Thank you 🙏 when I ordered bearings I got 6 total (a package deal ) and indeed if these last only as long as originals that’s exactly what I’m planning to do
I make 50-70 k as a truckdriver. I do that stuff myself because there's not enough money to go around. I'm not a mechanic. I'm a I have to because I can't afford it mechanic. I'm here because my spindles are noisy after a year. What a bunch of bs.
I'ma retired trucker yes in fortunately quality of bearings vary. I have a bad back I will have a little help hopefully yet I have my bearings my gator blades and all my filters and springs oil etc. little improvements for my 4cyl. 35 HP Cat 2009 Bad Boy @@robinthurston3382
@@robinthurston3382💯👍🏼great for you! Thanks for a video that can help someone else who wants to DIY on this kind of job! Social media has made people critical,argumentative and impossible to satisfy!
you made it a lot longer than myself. will be curious how the Timken bearings hold up over time. not a hard job just don't want it to become a regular occurance
Thanks for vid. I have a 2021 Maverick with 38 hours on it and just beginning to notice a slight grumbling in one of my deck bearings also. I like the mower but bearings should last much longer than this. Easy enough to replace its just with this day and age you'd think quality should be better than what were getting especially with low hours.
absolutely! I've heard a ton of talk and finger pointing that the cause of these bearing failures is people washing the decks too much. Which may be in part true, but our old 1994 John deere single blade SEALED bearing spindles are still working perfect to this day and it has NOT had an easy mowing life. Not a hard or expensive job, just hope these new bearings last longer than the originals.
I agree. tons of input from folks on how to modify greaseless spindles. after I put it together I started questioning if i SHOULD have, then realized the TIMKEN bearings i bought (which are great quality) have rubber seals on BOTH sides, so IF i rebuilt the spindles with them AND added a grease zerk, high possibility of blowing out the rubber seals. we'll see how long these last and make a plan from there. glad the cost was only $21 per spindle to rebuild and so far only one spindle bit the dust.
Truly I can kind of see why they wouldn't put grease zerks on the spindles. With the amount of debris that goes on under that deck I can only image they would get broke off at the shaft. Then your having to use a ez out to get them out to put new ones in. That just my honest opinion.
they are greasable , that is a dust cover not a seal , the grease goes right past the covers , grease until you see it come out of ends of spindle ,, you can pick them out with your fingernail so that just shows you that they are not "seals" , it is not meant to stop grease from entering from a grease gun that puts out 10 000 psi every pump
Really unfortunate for sure. We grew up with a 1994 John Deere GX75 which was a single blade rear engine john deere mower ALSO (like this) with a sealed/ NON greasable spindle. It's still running without issue to this day. These only made it 77 hours. One spindle done and it went great... thankfully only costs approx $21 per spindle per rebuild BUT if they continue to go out, i'm going to look at modifying to a greasable type spindle. Thanks for stopping by sir! Even before the HD version processed! Great to hear from you!
@@cmnoutdoors9751 My 2021 Maverick has had 2 spindle bearing failures in 88 hours running time. This is the only mower that I have owned that has had bearings fail. I'd say Bad Boy has a serious problem with their spindle design. Please keep us informed.
My top bolt backed out yesterday as i mowed about 20 ft of my 1 acre yard lol. Luckily the bolt and 2 washers were sitting on the mower deck. But im missing the set screw for the collar.
After you've taken them apart before you put the bearings back in remove the inner seal from the top and the inner self from the bottom bearing and then drill and tap on the side of the spindle and put a grease fitting and then on the other side put a small weep hole to bleed off excess pressure when too much grease goes in and then reassemble the spindle.
I wanted zerks in mine but they wouldn't last under the deck and there's no room under the pully. Since I have a lathe I screwed the top bolt in and measured to just below the top bearing seat, drilled bolt and shaft and then drilled a cross hole so grease can get in the housing. The metal seals on the outside of the bearing won't push out as easy as the plastic ones so I pulled the inside seals off the bearings and filled the spindle with grease stopping when it got hard to pump; spindle was full. A couple pumps of grease twice a season and they're smoother than it was new.
