thanks db . i'd like to add that these fit the majority of riders , but not all . not sure , but i believe these fit 3/4 inch spindles . some manufacturers use smaller diameter , some use larger . just a reminder to viewers to make sure what size you need before ordering . thanks for letting me add my 2 cents .
I checked at my J.D. dealer to see if they could get those ball bearings for my 2006, 155c / 720 hrs. Turns out the bushings supercede to the sealed ball bearing with the flange. Plus he had the 4 needed, Yeaaaa. Now to find the poor mans power steering bearings.
Now that the wheel hubs are upgraded, how about a video on a "poor man's power steering" (kingpin thrust bearing mod) for a GT? I know it's not worth it for a LT but the bigger GT's benefit a lot from it.
I did this modification many years ago and have never regretted doing it. However, I went one step further and also put flat roller bearings onto the spindles/shafts that support and steer the mower. Now, my Craftsman LT2000 not only rolls easily, it also steers easily. I can push my mower with one hand (just by leaning on it). And I can steer it with one finger. Yes, it really is that easy! (Maybe that can be your next video.) I recommend everyone do both modifications. Whoever manufactures these mowers should make both modifications standard on all future mowers. In bulk, the cost would be minimal, and the difference it makes for the user is nothing short of incredible. I will never go back to bushings and will make these modifications to any mower I own in the future.
I did the same. I also added a steering wheel knob ("suicide knob") to allow one-handed, and very quick, steering action. The result is very much like power steering.
@@karguy1720 I thought about adding a steering wheel knob but decided against it. I use my mower to cut my pasture which, unfortunately, has quite a few divots in it (due to moles). Occasionally, they force the steering wheel to turn abruptly, spinning it forcefully. With a knob on it, I might end up breaking my thumb. (Ouch!) 🤕 But it's a good idea for those who mow your average lawn.
I always believed in repairing and maintaining my power equipment instead of replacing it with something new. The online era of ordering parts made it easier to find the parts you need , but it also hurts repair businesses .
Great video. I didn't know replacement bearings are an option. I own a 2015 Husqvarna YT42LS lawn tractor. Are the bearing inside/outside diameter sizes common for lawn tractor axles? If not, how do I go about searching for the correct bearing sizes?
...great DIY video Don...thanks for posting.....just amazes me that manufacturers don't do this already straight from the factory.....what do they save with bushings?...maybe $2....geez..... 🙂
Mtd that I sold to son's friend actually had bearings. The good ones aren't cheap, even aftermarket. Although they were flanged. For unflanged might need a spacer so bearing can't move inward.
Fun fact: bushings are cheaper than bearings, that's why most manufacturers use them. I've prolonged the useful life of several shop-vacs by replacing the top motor bushing with 611 bearings.
Getting ready to do this on a custom MTD racer (FNR transaxle, welded differential, oil bath) to beef up the front end. Probably do some custom work on the steering spindles too. Good deal for the education, Dony. Keep at it.
I swapped wheels and got those toro wheels with the big 1.75 od bearing ,vs the "normal" wheels /bearings with a 1"3/8 od. Figured like a truck ,the bigger the better and should last longer, I found it a pita to get decent bearings in that 1 3/8 size
Do you have the OD dimension of those bearings? Asking for a JD X320. I have always thought it was stupid to have valve and zerk fitting on the Inside of the wheel
Great video! Thank You So Very Much for making this video! i bought the bearings for the conversion about 2 months ago. but i lost the video on how to do it. thank you very much for the information in this Awesome video! love watching your videos. :)
wow, that's some awesome info Don, I had no idea that you can do this. The next time i have to do a Bushing in a wheel, i'll go ahead and do this upgrade! At my church, there was a John Deere mower that always had issues with the wheel bushings. I think i replaced them 2 of 3 times over 10 years. And now that i think about it, i'll bet the shaft was worn down. The ground was so uneven with lots of ruts and tire marks where people would park in the grass, or drive through it and it just destroyed those bushings like within a year. Great Video! Thanks!
