Back in late September I fired up our farmall A after it had been sitting for 6-8 months. I was going to use it with our roller to pack down some grass seed in a newly planted area. I drove the Farmall A about 100 ft. and the steering began pulling hard to the right until the right wheel locked up. I thought maybe it was just pushing a big rock or chunk of wood preventing it from turning. I backed up and the wheel started turn again and made it another 20 ft. or so and it locked up again. I tried backing up and pulling forward again and heard some popping noise in the front wheel area. I thought it was probably a bearing failing and falling apart. I then pulled forward and the wheel kept turning so I parked it and would inspect it later.
About a month later I jacked it up to pull the front wheel. When I removed the dust cap it looked like the nut was threaded along ways onto the spindle. I looked all over for a cotter pin and found nothing. Put a wrench on the nut and it was pretty much bottomed out on the threads. I got it pulled off and the bearings looked kinda rusty. I think the outer bearing was rusted to the point that when I drove it forward it sheared the cotter pin which allowed the nut to tighten until it locked up the front wheel. Once I got the wheel back to the shop I started cleaning it up and found some cast iron chunks inside the hub. See second pic- cast iron chunk just below outer race. Further inspection revealed that the nut tightened so far that it broke the seat area for the outer bearing race. The only option was to find a used one somewhere.
I spent several weeks cruising the web looking for a decent priced replacement. I finally found one a couple days ago and got it ordered. It should be here tomorrow and then I can start the cleanup process and make a trip to NAPA for some bearings and seals. Hope to be back up and running soon.
About a month later I jacked it up to pull the front wheel. When I removed the dust cap it looked like the nut was threaded along ways onto the spindle. I looked all over for a cotter pin and found nothing. Put a wrench on the nut and it was pretty much bottomed out on the threads. I got it pulled off and the bearings looked kinda rusty. I think the outer bearing was rusted to the point that when I drove it forward it sheared the cotter pin which allowed the nut to tighten until it locked up the front wheel. Once I got the wheel back to the shop I started cleaning it up and found some cast iron chunks inside the hub. See second pic- cast iron chunk just below outer race. Further inspection revealed that the nut tightened so far that it broke the seat area for the outer bearing race. The only option was to find a used one somewhere.
I spent several weeks cruising the web looking for a decent priced replacement. I finally found one a couple days ago and got it ordered. It should be here tomorrow and then I can start the cleanup process and make a trip to NAPA for some bearings and seals. Hope to be back up and running soon.
