire, between the two arms that hold each end of the axle, and that should give you enough leverage to twist that tailwheel left/right to get it back "in trail". Now that it's freed.... grease that vertical shaft thru it's grease fitting (zerk). Keep it greased. Keep that coffee can over it during storage.

Jean... these mowers are really dangerous. Stay AWAY from that PTO and driveshaft when its turning. Keep in mind that anything (hat, cell phone, etc.) that you drop or falls while mowing WILL be run-over and chewed up by that mower....this includes YOU if you lean way over to duck under a tree and/or otherwise fall off. DON"T let kids or inexperienced people operate it. DON"T mow sideways on steep slopes to avoid roll-over.

Jean,

I don't know if your mower has the original tail wheel on it but here is an example of how not to install a tail wheel. The previous owner did this. If I ride with the tail wheel on the ground any time I make a turn the wheel tends to roll over on it's side. As you can see with the arrow in the pic, the arrow shows how that top arm of the swivel should have been welded on as Tom N MS was talking about. But I have a hunch that if he had welded it on correctly it would have held the back of the mower too high off the ground. In any case I usually run with it just off the ground. I still have to replace the wheel at least once a year. Thankfully they are cheap, around five bucks at Harbor Freight so I always keep a spare on hand. What usually happens is that the hub in the wheel gives out.

Please give heed to the safety advice that gahorN gave you. Good advice.