Good job getting bearings with seals on both sides , the old bearings had metal shields on the outside - bad design and not waterproof when washing the deck
Taken my maverick hd to the shop several times,,,4 hour drive 1 way..ended up fixing the coil problem 300$ the injectors 200+ $ now can't mow my yard 1 time without it eating a 80$ belt,,, and costumer service has the nerve not to pay me the cost of parts..I didn't even ask for labor...so I'm going to make a video of everything I've been thru...bet money they loose costumers as well as they will loose in court.
On another video the bottom bearing was metal sealed in order to keep out debris. Also there is some confusion on spindles that have zerks as to if any grease gets into those SEALED bearings!
You made that look easy. I recently removed my spindle bearings on a gravely non serviceable spindle, those bearings were super tight on the shaft, i think to tight. I had to use a small puller to remove them. Don't ask me about installing the new bearings, as i have yet to get the correct bearings. Ironically the original bearing failed because of a cracked inner race and i baby the unit. While I wait for the right bearings, i had to shell $222 for a new maitenance free spindle. Again this was on a Gravely ZT. Other than having to replace this 2nd spindle, its been a decent machine and cuts really nice. Any advice for making bearing seating easier? Anyone?
How in the world is that thing so clean? I don't even see a blade of grass or dirt on it or the tires. I have 5 acres, I mow about 2, I do have a lot of swampy areas at times, mine is covered in grass, and dried on mud. I can clean it, but it'll be destroyed by the following week. I clean mine once a season, but it still doesn't look that good. BTW, thanks for the video and part number. I think mine are shot. My mower seems very loud, and it takes several attempts for the blades to engage without stalling
My 21 Maverick with 20 hours on it had both right and left sides spindle bearings fail and started howling on my 60 inch deck. That’s right 20 hours. Bad design or cheep bearings from Bad Boy. Ridiculous as nd was never power washed and stored in heated shop.
You MUST take one seal out and turn it towards the inside : else greasing the zerk fitting will do no good because the grease cann get into the bearings .
I got a question. My center spindle pulley won’t pull off 😡 the other two slipped right off. You got any ideas? Yes the set screw is loose, I sprayed a little wd40 on top just to see if it would loosen it. No success yet. It’s lowered all the way to the ground and I’ve yanked up and nothing. Thanks in advance.
Why didn’t you pull the caps off the bearings drill a hole and make it totally greaseable being you did all the work so you would never have another problem
Nitrile gloves are not expensive. They'll prevent the haphazard application of grease, solvents, anti seize, etc as inadvertent transdermal "pharmaceuticals" with known toxic and carcinogenic properties.
Remove the inside covers and drill and tap. Install grease zert save money
Leave the top seal in or it will run dry.
Good video, you should do more. I use a needle nozzle to add a little grease to the bearings after a season and they last quite a bit longer.
Thank you 🙏 when I ordered bearings I got 6 total (a package deal ) and indeed if these last only as long as originals that’s exactly what I’m planning to do
Excellent video and clear explanation. Thank you for doing this video!
There’s a great need for real mechanics in America 🇺🇸
I make 50-70 k as a truckdriver. I do that stuff myself because there's not enough money to go around. I'm not a mechanic. I'm a I have to because I can't afford it mechanic. I'm here because my spindles are noisy after a year. What a bunch of bs.
I'ma retired trucker yes in fortunately quality of bearings vary. I have a bad back I will have a little help hopefully yet I have my bearings my gator blades and all my filters and springs oil etc. little improvements for my 4cyl. 35 HP Cat 2009 Bad Boy @@robinthurston3382
@@robinthurston3382💯👍🏼great for you! Thanks for a video that can help someone else who wants to DIY on this kind of job! Social media has made people critical,argumentative and impossible to satisfy!
