1554 Mower Deck Spindles

[dcampbell]

I am having problems with the blade tightening up in use and crushing the outer(discharge side) bearing. My Questionis, are they now using the star blade spindles on some of the newer 1554 machines. Is anyone else having the problem of the bearings crushing. I installed a new spindle assembly and ran it for an hour mowing tall red clover, never hit anything and the bearing locked up, on inspection the bearing was collasped. PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

 

[mhomrighausen]

Welcome David. I don't mean to sound anywhere near insensitive to your problem however I noticed that you started a new thread concerning the same subject... a.k.a. spindle problems. Please bear in mind that sometimes it takes a little PATIENCE (again not being insensitive) to have your question answered. Someone with an answer may not hover around on the sites (like those helicopter parents) so it may take a couple of days. We AREN'T ignoring you in the least bit.

Now to ask you some questions about YOUR 1554. Did you purchase it new? If so it should be covered under warranty. Have you contacted your local Cub Cadet dealer or possibly another Cub Cadet dealer to verify the correct mower blades to be used? Did you purchase off the shelf "generic or will fit" blades or genuine Cub Cadet replacement blades? Have you checked your other bearings? If they aren't crushing then maybe there is something wrong with your deck. Plus, I don't mean to sound dumb however the tightening part I understand... The crushing part has me confused. Did you just replace the bearings or the whole spindle unit? The rest of your spindle asembly may be defective. Please give us further information.

Lastly PICTURES, PICTURES, PICTURES!!! If somehow you can provide pictures that would help. Should you have trouble resizing and uploading the pictures just ask and we'll gladly help resize them.

Answering these questions may helps us to further assist you in solving your problem. I've noticed your profile states that you have two 1554s. Compare the deck areas of the two. Compare the spindles.

My ex-sister-in-law's family purchased a GT1554 a couple of years back and they discovered that one spindle didn't have a grease zerk from the factory. I'm not saying that is your problem by any means.

AGAIN.... None of us are being insensitive to your problem. Sometimes it just takes patience to arrive with an answer.

 

[dcampbell]

Marlin, thanks for your reply and your words on being PATIENCE. In answer to the questions asked. I did purchase both machines new in 2005,the machines are nearing 200 hours, the warranty has expired. I have contacted several Cadet shops and independent shops, no one had a fix for the problem. I am using Original Equip Blades. There is nothing wrong with the decks, this has happened on both decks on the chute side spindles. As per the dealer I always tighten the blade nut to 80-90 ft.lbs.and regrease the spindles after 8-10 hours use. The bearings in my spindles are tapered type bearings, the thing that happens is the blade nut just keeps tightening as the blade gets in tuff grass that hangs up under the deck until it destroys the bearings and on one occasion the spacer between the bearings was broken. I have installed 2 new spindle assemblies and have replaced the bearings 3 other times. The problem really appears to be a design problem with nothing to stop the blade from spinning on the spindle shaft, I have helped the problem by buying a castle nut and drilling a hole thru the shaft and locking the nut with a carter pin. I have seen some new spindles that use a STAR HOLE blade if they will fit my deck this would solve the problem, the blade cannot turn on this type shaft. Again thanks Marlin and I hope this helps to answer the questions and as of now I don't have pics. David

 

[mhomrighausen]

Hi, Dave. Thank You for you reply back. Hopefully some of the great people on here will have some more input. I'll start doing some inquiring around these parts and see if I can find anymore information to help. I'll call my ex inlaws and see if their GT1554 has experienced any such trouble.

 

[jdiederichs]

David, perhaps a call to the Cub Cadet answer center is in order, if you use their 800# push option #3 to speak to a real person. Sorry I don't have that # handy but it should be in the manual or look on the decals on your 1554. You can also call the Kohler 800# and they will give it to you. That spindle bearing set MUST be missing a spacer between the bearins or something, if possible please post some pics for us. Let us know the outcome. we care but don't have a good answer yet either.

 

[bbrigham]

Do your spindles look like this ? Maybe it's missing the spacer, number 75

 

[ewells]

I am shooting in the dark but would a flat washer between the blade and end of the spindle shaft be missing?

