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Has anyone replaced the stock spindles on a GT 1554 deck (you know, the ones with sealed ball bearings that can't be greased, even though it has a zerk) with possibly another spindle from a 2000 or 3000 series deck? The 2000/3000 deck spindles have roller bearings that can be greased and will hold up to the large pine cones I routinely come in contact with. I have about 300hrs. on my 08 and have changed the bearings in all three spindles three times. Otherwise, the 1554 has performed well for me.
Appreciate any info you may be able to share.

rainman said:

Has anyone replaced the stock spindles on a GT 1554 deck (you know, the ones with sealed ball bearings that can't be greased, even though it has a zerk) with possibly another spindle from a 2000 or 3000 series deck? The 2000/3000 deck spindles have roller bearings that can be greased and will hold up to the large pine cones I routinely come in contact with. I have about 300hrs. on my 08 and have changed the bearings in all three spindles three times. Otherwise, the 1554 has performed well for me.
Appreciate any info you may be able to share.

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I suppose with enough equipment like a machine shop might have most anything can be retrofitted.

Just a WAG but I suspect you will possibly encounter pulley alignment problems.

As for the why your sealed bearings are failing I have a theory and in one instance not so much theory but proof. The proof case was when a shop failed to install the spacer on assembly of my BIL's lawn tractor the bearings lasted less than an hour. He being non-mechanical ran it that way for about 10 hours until it became so noisy even he could tell something was wrong. I found the inner race of one bearing welded to the shaft with a total of 3 undersized balls remaining.

The THEORY from a mechanical standpoint:

If the outer race of at least one of the two sealed bearings in the housing isn't a slip or push fit, premature failure is sure to follow. Without that slip fit of one bearing it would take some rather sophisticated equipment to assemble that housing assembly without bearing side thrust and ball bearings, although they do excel in radial thrust fail miserably when side thrust is applied.

Does the factory know this or care? I rather doubt it.