I’ve got a 2017 ZT Elite. 260 hours. Just replaced bearing in mine last week!!
you made it a lot longer than myself. will be curious how the Timken bearings hold up over time. not a hard job just don't want it to become a regular occurance
Thanks for vid. I have a 2021 Maverick with 38 hours on it and just beginning to notice a slight grumbling in one of my deck bearings also. I like the mower but bearings should last much longer than this. Easy enough to replace its just with this day and age you'd think quality should be better than what were getting especially with low hours.
absolutely! I've heard a ton of talk and finger pointing that the cause of these bearing failures is people washing the decks too much. Which may be in part true, but our old 1994 John deere single blade SEALED bearing spindles are still working perfect to this day and it has NOT had an easy mowing life. Not a hard or expensive job, just hope these new bearings last longer than the originals.
43 hours on my 2023 elite limited. Felling and hearing some grumbling
I'm surprised those aren't greaseable. Great how-to video.👍
I agree. tons of input from folks on how to modify greaseless spindles. after I put it together I started questioning if i SHOULD have, then realized the TIMKEN bearings i bought (which are great quality) have rubber seals on BOTH sides, so IF i rebuilt the spindles with them AND added a grease zerk, high possibility of blowing out the rubber seals. we'll see how long these last and make a plan from there. glad the cost was only $21 per spindle to rebuild and so far only one spindle bit the dust.
Truly I can kind of see why they wouldn't put grease zerks on the spindles. With the amount of debris that goes on under that deck I can only image they would get broke off at the shaft. Then your having to use a ez out to get them out to put new ones in. That just my honest opinion.
they are greasable , that is a dust cover not a seal , the grease goes right past the covers , grease until you see it come out of ends of spindle ,, you can pick them out with your fingernail so that just shows you that they are not "seals" , it is not meant to stop grease from entering from a grease gun that puts out 10 000 psi every pump
@@UnKnown-jp1bvagree the bearing is encased
💥 Well that’s a shame you need to replace that already. Nice tutorial! 👍
*Keep on tractoring!*
Really unfortunate for sure. We grew up with a 1994 John Deere GX75 which was a single blade rear engine john deere mower ALSO (like this) with a sealed/ NON greasable spindle. It's still running without issue to this day. These only made it 77 hours. One spindle done and it went great... thankfully only costs approx $21 per spindle per rebuild BUT if they continue to go out, i'm going to look at modifying to a greasable type spindle. Thanks for stopping by sir! Even before the HD version processed! Great to hear from you!
@@cmnoutdoors9751 My 2021 Maverick has had 2 spindle bearing failures in 88 hours running time. This is the only mower that I have owned that has had bearings fail. I'd say Bad Boy has a serious problem with their spindle design. Please keep us informed.
Thanks for sharing helped me out.
Excellent video fella. Well explained and helpful.
My top bolt backed out yesterday as i mowed about 20 ft of my 1 acre yard lol. Luckily the bolt and 2 washers were sitting on the mower deck. But im missing the set screw for the collar.
After you've taken them apart before you put the bearings back in remove the inner seal from the top and the inner self from the bottom bearing and then drill and tap on the side of the spindle and put a grease fitting and then on the other side put a small weep hole to bleed off excess pressure when too much grease goes in and then reassemble the spindle.
Only 77 hours, wow.
It would be nice to have a shop like he has.
I wanted zerks in mine but they wouldn't last under the deck and there's no room under the pully. Since I have a lathe I screwed the top bolt in and measured to just below the top bearing seat, drilled bolt and shaft and then drilled a cross hole so grease can get in the housing. The metal seals on the outside of the bearing won't push out as easy as the plastic ones so I pulled the inside seals off the bearings and filled the spindle with grease stopping when it got hard to pump; spindle was full. A couple pumps of grease twice a season and they're smoother than it was new.
You used the Timken bearings, Smart Man, the last made in USA bearings.
They're not really make in the US. Just a US company. Sad to say the 6206 bearings from them are from Asia.