Tangentially related: Toyota blower motor was getting noisy, sometimes not spinning. Pulled it out and replaced the bronze bushings with bearings. Ahh, so nice!
Says you put this on 6 hours ago, you mustn't sleep much, Daylight comes early those days. Hot here in Gander this week but no forest fires. Thanks for the video, gotta make sure to use bearings with a lip on them so as not to go inside too far. Now you relax and enjoy the long weekend .
I've got a yard mechanic 13.5 to comesee engine. I've put a new coil and a new carburetor. Engine keeps surging and popping through the carburetor and I've adjusted the valves. Do know what the problem could be.
Hey @donyboy73. Great vid! Question on MTD front wheel. Have you ever had the grease zirk pop off the axle. Its not threaded in, but somehow pressed or glued to the outside of the wheel which slides over the axle. I was greasing mine and the zirk just popped off. Appreciate your comments.
Just bought this kit with the poor mans power steering for my john deere. Can't wait to have time to install it. Only has 70hrs so I hope the bushing hasn't destroyed anything yet.
Got a Sears 19 hp twin tractor. 30 plus years old, all good except the rear axel. Wheels tilt inward as housing is wore out where the steel shaft goes in. Can you do a video on how to fix that? 💐
@@MrTheHillfolk I suspect you repaired the axle shaft but left plain bushings on. With ball bearing bushings there is no wear on the axle once repaired if all tightly fitted. I can see the repaired axle not standing up to original bearing stresses.
@@buddyboy4x44 Yeah, I figured that out after I hit send...I was just building up bushing surface. I had to do it anyway to fit the bearings, and that was a trip. Not horrible but a little tedious so you'd keep the shaft round and so the bearing would fit. Believe it or not ,it involved alot of hand filing ,you just can't get that with a power tool because in an instant you took too much off.
Good video, suggest cleaning back of the wheel before removing bushing instead of brushing dirt into the greased bore, warn non-mechanics about not hammering on the inner race of any bearing. Explain the benefits to them also.
Would this be a pair bearings for each of the 4 wheels or are the rear wheels different. please? And would this same bearing set also be good for various deck width tractor mowers? I have two 46" deck tractor mowers: a 2017 Craftsman Limited Edition VTS DLS 3500 Briggs & Stratton 20HP OHV 46'' Deck and a 2011 Troy-Bilt Horse XP Hydrostatic Kohler Courage 22 OHV 46" Deck. I like saving maintenance and parts. Thanks
@@gordbaker896 My wheelbarrow isn't quite so fancy as to have factory ball bearings. Plastic bushings. They're low maintenance but not especially durable. That said, I haven't yet run across any ball bearing that can't be replaced, assuming you can find the replacement size. My wheelbarrow has fairly standard hub and axle diameters, so bearings are readily available and pretty inexpensive.
@@briantaylor9266 If you are wearing out plastic bushings on a wheelbarrow (Mexican Backhoe), You are working too hard! Buy a handful. I have a pair 16x6.50 x8 wheels, 3/4" bore that appear to have pressed in Flanged ball bearings on each side of the steel wheel. Do you live near Hamilton ON? Home Hdwe sells them for around $40. Tire and wheel Assy. I can't tell if you have a problem or not.
Hey donyboy73 , my cub cadet xt 1 needs 3/4 id an 1 inch od . Im not finding any bearings that size . Wondering if the only choice would be getting diff tires which obviously wouldnt be worth it . Any ideas ?
Question? I have a 1990 Dynamark with bushings, what size bearings you think i need? I definitely eant to switch to bearing. Mines not worn out i just want it smoother and would rather have bearings than bushings. Thank you in advance my friend. Hope you have a awesome 4th (its my birthday)🎉🎉
It would be nice if the manufacturer would put zeros on the outside along with the air shrader people still won't grease them but at least the have a chance to
I wouldn’t exactly call it up an upgrade. The original graphite bearings are made like that for that reason. Because the front tires get a lot of grit and grime inside. The open bearing will cause even more headaches because now you can get larger pieces of grit and grime inside the bearings, and wear them out even more. If there is a sealed bearing option, that may be a bit better.
