95' 312-8 Forward Swept Front End Upgrade thread! [Photos]

[Duramax7man7 503]

Hey Fellas.

 

 Got a great deal on an almost complete front end off of 520h to go my 312-8. Everything is in really good condition. A tiny bit of play but not really bad at all. Nothing like my 90' 520h had on it before I replaced the spindles.

 

 I fabricated myself a plow extension kit last week before installing the front end today. I was sold the axle, spindles, good tie rods, lower steering shaft, lower steering support on both ends (front and steering tower areas) as well as the set of 8" rims with all working order hardware. I slap a new set of 16" x 7.5 -8" rubber on the rims, repacked the bearings and spindle thrust bearings and lubed everything after each piece was installed and still on the jack stands. Just have to pick up the tied rod washers and adjust the tie rod lengths and she'll be in fully operational order. Only thing left will be to build a new angle adjust handle for the plow and I'll be done.  

 

 

 Figured I'd offer up some progress photos. Enjoy!

Pre install... (excuse the clutter still working on that. Summer time will get er done!) 

 

New (used) axle, spindles and rims with all hardware. Pre tire removal. Was letting the soapy water sit on the beads for a few before replacement. Makes a world of difference. Really lets the tires slide right off the rims and the bead breaks with ease after only a couple of minutes of sitting with this solution on it. Dawn dish soap! Gotta Love it!

 

New Rubber on... Will refinish the rims this summer. And I will be breaking the bead and using paper to cover the tires. No more painting rims with the tires off. ha ha.

 

Pulled the old 312-8 tie rods with a 1/2" OE wrench at the top of tie rod end and 9/16" wrench on the bottom.

 

Pulled the 1/2" Retaining bolt for the axle pin and plate assy. as well as the C-clip for it form the front.

 

Dropped the whole front end out of the tractor at this point. Didn't even take the rims off. Trying to keep time down.

 

Pulled the battery and steering column pin and lifted the steering wheel shaft out of the way to get the lower column support.

 

 

Removed the two 9/16" bolts/nuts for the steering wheel shaft and lower steering shaft support and pulled that out. Interesting that WH moved to a threaded cotter pin locked nut later in years on the lower steering shaft from just the cotter pin and washers on the 520h that I have.

 

 

Pulled the two 9/16" bolts and nuts from the front lower steering shaft support. At this point the lower steering shaft assy. was completely free but I also had to take and extra step and remove one side of the mid tach-matic support assy. which allowed me to slip the lock and pin mechanism out so that the lower steering assy could pass by it. Also had to lift the tractor up a bit more for clearance of that stuff as I had to pull it down and to the rear to remove and install it. Didn't photograph that. But you can see the parts that need to be removed in the picture below. I just loosened the three 9/16" bolts on the top, right hand side of the photo.

  

 

Old 312-8 Lower Steering Shaft assy with shorter tie rod mount plate next the swept axle's lower shaft assy. and the beefier tie rods. Big difference in placement. Could weld a plate I guess to the bottom of the old style with the right measurements and angle. For anyone that wants to take this route, let me know and I'll get the right dimensions with a sketch up of it all.

Edited January 30, 2017 by Mastiffman

[Duramax7man7 503]

It's kind of tight getting to the lower steering assy. front mount but just lean the hood forward and break them loose with a 9/16" wrench then use a socket on the back. Youll have to move the tie rod mount plate out of the way for each bolt.

 

New lower steering assy installed. Hangs a couple of inches lower and it's a bit wider. But as I said, could be fabricated if you can't find one.

 

Front view of the tie rod mount plate. A little dirty under... smh. You can see the slight backward angle of the lower portion of the plate. Wouldn't be that hard to tack it in place and then adjust the angle from photos and eye ball it. It's not a high performance vehicle or anything.  

 

 

Post install of the Axle, spindles, pin and plate assy and all hardware. It was all greased well while still up on in the air as advised before. I highly suggest doing this to get the grease into the needed friction points that you won't get to if you front end is on the ground when you grease it.

 

And Finally the Rims. Bearings all packed and nuts locked in with hubs on. Will most likely will change these over to trailer hubs and rims in the future as I'm considering a FEL for this tractor with the addition of a 2-3 cylinder diesel IF I can find one for the right price and condition.

 

 Like I said... Still need the tie rod nut washers as the nuts bottom out on the threads. Probably pick those up locally tomorrow if I can. 