Ive got over 250hrs on my mz with only 1 rebuild on my spindles and even then only 1 had chatter but i rebuilt all 3
Good job getting bearings with seals on both sides , the old bearings had metal shields on the outside - bad design and not waterproof when washing the deck
The owners manual says not to wash the deck with water use compressed air only.. least my zt 60" book says that
Great video.. what was the torque specs on tighten them up. Thanks
Taken my maverick hd to the shop several times,,,4 hour drive 1 way..ended up fixing the coil problem 300$ the injectors 200+ $ now can't mow my yard 1 time without it eating a 80$ belt,,, and costumer service has the nerve not to pay me the cost of parts..I didn't even ask for labor...so I'm going to make a video of everything I've been thru...bet money they loose costumers as well as they will loose in court.
Thank you for this video.
On another video the bottom bearing was metal sealed in order to keep out debris. Also there is some confusion on spindles that have zerks as to if any grease gets into those SEALED bearings!
You made that look easy. I recently removed my spindle bearings on a gravely non serviceable spindle, those bearings were super tight on the shaft, i think to tight. I had to use a small puller to remove them. Don't ask me about installing the new bearings, as i have yet to get the correct bearings. Ironically the original bearing failed because of a cracked inner race and i baby the unit. While I wait for the right bearings, i had to shell $222 for a new maitenance free spindle. Again this was on a Gravely ZT. Other than having to replace this 2nd spindle, its been a decent machine and cuts really nice. Any advice for making bearing seating easier? Anyone?
I replaced all mine with Timken bearings Mower was just 1 year old and bearings were already making noise. Sad
Pull inner seals an add grease fitting
How in the world is that thing so clean? I don't even see a blade of grass or dirt on it or the tires. I have 5 acres, I mow about 2, I do have a lot of swampy areas at times, mine is covered in grass, and dried on mud. I can clean it, but it'll be destroyed by the following week. I clean mine once a season, but it still doesn't look that good.
BTW, thanks for the video and part number. I think mine are shot. My mower seems very loud, and it takes several attempts for the blades to engage without stalling
Can you give an update on your bearings bud?
It's sad they went out that soon. Wow
I agree completely . Every machine will have parts that fail prematurely, however it’s unfortunate such a trend exists on these machines .
What they want so you have to buy new instead of adding a grease fitting and removing inner seals
Greese the whole thing up inside greese gets hot and goes in berring, keeps out moisture and rust
My 21 Maverick with 20 hours on it had both right and left sides spindle bearings fail and started howling on my 60 inch deck. That’s right 20 hours. Bad design or cheep bearings from Bad Boy. Ridiculous as nd was never power washed and stored in heated shop.
You MUST take one seal out and turn it towards the inside : else greasing the zerk fitting will do no good because the grease cann get into the bearings .
I'm surprised that you did not put grease fittting on while you had it out for "Future planning"
It’s a sealed bearing
my 90's kubota has only need 2 bearings replaced, why are these new bad boys all needing bearings?
I got a question. My center spindle pulley won’t pull off 😡 the other two slipped right off. You got any ideas? Yes the set screw is loose, I sprayed a little wd40 on top just to see if it would loosen it. No success yet. It’s lowered all the way to the ground and I’ve yanked up and nothing. Thanks in advance.
Drill and tap spindle and add a grease fitting
Whats the part number to them bearings so we know what bearings to get
Bravo
Why didn’t you pull the caps off the bearings drill a hole and make it totally greaseable being you did all the work so you would never have another problem
Nitrile gloves are not expensive. They'll prevent the haphazard application of grease, solvents, anti seize, etc as inadvertent transdermal "pharmaceuticals" with known toxic and carcinogenic properties.
Are the front tires on your BadBoy solid? Just curious.
no
Put the bearings in upside down
Remind me not to buy one of these mowers, I have a 1994 Craftsman GT6000 with the original spindles and bearings and 1500 hrs of run time.
High dallor junk and can’t build to grease it
People need to put zert in them