@@boots7859 thanks for your response. I don’t know enough about grease and the different types. I have a skilsaw that I’m replacing the bearings outside the gear oil area and wanted to know if those need grease. I’ll also do my homework as well but I appreciate both your responses.
Seems like a bad idea, plastic bushing. I have a 10 year old cub with those nylon bushings. The grease zirk is cast into the plastic and will plug with dust and grease. On the plus side they do wear well and wont wear down the spindle shaft. I got into the habit of just pulling the wheel and manually greasing once a season as the zirk was worthless. I ended up getting new wheels for it this season as it was cheaper to get generic tires and rims than to replace the the tire, tube and bushings. The new wheels have sintered bearings and the tire is 4 ply. A lot of the generic wheels have bearings as well. Its a low rpm application and bushes are fine as long as they are kept lubed, even nylon bushings. But many people just don't lube this part.
This had to be done to JD mowers since they put on JUNK at the factory . I had to replace the entire spindle , bearing assy before 100 hrs on my JD 140 . These mowers are total trash and I just sold mine to a guy down the road . Now have a real mower , a Cub Cadet 50" cut , runs like a scalded bear . Never again JD .
Watch next ➡John Deere Riding Mower Engine Swap In Less Than An Hour!
➡th-cam.com/video/gMtSS4o4dhw/w-d-xo.html
Without you, most of us would never have known that was an option. Great video
thanks db . i'd like to add that these fit the majority of riders , but not all . not sure , but i believe these fit 3/4 inch spindles . some manufacturers use smaller diameter , some use larger . just a reminder to viewers to make sure what size you need before ordering . thanks for letting me add my 2 cents .
I order that bearings and dont fit. It is to big.
If Stens not available just search for 3/4 x 1-3/8 Flanged Ball Bearing. Great Vid Don!
I checked at my J.D. dealer to see if they could get those ball bearings for my 2006, 155c / 720 hrs. Turns out the bushings supercede to the sealed ball bearing with the flange. Plus he had the 4 needed, Yeaaaa. Now to find the poor mans power steering bearings.
I've been using those bearings to replace those cheap compression flange bearings you find on garden trailers.
Now I'm on a mission. Good stuff man.
Now that the wheel hubs are upgraded, how about a video on a "poor man's power steering" (kingpin thrust bearing mod) for a GT? I know it's not worth it for a LT but the bigger GT's benefit a lot from it.
I did this and what a difference. Wheels spin really easily. I installed thrust washers too.
I did this modification many years ago and have never regretted doing it. However, I went one step further and also put flat roller bearings onto the spindles/shafts that support and steer the mower. Now, my Craftsman LT2000 not only rolls easily, it also steers easily. I can push my mower with one hand (just by leaning on it). And I can steer it with one finger. Yes, it really is that easy! (Maybe that can be your next video.) I recommend everyone do both modifications.
Whoever manufactures these mowers should make both modifications standard on all future mowers. In bulk, the cost would be minimal, and the difference it makes for the user is nothing short of incredible. I will never go back to bushings and will make these modifications to any mower I own in the future.
I did the same. I also added a steering wheel knob ("suicide knob") to allow one-handed, and very quick, steering action. The result is very much like power steering.
@@karguy1720 I thought about adding a steering wheel knob but decided against it. I use my mower to cut my pasture which, unfortunately, has quite a few divots in it (due to moles). Occasionally, they force the steering wheel to turn abruptly, spinning it forcefully. With a knob on it, I might end up breaking my thumb. (Ouch!) 🤕 But it's a good idea for those who mow your average lawn.
I always believed in repairing and maintaining my power equipment instead of replacing it with something new. The online era of ordering parts made it easier to find the parts you need , but it also hurts repair businesses .
Those metal bushings used on Snapper and Simplicity take out more spindles than any other brand
Thanks Dony.