Here is my first welding project that I completed last week. It's the extension kit to go along with this whole project. Got the blade for $30 from a local hoarder. Good guy though. Great deal. Got the entire front and assy and the blade for $300. Had the frame with a old rusty 48" blade that I bent after catching a 1" raised driveway of a neighbors a month or so ago.

 

 

Here is the blade. I decided to put a new wear bar made of 3/8" x 4" Steel. This should give the plow some arse to scrap well. Don't worry, I shortened it to 42.5".  I drilled the holes and used to new carriage bolts for a smooth finish on that too. Shot is with the old FE.

Edited January 30, 2017 by Mastiffman

[cleat 3,942]

In the first few pics I was wondering how you were going to use the upper steering shaft.

Then I realized you were installing a non-gear reduction steering system.

 

That is the same setup my 520HC has. I love it.

With everything lubed up well and the thrust bearings cleaned and lubed it steers fairly easily and quickly.

 

Gear reduction steers real easy but more slowly.

 

Great write up and well documented.

 

Cleat

[Duramax7man7 503]

Yep. I like the regular steering. Gear reduction steering didt siund like something Id like. Whenever I get a loader on, if the steering is a bit to tight with a load Ill work up a power steering setup. 

Glad you liked the write up. I figure that someone might see it useful eventually. I know to most of the members this is something that can be done with our eyes closed. 

[Duramax7man7 503]

Here are the spindle washers that I made for the top of the spindles which consume the large space between the top of the axle's spindle bore and the clip ring. I had to grind down the washers to thin them out and then polished them a bit with 100grit on a wheel. This I feel protects the steering in two ways. It dramatically limits the amount of debris that can get into through the top and grind away at the axle and spindles and also limits any pounding of the thrust bearing at the bottom.

Fully Assembled and tie rods adjusted.

 

Close up of the washer...

 

 

I also added a couple of rubber hub caps from the normal 6" rims of the 312 but they are new. They didn't have black so I figured that grey was the next best thing because of the rim color.
I had to heat the caps up a little and then they stretched on nicely and I was able to pop them down pretty far.

 

 

 

[shallowwatersailor 3,211]

6 hours ago, Mastiffman said:

Here are the spindle washers that I made for the top of the spindles which consume the large space between the top of the axle's spindle bore and the clip ring. I had to grind down the washers to thin them out and then polished them a bit with 100grit on a wheel. This I feel protects the steering in two ways. It dramatically limits the amount of debris that can get into through the top and grind away at the axle and spindles and also limits any pounding of the thrust bearing at the bottom.

Fully Assembled and tie rods adjusted.

 

Close up of the washer...

 

 

I also added a couple of rubber hub caps from the normal 6" rims of the 312 but they are new. They didn't have black so I figured that grey was the next best thing because of the rim color.
I had to heat the caps up a little and then they stretched on nicely and I was able to pop them down pretty far.

 

 

 

 

Do you have the two thrust washers with the thrust bearing between them underneath the spindle? I don't recall there being any space at the top. 

[Sarge 3,461]

Nice idea on the hub covers - I'll have to remember that one....

Sarge

[Tankman 3,510]

Looks great! Like the Sarge, like the hub covers.

 

I keep stock thrust washers on my shelf; http://qbcbearings.com/BuyRFQ/ThrustB_Washer_SL_SB_I.htm# 

 

Lots of SS hardware, on the shelf at Lowes, one is only a mile from my barn. Use Never-Seez always too!

Edited January 31, 2017 by Tankman

[WHX?? 43,281]

3 hours ago, shallowwatersailor said:

Do you have the two thrust washers with the thrust bearing between them underneath the spindle?

Good question I don't seem to see them in the pics and I don't have any space on top of mine.

Good idea on the hub covers!

[Duramax7man7 503]

5 hours ago, shallowwatersailor said:

 

Do you have the two thrust washers with the thrust bearing between them underneath the spindle? I don't recall there being any space at the top. 

 

Yes, I do. It was the same way with my 90' 520h Had space to fill above the axle. Do you have a forward swept axle on any of your tractors?

 

2 hours ago, Sarge said:

Nice idea on the hub covers - I'll have to remember that one....

Sarge

 

Thanks. I got the idea when I picked up the axle. The seller had something else made specially for this method but I figured that hub covers would work well. And they did. I don't think that they even moved at all so that is good. No worry of them popping off.

 

2 hours ago, Tankman said:

Looks great! Like the Sarge, like the hub covers.

 

I keep stock thrust washers on my shelf; http://qbcbearings.com/BuyRFQ/ThrustB_Washer_SL_SB_I.htm# 

 

Lots of SS hardware, on the shelf at Lowes, one is only a mile from my barn. Use Never-Seez always too!

