scwheelhorse 56 #1 Posted November 21, 2019 (edited) I picked up a really nice little 825 rear engine rider for 50.00. The rear axle is basically a 5/8 solid steel shaft. The axle is broken clean into about 8 inches from the end. Never seen anything break like that. Looks like it was sawed off with a hacksaw. Cant 7nderstand how that happened. My local machine shop said they can easily weld a new piece and true it. Any idea why this happened? Maybe just metal fatigue??? Edited November 21, 2019 by scwheelhorse Forgot pic 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rmaynard 14,864 #2 Posted November 21, 2019 Never seen a break that clean with no sign of twisting or bending. May have been a factory defect from the very beginning that just waited until later in life to show up. $50 is a good price if the everything else works. I'd let the machinist do his thing. The 8-25 is a nice mower for a small lawn or trim mower when you have lots of trees like me. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
scwheelhorse 56 #3 Posted November 21, 2019 13 minutes ago, rmaynard said: Never seen a break that clean with no sign of twisting or bending. May have been a factory defect from the very beginning that just waited until later in life to show up. $50 is a good price if the everything else works. I'd let the machinist do his thing. The 8-25 is a nice mower for a small lawn or trim mower when you have lots of trees like me. I am thinking just a bad piece of shaft stock. Always liked a rear engine mower. I have an old bulletproof Snapper that I like alot.Never owned a Toro rider. Seems like a nice mower. Someone has replaced the 8hp with an 11hp I/C Briggs. I got it from city folks who basically just wanted it hauled off and probably replace with a cheapo Wally rider when this could be fixed for 20.00 or so. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
scwheelhorse 56 #4 Posted November 21, 2019 Just got the whole axle out and noticed the axle is 3/4 inch but steps down to 5/8 on the ends. It broke right where axle changes sizes. Still a pretty simple fix. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stevasaurus 22,229 #5 Posted November 21, 2019 Lucky to find someone to fix that, and well worth it. If you opened that trans, did you take any pictures of the insides, and could you post them here if you did.?? thanks 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
scwheelhorse 56 #6 Posted November 21, 2019 1 hour ago, stevasaurus said: Lucky to find someone to fix that, and well worth it. If you opened that trans, did you take any pictures of the insides, and could you post them here if you did.?? thanks I didn't open the transaxle. No need to. I simply unbolted the axle from the frame. Its supported on each end by a pillow block bearing. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bc.gold 3,399 #7 Posted November 22, 2019 (edited) On 11/21/2019 at 11:22 AM, scwheelhorse said: Just got the whole axle out and noticed the axle is 3/4 inch but steps down to 5/8 on the ends. It broke right where axle changes sizes. Still a pretty simple fix. Ask your machinist what would happen is the part of the shaft being reduced was not radiused but rather left square. I believe the cause of the break was improper machining practices. Edited November 22, 2019 by bcgold 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
scwheelhorse 56 #8 Posted November 22, 2019 14 hours ago, bcgold said: Ask your machinist what would happen is the part of the shaft being reduced was not radiused but rather left square. I believe the cause of the break was improper machining practices. The axle is not square. This mower is very heavy in the back plus the operators weight sits atop the axle. It should have not been made with stepped down ends. 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bc.gold 3,399 #9 Posted November 23, 2019 Looking near the wheel the axle where machines has been machined with a radius, it the shaft had been reduced and left at 90 degree angles this would promote breakage. On the other opposite end from the wheel instead is using a radius to complete the machined part looks like they tapered the larger diameter to meet the reduced size. I'm curious if there was a manufacture recall on those axles. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
8ntruck 6,358 #10 Posted November 30, 2019 Yup. The change in axle diameter creates a stress concentration. The accepted design practice for this is to provide a radius at the inside corner of the radius change. A crack might have started there during heat treat - if the axle was heat treated. A shock load to the axle sometime during its life could also have started the crack. If you do proceed with the weld repair, have the person who does the weld peen it with a pneumatic needle de-scaler. This will increase the fatigue resistance of the repair. Good luck. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rfp55 33 #11 Posted November 30, 2019 Maybe not supposed to be stepped axle. Looks like axle bushing wore the axleshaft down. Why does the shaft look bigger again (3/4") in the wheel hub? Does the small worn area on the axle coincide with the pillow block bearing support? Saw a small 26" RER long ago with grease zirks on the axle bushings that Never got greased - and what you're showing happened. If this is off base do forgive. I am rather far away & not looking at the situation first hand which does mean alot Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
scwheelhorse 56 #12 Posted December 6, 2019 On 11/29/2019 at 9:30 PM, Rfp55 said: Maybe not supposed to be stepped axle. Looks like axle bushing wore the axleshaft down. Why does the shaft look bigger again (3/4") in the wheel hub? Does the small worn area on the axle coincide with the pillow block bearing support? Saw a small 26" RER long ago with grease zirks on the axle bushings that Never got greased - and what you're showing happened. If this is off base do forgive. I am rather far away & not looking at the situation first hand which does mean alot Update....yes axle had WORN down due to a seized bearing. Machinist is repairing now. Got bearing unstuck and now useable again. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Deeman21 1 #13 Posted May 11, 2022 How did you end up repairing the ware on the axle? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