Good video. I have a request. Could you do a video on changing a front bearing on a Toro Z turn? Thanks
Ball bearing wheels are great on push mowers, too!
Now THAT was a pro tip!
Thanks Donyboy!
Have a Great Canada Day.
Great video. I didn't know replacement bearings are an option. I own a 2015 Husqvarna YT42LS lawn tractor.
Are the bearing inside/outside diameter sizes common for lawn tractor axles? If not, how do I go about searching for the correct bearing sizes?
...great DIY video Don...thanks for posting.....just amazes me that manufacturers don't do this already straight from the factory.....what do they
save with bushings?...maybe $2....geez..... 🙂
Excellent tip! Thank you Dony.
Excellent advice. I never thought of this. Thanks
Mtd that I sold to son's friend actually had bearings. The good ones aren't cheap, even aftermarket. Although they were flanged. For unflanged might need a spacer so bearing can't move inward.
Fun fact: bushings are cheaper than bearings, that's why most manufacturers use them.
I've prolonged the useful life of several shop-vacs by replacing the top motor bushing with 611 bearings.
Thanks for the video and the explanation Don. Might just have to do this on my Husqvarna.
Getting ready to do this on a custom MTD racer (FNR transaxle, welded differential, oil bath) to beef up the front end. Probably do some custom work on the steering spindles too. Good deal for the education, Dony. Keep at it.
I swapped wheels and got those toro wheels with the big 1.75 od bearing ,vs the "normal" wheels /bearings with a 1"3/8 od.
Figured like a truck ,the bigger the better and should last longer, I found it a pita to get decent bearings in that 1 3/8 size
Do you have the OD dimension of those bearings? Asking for a JD X320. I have always thought it was stupid to have valve and zerk fitting on the Inside of the wheel
Great video! Thank You So Very Much for making this video! i bought the bearings for the conversion about 2 months ago. but i lost the video on how to do it. thank you very much for the information in this Awesome video! love watching your videos. :)
That is great upgrade to bearings😎👍
Thanks Don, I love your video's I am just about to do a winter service on my ride on, and I am going to it bearings. Cheers
Saw a great upgrade for the kingpins with plain to bearing - eases steering for less fatigue all round 🏴🇨🇦🏴
wow, that's some awesome info Don, I had no idea that you can do this. The next time i have to do a Bushing in a wheel, i'll go ahead and do this upgrade! At my church, there was a John Deere mower that always had issues with the wheel bushings. I think i replaced them 2 of 3 times over 10 years. And now that i think about it, i'll bet the shaft was worn down. The ground was so uneven with lots of ruts and tire marks where people would park in the grass, or drive through it and it just destroyed those bushings like within a year. Great Video! Thanks!
Tangentially related: Toyota blower motor was getting noisy, sometimes not spinning. Pulled it out and replaced the bronze bushings with bearings. Ahh, so nice!
Says you put this on 6 hours ago, you mustn't sleep much,
Daylight comes early those days. Hot here in Gander this week but no forest fires.
Thanks for the video, gotta make sure to use bearings with a lip on them so as not to go inside too far.
Now you relax and enjoy the long weekend .
I suppose a spacer could be used if flanged ones are not available.
Thanks for the video. I don't have any grease feeder on my wheels...how can I do maintenance? Actually I never thought on this before.
I would remove wheels and add grease
@@donyboy73 Thanks, after your video I had the same idea, hoping the shaft is not wore out.
@@boots7859 Sounds like a good idea, I'm going to check whether I can buy grease feeders online.
Happy Canada day
Fuel efficiency improvement?
Great to see they are sealed.
Any issue with the inner race migrating inward? Tks!
yes three miles more per gallon now! No issues with inner race
Hey Dony, Will the Stens bearings work on a Husqvarna LT151 lawn tractor as well?
Easy upgrade! Thanks for the video.
I did that to my Craftsman LT4000. I made a video on my trails and tribulations that I faced.
