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Replacing disk blades - any hints / short cuts

A

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member
I need to replace a couple of disk blades on a disk I just bought. Fortunately two are the first blades under the end nuts on both front gangs. The other is the outside blade on the back which means the nut must come off and the axle must completely come out. Do the axles generally slide out easily or are they rusted in? This is an International 37 disk. What things have you learned over the years that help you tear the gangs apart and then reassemble them? Lastly if you go to all of the work to dissassemble a gang do you automatically replace the bearings or just check them out for their condition and reuse? Thank you.
 
Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts, it's labor intensive.

Others might disagree, but I always checked the bearings, and if they looked and felt OK, and hadn't been run dry, I put them back.
 
The two disks Ive ever rebuilt I always set them on the ground and took the nut off the axle when it would come off. I had to cut couple off with a torch. But after i get the nut off I take all the bearing holder nuts off and raise the disk and the gang is off. Never had to much trouble with the axles wantin to come out unless they were bent which really stinks. I would consider replacing the bearings. Youve gone this far to take it apart I think it would be good insurance. Generally i look at all the blades and see how bad they are worn. Unless youve hit something and broke it generally they start breakin when they get too thin and its time to replace them all or youll just be replacin a few more each year which means goin threw the hassle of takin it all apart again.
 
Heat the nut. The spacers often are stuck because of fine clay between the shft and the spacer. VIBRATE HEAVILY WITH AIR CHISEL. As the clay loosen blow it away. Can be quite a chore. I have done several.Wish I could be there to help.
Chas.
 
When you put it back together,use'Anti-sieze'on the nuts.You'll thank methe next time you dismantle it.<):^)
 
We did an Oliver 12"disc this summer. The easist way that we found was to loosen all the bearing holder nuts and the axle nut, which is the bad one,but with all the lubes and torch they break loose. We had to replace the inside blades, that means dismantle the whold gang. With hammer and air, we cleaned the spacers and the blades. The good part is that it goes back together a lot faster and easier than taking apart. Be sure to use anti-seze on the axle nut and really put the tight to it.
HTH, would to be there to help.
 
After you get the nut off, drop the gang from the frame, then slide each disc and spacer off the shaft...lay out in that order, for reassembly. Trying to slide the axle shaft out- not good...may hang up on one bearing. The other two- outer discs, I"d replace them but not tear the rest apart, unless the bearing was worn.
 

It was pretty common to work on our old discs, so you get used to it - we never replaced bearings unless they were really out or very rough...

At the most, you could move the new(est) bearing to the hardest to get to location and reuse the used bearing on the outside where its easy to get to in case it later goes out.

The biggest tip I learned - was be SURE not to crush the bearing hangers inward by tightening up the hangers on the main beam and THEN tightening the gang bolt!!

In other words, leave the bearing hangers loose on the main beam - then tighten the main gang bolt holding the discs as tight as you can get it (I made a special 8 feet long box end wrench for really torquing down my big 45 foot Krause disc plow gangs).

After the discs are "singing" tight - then tap the hangers back and forth a little on the beam to "center them" in their natural position hanging and then tighten them on the frame. That takes any sideways stress off the bearings as much as possible.

I've seen a disc thrash the bearings in one round before where the guys didn't do that...


Howard
 
I have rebladed more I H disc's then i want to think about over the years , as i use to buy them with woren blades and fix them up for resale . It is all bull work ya need a good torch a big chain wrench or at least a 36 in pipe wrench a ten pound sledge a 1 inch drive air wrench and sockets are a huge plus but a good 3/4 drive and long pipe will work. and and extra set of hands is also a plus . I would drop the whole gang after i had the arbor nut off and go at it and lay everything out as it came off. Then i would masseur the blades and save anything over 18 inches and scrap the rest and save them for another one that only needed a few . I would put new 20 inch 7 gauge blades along with any bearings that were even iffy add a paint job and ship . did usually 5-7 a year . Oh and when ya think you have the big nut tight enough hit the other end of the arbor with the sledge and tighten some more each good hit will give about a quarter more of a turn till she is tight . Sometimes they will come apart easy and then there are times they will not .
 
If you have a real stubborn nut that won't loosen try putting a crease across one of the flats with a cold chisel. Not all the way thru, just a sixteenth or so. It will spread it enough to break the bond with the threads and you can still use it with a 12-point socket. Done it many times. HTH
 
1. Have some long schedule 40 pipe, for cheater pipes on your wrenches.
2. Take the nuts off gangs, with the disc in the ground, then lift, for everything else.
3. If you have shell type bearings, sometimes more life can be had, by switching top for bottom shell.
4. If you mess with shell bearings, be sure to put the bearing together tight, check for clearance, then bolt to frame, and check for clearance, to see if the gang rolls clear, in the air.
5. Heat, neversieze, and penetrating oil are your friends!
 
Forget the pipe wrenches, cheater pipes and the torch. Beg, borrow, steal, rent, or otherwise obtain a 1 inch impact wrench. Makes short work of removing the gang bolt nuts, Puts em back on so tight they will NOT loosen in the field.
 
I agree with the 1 inch impact, drop the entire gang then dissemble the entire gang (not that hard). If you don't have a way to get a big air wrench. Carry them to a big truck tire store, they can take the nut off in a flash. Or maybe a neighbor. IHC disk have a flat center on the blades, I have used cone shaped ones can't tell the difference if you get them tight.
 
I always liked to stand the gang up on end. That way the discs and spacers come off good. During reassembly the shaft is not trying to slide out, or the discs tipping causing it to be to loose to get the last if it on the shaft.
 
Drop the gang as a unit is the easiest way. Torch helps to get those stubborn nuts loose. Never had much trouble getting the axles out but getting everything back in alignment and together again can be a chore. Sometimes you have to make some blind assembly pins to hold stuff in line until you can get bolts that hold the gang to the disc in. Just the usual things you have to do to reassemble something that wasn't lined up that well initially. Use lots of never sieze.
 
They have a square nut and I have never heard of a impact socket that could fit a square nut so where do you find those?
 
12 point sockets will fit a square nut but don't know if they com in 1"
A 37 IH is real easy because everything is so light
 
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