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I have always wanted to know why they use sealed bearing in blade spindles and not a two piece roller bearing.

So here is my test.
Putting bearing and a race in a mtd housing with a ayp shaft ( yes I use mtd housing on my ayp decks because they are better )
First test was to press the race in without cracking the housing. Passed
I am still going to use the spacer that goes between the two bearings so I can still get the pulley and blade as tight as it needs to be without over tightening the bearings.

Going to put this housing on the left side and keep the right side with new sealed bearings.
I will run it like this until the bearing start going bad on one side. If the sealed bearings go out first I will install new ones and swap the housing left to right.

I will try and keep this updated

Re: Spindle bearings

My 52 in toro had tapperd roller bearings in the deck spindles, They were very easy to fix if I caught them early, otherwise I had to press out the race and install a new one.

I have seen them on industrial machines with cast housings. But never on a riding mower with aluminum housings.
I guess what I am trying to find out is if they will last longer. I believe they will.

Re: Spindle bearings

It is a cost factor as sealed ball bearings installed into basically a light duty housing is the least expensive way for a manufacturer to go.
Tapered roller bearings being more expensive and requiring a stronger housing also need to be setup so they are preloaded against each other to keep the rollers traveling with acceptable radial and axial movement. They also need to be sealed at both ends of the spindle shaft so they can be lubricated and keep sufficient amounts of the lubrication in the vital places as they turn at fairly high RPM for sustained periods of time and under adverse conditions.
I mowed for many years with Case/Ingersoll GT riders. These machines had and still have two sealed ball bearings installed into a cast iron spindle housing against snap rings with a machined spacer that is fitted close to the spindle shaft and somewhat preloading the ID of the bearing when assembled correctly. I generally replaced these bearings at 500 hour intervals on both of my Ingersoll decks which turned out to be every third season. I had installed grease fittings in the spindles to allow grease to fill the void space between the bearings which reduced moisture intrusion. Eventually Ingersoll installed the grease fittings on replacement spindle housings suggesting the same.
My newest Ingersoll GT model 4018 is a 1989 with about 2,500 hours and the 2nd engine, still running strong although I now have Scag and Hustler Zero Turn machines.
Mad Mackie in CT:laughing::biggrin::smile:

Re: Spindle bearings

Carscw said:

View attachment 18261

I have always wanted to know why they use sealed bearing in blade spindles and not a two piece roller bearing.

So here is my test.
Putting bearing and a race in a mtd housing with a ayp shaft ( yes I use mtd housing on my ayp decks because they are better )
First test was to press the race in without cracking the housing. Passed
I am still going to use the spacer that goes between the two bearings so I can still get the pulley and blade as tight as it needs to be without over tightening the bearings.

Going to put this housing on the left side and keep the right side with new sealed bearings.
I will run it like this until the bearing start going bad on one side. If the sealed bearings go out first I will install new ones and swap the housing left to right.

I will try and keep this updated

Click to expand...

keep me posted :thumbsup::thumbsup:

Re: Spindle bearings

I tried removing the seals, and adding grease zerks on mine one time but it didnt really help much. Its the bearings these days they are made for an x amount of hrs, and then they crap out.

wjjones said:

I tried removing the seals, and adding grease zerks on mine one time but it didnt really help much. Its the bearings these days they are made for an x amount of hrs, and then they crap out.

Click to expand...

I agree they make things cheap knowing they will not last.

I have about 20 hours on my test mower of cutting tall thick grass working the mower hard. So far all is good.

Carscw said:

I agree they make things cheap knowing they will not last.

I have about 20 hours on my test mower of cutting tall thick grass working the mower hard. So far all is good.

Click to expand...

Maybe it will hold up ok.

UPDATE.


have replaced the sealed bearings twice.

The roller bearings are still as good as new.

Mower has about 500 hours

Wish I knew that when I still had my craftsman GT..

The replacement spindles (arbors) came w/grease fittings, but when I pulled out the shaft to inspect, the bearings were sealed ?

Carscw said:

View attachment 18261

I have always wanted to know why they use sealed bearing in blade spindles and not a two piece roller bearing.

