[Note: this seems like a pretty easy going forum, but since a message board can’t convey tone and intent, regardless of its emoji selection, I just want to say right now that I’m not
or even
- just adding to the conversation because it helps me
]
I’m very happy to hear you guys are content using a heat gun on them - I won’t discourage you from doing so - but like I said, I’m not interested in making them easier to remove/install, I just want something else on there. My reason is purely for my own convenience/preference, as well as the challenge of coming up with solutions for things like this.
Even if I was OK with using a heat gun, sometimes I’m working on it in the back shed and I don’t have electricity there, so the heat gun wouldn’t always be an option anyway.
And I will make the heat gun trifecta.
Machine the lip off the bushes & push them int the middle of the wheel .
Fit a pair of lipped sealed ball bearings on the wheels and then the caps are not needed
Do the original bushings serve an additional purpose by removing the lip and pushing them into the center? When I first got this mower the right front bushings were in terrible condition (wheel wobbled as it rotated) and it started to wear into the spindle. Just to get through the season I put a set of roller bearings on both front wheels, but tossed the old bushings as I didn’t see the point in keeping them.
Part of my plans for this mower during the winter is to install new spindles - I’d be willing to add bushings in the middle of the wheel, but it seems like the roller bearings are carrying the load so I’m not understanding what the purpose would be. If it’s to help support the wheel, wouldn’t they still need grease and, therefore, hub caps still be required?