 Thanks for tip! I will try to check that out next time I'm there.

 

2 hours ago, WHX9 said:

Good question I don't seem to see them in the pics and I don't have any space on top of mine.

Good idea on the hub covers!

 

Yeah I thought the it seemed odd there was space too. But it is like this on my 90' 520h as well. Both have the FSA...

 

Those of you that don't have space above your axle, is this on FSA's or standard straight axles? This is the same on both of my forward swept axles.

 If you look at the other side of the same diagram it does show a washer under the retaining clip ring on the spindle (i.e. part #33). BUT, the weird thing is that it's calling for washer # 1278 which is a 3/4" Inner diameter washer??? Really odd. So I found the right size and used it. This is on my Toro model # 40-20OE01 1990 520h. This axle number in this diagram is also Toro # 116823-01 which is coming up online when I was looking for another one as the FSA.... The other thing is that the diagrams all show the standard straight axle, instead of the FSA in the diagrams that I've seen.

 

 By the way ran this 312-8 for 2 hours this morning in 4" of snow removal and it was great! The steering is as tight as my 520h. The only play in the steering is about 3/8" in either direction from center and that' because of the difference in space between the steering shaft pinion gear and lower steering shaft fan gear. Very nice!

 The only thing that went wrong today was that my 3rd and 1st gears were switched somehow? I went to go put the tractor in 3rd high and it went slow. Didn't think that it was possible that they switched. So I went to try 1st gear to see if it was same and it was fast like 3rd gear??? What the heck is that all about? Am I looking at a transmission teardown this summer?
 

Edited January 31, 2017 by Mastiffman

[Duramax7man7 503]

Brain fart on that last part..... smh. Only got a little sleep the night before.

[aHorseofCourse 261]

Great topic.  I've been thinking about this on my 308 project.  Can you get the dimensions for the tie rod plate?  How much wider is the swept axle compared to the regular one?

[Duramax7man7 503]

Sorry this took so long. Been busy with other shtuff.  

 

Here are the dimensions for the plate. I would assume that you could grind off the old 312-8 (or the preferred model) plate, remembering to sacrifice the plate and not the steering shaft. Make the new plate to specs and then sand the shaft clean while keeping original diameter and then slip the new plate on, tack it, straighten, then fully weld into place and paint.

 Or just make the bottom section to specs, clean up the bottom of the 312 plate down to the metal, tack in place an angel to specs and then fully weld from the hip joint (outward facing bend) and then finish it. There's not a ton of force going on during turning but if you hit anything, a proper fusion weld will take it just fine. All measurements needed for a full plate and partial plate creation are in the blue print I made.

 The only difference is that the bottom of the 312 tie rod plate is only 3". So if you are particular like myself and decide to make only the bottom portion of the plate and weld that to the existing 312 plate, keep the bottom measurement for the 520 plate and use 3" for the top of that bottom portion of the plate. That will make the two pieces match up and look as original as possible.

 

 As for the 7/8" offset... Just get it as close as you can after tack welding it. A degree or so off in either direction won't hurt anything. But you definitely want to get the holes all centered Dead On! But even at that, as long as they are even on both sides when mirroring each other (i.e. 3/4", 13/16" or 7/8" to center from the out edge and both the same distance from the bottom of the plate) you'll be fine. The tie rods can easily be adjusted to make up for any slight measurement difference from this blueprint. As long as it's all even.

 

 Measure Twice or even three times and make sure that center punch is dead on and you'll be good to go.

 

Edited February 28, 2017 by Mastiffman

[Duramax7man7 503]

So far, out of the times that I've used this 312-8 with the new front end on it... It's been fantastic! The steering is very tight and moves with ease. Much easier than the old smaller wheels. I think that the only disadvantage would be the slightly smaller diameter steering wheel. But that would be with weight on the front end if a FEL is added to this unit. I'm sure that it will be easier than with the old front end. 

[aHorseofCourse 261]

Thanks for the measurements!  I can't get over how good that swept axle looks.  I definitely have this swap on my to-do list.

Edited March 4, 2017 by aHorseofCourse

[Duramax7man7 503]

My pleasure! They should be dead on to make yourself a accurate reproduction.

 I agree and this is part of the reason why I had to do it. Plus, if I plan on getting a 60" deck and one oft he tractors needs repairs for some reason, I'll have a back up tractor to keep the grass on my lot trimmed.