ZT 42, couple of deck questions.

[PTmowerMech]

My brothers 915178 gravely ZT 42, I've had heck with this deck spindles all day. The Spindle nuts were put on by king kong. Finally got two off, with a 4ft cheater pipe, after screwing up two of the spindle pulleys, because I just couldn't find anything to safely hold the pulleys. Plus the 1/2 impact just wasn't cutting it.
One was on sooo tight, that I actually broke the spindle bolt itself.
Now, there's another round nut that looks like it needs a special two point tool that also needs to be taken out. I didn't have the tool, so me and my brother used a punch and back it out far enough to get a pipe wrench on it. But even that was almost impossible.
Luckily, I have the right size bearings in stock. So I don't have to replace those.
But I will have to replace 2 pulleys, and a spindle bolt.
Actually (brain fart) the pulleys are welded to the bolts.

Ok, first question. Is there an impact tool cheap enough online that'll fit the inside spindle nuts. And since the nuts where haaaaaard to get off, even after they'd back away from the blade, I'm assuming those other nuts will be just as hard.
I'm not finding any place to just by the spindle bolt. (with the pulley welded to it.) And the spindle assemblies are expensive. Are assemblies the only thing available?

Note to add. Since the 4 mounting bolts aren't going into aluminum cast, then is it safe to remove them, without worrying about them breaking off?

 

[bertsmobile1]

Not sure that I am following you here
Spindle bolt = blade retaining bolt ?
If so these self tighten in use & chopping their heads off is SOP.
usually the thread will undo with your fingers once the blade is off.
No need to do them up super tight around 40 ftlbs is generally fine they do tighten in use.
A little never seize helps as does regular removal for sharpening.
I try to encourage customer to use 2 sets of blades and just swap them over when the ones on there get dull.

 

[PTmowerMech]

Not sure that I am following you here
Spindle bolt = blade retaining bolt ?
If so these self tighten in use & chopping their heads off is SOP.
usually the thread will undo with your fingers once the blade is off.
No need to do them up super tight around 40 ftlbs is generally fine they do tighten in use.
A little never seize helps as does regular removal for sharpening.
I try to encourage customer to use 2 sets of blades and just swap them over when the ones on there get dull.

Spindle bolt. The big bolt that welded to the pullet on one end. The other end has two nuts. The outside nut locks the washer and blade in place. The inside nut goes on before the blade that sinks into the spindle.

The 4 mounting bolts hold the spindle assembly onto the deck.

SOP?

 

[bertsmobile1]

Standard Operating Proceedure.
SO the shaft that passes through the housing is a spindle.
I see that Gravely have chosen to weld the pulley to the top end of it so now it pulls out to the top where as before all of them pulled out to the bottom.
Unfortunately only seen a parts diagram of it but just the same no need to do anything up super tight
The Inner bolt only would need to be tight enough to hold the spindle firmly between the two bearings with no up & down play.
The bottom nut which holds the blade on need to be a bit tighter but as previously mentioned it will self tighten in use and regularly need to be cut off.

 

[PTmowerMech]

Well I cant' find spindles for these at all. Just the spindle assembly. This stinks because I have plenty of bearings. But since I need two pulleys, looks like I'm gonna have to buy more than I need.

This design sucks.

Anyone know where to get these spindle assemblies for the Gravely 42" Zero Turn Deck Spindle Assembly 51520900 cheaper than the $80-ish I'm seeing?
This started out just to take the blades off the sharpen.

 

[bertsmobile1]

That is what I found as well.
And yes the design sucks.
It is all about making them cheaper on the shop floor.
Unfortunately people now days have less than no idea about how to shop.
All of these Gravleys & the identical Ariens should have stayed on the dealers floor for a few seasons and those spindles may have vanished.
FWIW They are not the only company who does this
Remember when you could buy a $ 2 headlight globe , now days it is a $ 100 assembly.

 

[PTmowerMech]

That is what I found as well.
And yes the design sucks.
It is all about making them cheaper on the shop floor.
Unfortunately people now days have less than no idea about how to shop.
All of these Gravleys & the identical Ariens should have stayed on the dealers floor for a few seasons and those spindles may have vanished.
FWIW They are not the only company who does this
Remember when you could buy a $ 2 headlight globe , now days it is a $ 100 assembly.

Me thinks that at my old shop, when I had a bunch of spindles in boxes, I probably couldve found a couple with threads on both ends, that would've fit this gravely. Saddly, when I moved, I scrapped them all.