 

[dcampbell]

Thanks for the replies Ed,Brendan, and Jim. All the parts, spacer,washers are all in place. As I said in the last post I did install a castle nut and cotter pin thru the shaft. This has helped,I have had to re-tighten the nut as things wore in but it seems to have solved the problem for now.The big picture is that MTD is building the machines and the design of the spindle is the problem. The machines that have the STAR HOLE blades possitivily stop the blade from turning on the shaft and over tightening the nut.These spindle housings look like the ones used on the 1554's, I haven't had the time to verify if they will fit. Again thanks guys. David

 

[dcampbell]

I have had another spindle,opposit side from the chute to crush the bearings and the spacer between them. I have pics, do I need to put them here or would it be better to start another thread. Thanks David

 

[aschumacher]

Dave this is your spindle thread, put 'em here.

 

[dcampbell]

Well as I stated I had another spindle to fail, I am including a pic to show the damage. When I disassembled this one I destroyed the seal, everything tightened up so bad it rolled the edge of the spindle housing below the seal. I had to grind it out to get a new seal in. If you can see the whole parts drawing submitted by Brendan you will see the poor design as there is no stop on the unit to stop the blade from grabbing the nut and tightening it until it crushes everything. I am going to try installing a spacer turned by a friend with a thicker wall to put more meat in it and drill the shaft and use a castle nut and cotter pin. The castle nut and cotter pin I put in the chute side spindle has helped but I have had to remove the cotter pin and re-tighten the nut 4 times, seems strange that things are seating in that much.

 

[mhomrighausen]

David C. I can't find anyone around these parts experiencing the trouble that you are having. Now I am not sure if that same deck is used on other models of Cub Cadets or not. More than likely it is. You may have a bad deck. I visited with a gentleman last night with a four year young GT1544 and he mows a couple of acres with it and hasn't any problems with his deck. I agree that something isn't right only .... man this is perplexing.

 

[dcampbell]

Marlin I agree it is perplexing, I have been working on mowers for 40+ years and have never ran into this problem. I don't think it isa problem with the deck except the design of it in the first place. I have 2 1554's and I have had the problem on both machines. I am mowing about 5-7 acres beyween my place and the mom-in-laws and both places have some tough grasses on them as they were both pasture land at one time. The AYP decks use a spindle with straight ball bearings and a star hole in the blade that will keep it from spinning on the shaft. I think MTD may have gone to this on some of the newer machines, I'm chasing that possibility now. If you here of anyone having a problem with the 1554's having problems climbing hills I have solved that also. MTD came out with a replacement spring on the drive belt idler but it still didn't keep it tight enough, a buddy in a lawn mower shop told me to add another spring to help tighten it. This was not a problem when Cubs were shaft drive.

 

[agitch]

My parents have a 2009 GT 1554 and the deck seems to cut fine. You need a 2500 series or better to mow on big hills since they have the driveshaft. My parents have a few decent hills but the 1554 doesn't seem to have a problem with them, yet.

 

[jdiederichs]

Is the spindle housing machined properly David? I ask because it should have a stepped bore for the bearing races to seat on, or perhaps snap rings to keep the spacing correct. Assuming that is true, it does seem as though the blade nut is actually tightening itself during use.(?) Could you drill the spindle shaft and use a castellated blade nut and cotter pin to insure that it cannot self-tighten? It still ends up being a design or assembly issue from CC in the end most likely.

That is why I inquire as to the bearing races, do they seat against a step in the casting or a snap ring to hold position? As always please let us know the outcome.

 

[dcampbell]

Jim, the housing has the stepped bore for the race, each time this has happened I have looked at the bore and it always looks good. This is not a CC design failure it is MTD's design. I have had this happened so many times I am sure it is the fact that the blade is turning on the shaft and the nut is following to the point it tightens everything so tight it crushes everything. I have drilled one shaft and installed a castalated nut and cotter pin, I have had to retighten it 3 or 4 times but it has stopped the bearing crushing. WHat has been happening is when the overtightening happens the spacer crushes then the bearing distorts. I have a machinist friend that is making a spacer that has a wall thickness more than twice the original spacer, this should support more pressure without failing. Thanks for your comments Jim