Nice tip! Thank you.
Great fix, and pretty simple to do.
Indeed!
I've got a yard mechanic 13.5 to comesee engine. I've put a new coil and a new carburetor. Engine keeps surging and popping through the carburetor and I've adjusted the valves. Do know what the problem could be.
Nice work 👍
Hey @donyboy73. Great vid! Question on MTD front wheel. Have you ever had the grease zirk pop off the axle. Its not threaded in, but somehow pressed or glued to the outside of the wheel which slides over the axle. I was greasing mine and the zirk just popped off. Appreciate your comments.
Yes I have
Great tip!
Just bought this kit with the poor mans power steering for my john deere. Can't wait to have time to install it. Only has 70hrs so I hope the bushing hasn't destroyed anything yet.
Good information
Great tip Don 🙂👍
great video , bearings rules
Any suggestions for replacing the plastic bushings that are on my Cub Cadet LGT 1054.
thanks for sharing
Will that bearing fit a John Deere 190C?
good idea
I would like to upgrade mine as well. I wonder if this is specific to the mowers you mentioned. Mine is a 1993 Craftsman LT4000.
I think it's the same, you can also buy cheaper bearings on Amazon
Got a Sears 19 hp twin tractor. 30 plus years old, all good except the rear axel. Wheels tilt inward as housing is wore out where the steel shaft goes in. Can you do a video on how to fix that? 💐
👍👍👍Thank you
Could you not repair the worn shaft with something like J.B. Weld? It is not subject to further wear once bearings are fitted.
I did that on a snowblower auger shaft.
Did that on my backyard race mower , but every 2-3 rides I was welding em up again.
Went with the Toro wheels which use a 1.75" od bearing ,too.
@@MrTheHillfolk I suspect you repaired the axle shaft but left plain bushings on. With ball bearing bushings there is no wear on the axle once repaired if all tightly fitted. I can see the repaired axle not standing up to original bearing stresses.
@@buddyboy4x44
Yeah, I figured that out after I hit send...I was just building up bushing surface.
I had to do it anyway to fit the bearings, and that was a trip. Not horrible but a little tedious so you'd keep the shaft round and so the bearing would fit.
Believe it or not ,it involved alot of hand filing ,you just can't get that with a power tool because in an instant you took too much off.
Good job brother 👍
That's a smart repair. As always, thank you so much.
Good video !!!
Great upgrade.
Busings seem kinda like Planned obsolescence now. 😆
Good video, suggest cleaning back of the wheel before removing bushing instead of brushing dirt into the greased bore, warn non-mechanics about not hammering on the inner race of any bearing. Explain the benefits to them also.
I would pack the bearing with grease before installing it.
Nice 👍
I might do that I have a riding mower that is a 2005 Cub cadet LT 1042
Est-ce que ces bearings sont universels pour tous les tracteurs a gazon? J'ai un Yardman 2003, Kohler Engine
Thanks allways helpfull.donyboy
Would this be a pair bearings for each of the 4 wheels or are the rear wheels different. please? And would this same bearing set also be good for various deck width tractor mowers? I have two 46" deck tractor mowers: a 2017 Craftsman Limited Edition VTS DLS 3500 Briggs & Stratton 20HP OHV 46'' Deck and a 2011 Troy-Bilt Horse XP Hydrostatic Kohler Courage 22 OHV 46" Deck. I like saving maintenance and parts. Thanks
This is only for front wheels.
@@donyboy73 Thanks. So it should work on all makes and models for front wheels? Is there a similar setup for rear wheels?
I've been watching your videos for Stihl chainsaw repairs. Have you done a video on the Hydro-gear transmission? They're not maintenance free.
Cool!
I will add this to my 'to do' list...
Love the videos keep it up
Does all mowers use that same bearing I have a pony
Always wanted to but did not know it could be done. Will this part work for a John Deere E110?
I believe so!
What size is the shaft it fits ?????
Oh dam, I wanted to ask a question. Why didn't you use a complete sealed bearing?