So here is my test.
Putting bearing and a race in a mtd housing with a ayp shaft ( yes I use mtd housing on my ayp decks because they are better )
First test was to press the race in without cracking the housing. Passed
I am still going to use the spacer that goes between the two bearings so I can still get the pulley and blade as tight as it needs to be without over tightening the bearings.

Going to put this housing on the left side and keep the right side with new sealed bearings.
I will run it like this until the bearing start going bad on one side. If the sealed bearings go out first I will install new ones and swap the housing left to right.

I will try and keep this updated

Click to expand...

Being you are interested in testing, measure the length of the spacer and the distance between the housing bearing bosses using accurate micrometer measurements. Let us know the results.

Bosses - ( the shoulders that limit the distance the bearings can be pressed into the housing )

I worked on a 2008 42" cut deck MTD rider. The mower was used for one summer and both spindles wore out, one worse than the other, but both needed replacing. MTD got like $54 per spindle back then. Both were replaced and they lasted for the next summer and the same thing happened, both noisy, sloppy and needing replacing. The next set I put grease zerks to fill the space between the bearings with grease and I have not had to replace then since. The mower is my neighbors and they are older folks and I repair it when needed. Since the replacement of the spindles, I have put air in the tires, changed the oil, oil filter, blades, air filter, fuel filter, etc. The bearings are the sealed type so I think the grease in the space between the bearings is keeping water out and the spindle heats up and forces the grease into the bearings. I don't know how the grease is working but when I do service on the mower, I grease the spindle and the spindle always takes grease. The grease is going somewhere and it is keeping the spindles working and tight (no slop).

gfp55 said:

I worked on a 2008 42" cut deck MTD rider. The mower was used for one summer and both spindles wore out, one worse than the other, but both needed replacing. MTD got like $54 per spindle back then. Both were replaced and they lasted for the next summer and the same thing happened, both noisy, sloppy and needing replacing. The next set I put grease zerks to fill the space between the bearings with grease and I have not had to replace then since. The mower is my neighbors and they are older folks and I repair it when needed. Since the replacement of the spindles, I have put air in the tires, changed the oil, oil filter, blades, air filter, fuel filter, etc. The bearings are the sealed type so I think the grease in the space between the bearings is keeping water out and the spindle heats up and forces the grease into the bearings. I don't know how the grease is working but when I do service on the mower, I grease the spindle and the spindle always takes grease. The grease is going somewhere and it is keeping the spindles working and tight (no slop).

Click to expand...

They say the bearings are sealed but dirt and water can get in so that means the grease can get out.

On my toro the chute side started to make noise yesterday. Sent a helper to get bearings he came back with the wrong ones.

I took the seal off of the old ones and they was dry. Packed them full of grease and noise is gone.

My toro is the only mower I have that does not have zerks on the spindles. They are the original ones that came on it new in 2006.

Filling the spindle with Grease does work and the grease comes out the bottom of the spindle because it is not a sealed unit.
You do not see it because the blades sling it and the grass wipes it away.

Some claim that the zerks are there for show and really do not help the bearings last longer. But some of us as you found out the bearings last a lot longer.

Yes sir, you know it. I do know that the grease gets flung off the blades as it spins, but it just takes time. Sealed bearings just can't be completely water and dirt free for ever. If anything when they say a sealed bearing is sealed they are just blowing smoke. Myself, I would rather use a bearing and seal like front wheel bearings in cars and trucks. I think its like most things made today, its cheaper to leave off the zerks and call the sealed bearings good, that way people will have to buy more parts when they fail(bearings, shafts, belts, spindle housing if the can be rebuild) or just sell you the whole spindle. Its a racket. Planned obsolescence. Thats why I like the old stuff, its rebuildable most of the time. I have spindles that are 20 + years old and have 5,000 + hours on them. I can rebuild them for $11 and one hour time.

My old Cub Cadet 1600 instructions said not to use water to clean the deck as it would damage the bearings. I replaced those spindles with aftermarket spindles with grease fittings. My new Ariens has a wash system on the deck which is useless, but it does have grease fittings on the spindles. Go figure.

sysbearing said:

keep me posted.

www.sysbearing.com
bearing,needle bearing,ball joint manufactuer

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