1466 wheel wedges

Trying to move the wheels in on a 1466. The wedge bolt will turn in and out about 1/4 inch. The bolt won't move outward any more even with a cheater bar. I run the bolt loose as far as it goes. I have wheel jacked up and the cast wheel on top of the axle so the wedges should be loose once they loosen. I have put heat to the wedges and have tryed to use a heavy punch and hammer to knock the wedges outward in their directions, nothing seems to move? Thanks for any help or information.

Do you have the wedge tool? Really doubt if you'll get 'em loose without it.

Allan

Plus,

You want the tractor sitting on the ground with the wedges up.

Allan

X2 on the wedge tool. You will not get anywhere without the wedge tool. It consists of two U-shaped plates connected with long bolts.

Also X2 on the advice to put the tractor on the ground with the wedge up. This puts the weight of the tractor on the key side of the axle AWAY from the wedges. The tractor is a lot heavier than just the wheel.

Heating the wedge is a waste of time, as heat expands the wedge which only makes it tighter.

Normally one wedge will pop loose and the second will be stuck fast. This is where the wedge tool comes into play. You install the wedge tool and then the loose wedge pushes the tight wedge loose.

He don"t need a wedge tool,he can"t even get them to move.Those wedge tools are ok but I have had wedges so tight that with a 3/4 drive impact I folded the two bolts that hold the tool together around in a knot.If you have access to a 3/4 impact wind the bolt right out tight and take a sledge hammer and beat the outside of the axle then give your bolt some more with the impact and beat the axle some more.Just keep going back and fourth.I have moved a lot of wheels and have never been beat or torched out wedges.

Well I got them moved in, I didn't have the wedge tools, nor could I find a picture of what they look like, but I was able to get the inside wedge loose with hammer and a big feakin punch and then a took a piece of baler bar pipe and stuck it in between the inside loose wedge and the axle housing with a piece of iron wedged against it so I didn't crack it. I heated the wedges and let them cool for a while, thinking this might loosen the rust. I ran the bolt in the loosening direction with a big breaker bar, (didn't have a big impact wrench), then I beat the hel out of the top of the axle with a hammer and the other wedge popped loose. I used a porta power to push the wheel in to within an 1 1/2 inch of the cab. It is not quite centerd on the row but its the best I can do with 20.8-38's. I repeated the process on the other side. Thanks for all your help and information, should be ready to spray 30" corn tomorrow. I would have liked to widen the tractor to straddle 3 30" rows, but my sprayer doesn't go that narrow. So sprayer straddles 4 rows and tractor straddles 2. Tractor will work for mowing hay, but I won't be able to bale with it this way. It is my first year for 30" corn, I have always been 36".

The bolt and the wedges should be well lubricated before reinstalling them. Without lube you will have a hard time getting them tight enough to stay in place. With everything greased up you will get them much tighter with the recommended 400 ft/lbs torque and they will come apart much easier next time.