Mower Deck Bearings

[Martin Johnson]

I've got a 149 with 44 inch 3-blade deck...and fortunately have a spare deck I am refurbishing and intend to use. Spindle bearings are shot...even frankly disintegrated. I have heard about high priced OEM replacements...and know I will likely have to go that route. Just wondering if anybody knows of any other options? Maybe Santa can bring a set???????

 

[Martin Johnson]

IH Cub Cadet Mower Deck Spindles and Pulleys 38" 42" 44" 50" 48" 54" Deck Kit | eBay item # 232213646031

I have seen this rebuilt kit offered on ebay. Wonder what others' opinions are with this product.

 

[digger]

I've got a 149 with 44 inch 3-blade deck...and fortunately have a spare deck I am refurbishing and intend to use. Spindle bearings are shot...even frankly disintegrated. I have heard about high priced OEM replacements...and know I will likely have to go that route. Just wondering if anybody knows of any other options? Maybe Santa can bring a set???????

Depends on what style spindle setups you have. If you have the single bearing assembly style, 80 ain't bad IMO.
If not,
Bearing kits are 39 bucks.

If you want to know about the greedbay setup, how bout you ask the guy selling it. We have no idea if it's a good deal or not.

 

[gary noblit]

Martin,just a suggestion...It would be wise to disassemble and clean everything first.You may or may not find problems with badly worn or bent spindle main shafts.That scenario is a whole new ball game and you might be looking at the entire assembly as a pkg.....different costs indeed

 

[gchunnett]

Its important that the blades cut properly after spindle rebuilds. So start by making a punch dot mark on each spindle with a punch next to one of the bolt holes on the spindle body and adjacent to that on the mower body too so that you put the correct spindle back into exactly the same place it came out of after you've replaced the bearings and or other bits and bobs. Do a double dot on the other spindle and again adjacent to it on the body etc. Then once you've got the spindles off the body, measure the height of the blade-holding shaft carefully, use a Vernier or woodworking depth gauge or some reasonably accurate thing, once rebuilt, the heights should be close to those measurements again before you reassemble the spindles onto the frame. There is Nothing more frustrating than doing the job and having the lawn cut at different heights by the new blades and the little lady pulling faces at your uneven cut lawn or even worse a center line ridge of uncut grass.
If you can, before fitting belts, spin the blades so the tips of each blade come adjacent to the next blade and make sure they line up and there is no height difference.
I have an old three blade deck and after about 40 years use the spindles got new bearings, seals, washers, grease nipples and Grease!! and I learnt the hard way about the above.

 

[Martin Johnson]

Mine has the single bearing style, which I don't think are really servicable. And the outer barrel of at least one of the spindle bearings is in pieces. So I know will need to replace the unit; not just bearings, etc. $80 each is not bad and would be great for new; but these are used/refurbished. Still probably with lots of life left.

 

[kphill]

You can get new ones for 80 bucks on the CC Specialties webpage...

 

[Martin Johnson]

Indeed I see that now. Thanks for the direction. CCS to the rescue once again.

 

[digger]

Indeed I see that now. Thanks for the direction. CCS to the rescue once again.

I thought I mentioned that the other day. Senility is a real pain the older I get. ;-)