Nice mod!
I'm going to measure up my wheelbarrow wheel to see if I can do the same, although obviously with different sized bearings.
Some Wheelbarrows have ball bearing wheels from factory. Not sure if they are replaceable.
@@gordbaker896 My wheelbarrow isn't quite so fancy as to have factory ball bearings. Plastic bushings. They're low maintenance but not especially durable. That said, I haven't yet run across any ball bearing that can't be replaced, assuming you can find the replacement size. My wheelbarrow has fairly standard hub and axle diameters, so bearings are readily available and pretty inexpensive.
@@briantaylor9266 If you are wearing out plastic bushings on a wheelbarrow (Mexican Backhoe), You are working too hard! Buy a handful. I have a pair 16x6.50 x8 wheels, 3/4" bore that appear to have pressed in Flanged ball bearings on each side of the steel wheel. Do you live near Hamilton ON? Home Hdwe sells them for around $40. Tire and wheel Assy. I can't tell if you have a problem or not.
Mexican backhoe 😂
Anyone do this on a cub cadet xt 1 ? Just wondering the size needed for them . Thanks
Hey donyboy73 , my cub cadet xt 1 needs 3/4 id an 1 inch od . Im not finding any bearings that size . Wondering if the only choice would be getting diff tires which obviously wouldnt be worth it . Any ideas ?
Question? I have a 1990 Dynamark with bushings, what size bearings you think i need? I definitely eant to switch to bearing. Mines not worn out i just want it smoother and would rather have bearings than bushings. Thank you in advance my friend. Hope you have a awesome 4th (its my birthday)🎉🎉
It would be nice if the manufacturer would put zeros on the outside along with the air shrader people still won't grease them but at least the have a chance to
So 2 per wheel!!!!
I wouldn’t exactly call it up an upgrade. The original graphite bearings are made like that for that reason. Because the front tires get a lot of grit and grime inside. The open bearing will cause even more headaches because now you can get larger pieces of grit and grime inside the bearings, and wear them out even more. If there is a sealed bearing option, that may be a bit better.
Can you replace the wheels on the opposite axle shaft to keep the grease fittings on the outside of the wheels and be easier to grease?
Yes
The inner bearing should be sealed on the outside. A lot of dirt is going to go in it.
What type of grease did you add?
I will use #2 and grease gun
@@boots7859 thanks for your response. I don’t know enough about grease and the different types. I have a skilsaw that I’m replacing the bearings outside the gear oil area and wanted to know if those need grease. I’ll also do my homework as well but I appreciate both your responses.
RF122214P STENS
I've seen that some times that The bushings are plastic 😮😮
Seems like a bad idea, plastic bushing. I have a 10 year old cub with those nylon bushings. The grease zirk is cast into the plastic and will plug with dust and grease. On the plus side they do wear well and wont wear down the spindle shaft. I got into the habit of just pulling the wheel and manually greasing once a season as the zirk was worthless. I ended up getting new wheels for it this season as it was cheaper to get generic tires and rims than to replace the the tire, tube and bushings. The new wheels have sintered bearings and the tire is 4 ply. A lot of the generic wheels have bearings as well. Its a low rpm application and bushes are fine as long as they are kept lubed, even nylon bushings. But many people just don't lube this part.
@@luuk-out-below9804 you got that right I have generic wheels for my.poulan XT mower 👌
Makes angry that the manufacturer does not use bearings instead of bushings. I paid about $1500 for my tractor in 2010
I hate it when my shaft wears
This had to be done to JD mowers since they put on JUNK at the factory . I had to replace the entire spindle , bearing assy before 100 hrs on my JD 140 . These mowers are total trash and I just sold mine to a guy down the road . Now have a real mower , a Cub Cadet 50" cut , runs like a scalded bear . Never again JD .
upgrade for a John Deere, is to buy another brand.
Come on Don you know better than to use a hammer to knock a bearing in.
come on let's stop nit picking, a bearing put in this way is just fine
Great tip