C-series heavy duty front end.

[WheelhorseBob 1,550]

Guys,

 

I have the opportunity to purchase what the seller calls a C-series heavy duty front end. It consists of a front axle, 1” spindles, rims. The Rims are very wide, not sure how wide but they look wider than what’s on my 520. Any info would be appreciated.

  

[Pullstart 67,043]

Huh.  It would be cool t know more about that too.  I thought pretty much all front ends were equal, shy of 520 and big wheel stuff...

[520HC 208]

yeah I have one of those kits also.

[WheelhorseBob 1,550]

Just now, 520HC said:

yeah I have one of those kits also.

Tell me more....

[ebinmaine 72,993]

 

 

Buy now. Then find a tractor to put it on. 

I'm curious to know more as well. 

[gwest_ca-(File Mod) 11,522]

https://www.wheelhorseforum.com/search/?q=8-0490&quick=1&type=downloads_file

 

Garry

[Herder 2,355]

52 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

 

 

Buy now. Then find a tractor to put it on. 

I'm curious to know more as well. 

I couldn't have said it better myself.  

[953 nut 60,353]

10 hours ago, WheelhorseBob said:

Guys,

 

I have the opportunity to purchase what the seller calls a C-series heavy duty front end. It consists of a front axle, 1” spindles, rims. The Rims are very wide, not sure how wide but they look wider than what’s on my 520. Any info would be appreciated.

  

That is a great find if everything is in good condition. Do you have a loader tractor it will be going on?

[midpack 1,011]

I have one that came on a C-175 that had z loader on it. Re-enforced bonds on the spindles. Longer shafts for wheels. Wider wheel hubs. 

I thought about selling/trading it but I ended up putting it on my 417 because wheel weights have to have a larger ID and my 417 is a mower only at this point

[The Tuul Crib 7,339]

Pictures?

[WheelhorseBob 1,550]

22 hours ago, 520HC said:

yeah I have one of those kits also.

[WheelhorseBob 1,550]

Well I went and got the “C series HD front end kit”. I knew right away it wasn’t that.... looks to be a new old stock  D series front end....what to do with it?

Edited October 24, 2020 by WheelhorseBob

[76c12091520h 3,924]

[oliver2-44 10,781]

I don’t see what’s Heavy Duty. The spindles look to be 3/4” and the wheel bearings look to be 3/4” ID?

[WheelhorseBob 1,550]

If you look at the photo I posted, the spindles and wheels are 1”. But again it appears to be from a D series. It is new old stock, appears to have never been on a tractor so maybe it is something someone can use..

[midpack 1,011]

7 hours ago, oliver2-44 said:

I don’t see what’s Heavy Duty. The spindles look to be 3/4” and the wheel bearings look to be 3/4” ID?

The bend on the spindle has a reinforcing plate welded on, the shaft where the rim mounts is longer (wider hub on the rims). The wheel bearings are larger OD, with presumably larger balls. The front weights I have don't fit over the hubs.

I found out about them when I tried to swap a better rim/tire from the HD front to another machine. Was like WTF?!?

[wh500special 2,277]

I haven’t seen reference to the c-series heavy front end kit in a long time.  Used to be a common discussion topic 20 years ago.  It was a great value and came with two reinforced spindles as shown above and a new set of tires mounted on wheels.   I think it was priced cheaper than just buying two tires.  
 

It was available for a long time.   I’ve seen them with both linen beige and silver painted wheels.   Always intended for when a tractor was equipped with a loader.  
 

I bet there are still a bunch of these kits  on old dealer shelves.  
 

The d-series axle kit is interesting too.  The 1973 18-automatic and the earliest D’s used 3/4” spindles and front wheels.    They were marginal for such a portly machine so were upgraded in ‘74/‘75...don’t remember exactly. 
 

The kit you have was the factory retrofit kit to fix the marginal design.  I don’t think there was a “recall” for the upgrade, but I am pretty sure I recall the upgrade being free to customers that had a problem. 

 

The difference between 3/4” and 1” doesn’t seem like much, but it represents about a 78% boost in load capacity for the front axle and wheels.  
 

it isn’t unheard of for front spindles to bend severely and even snap off on the early D’s.   I knew of one that broke while mowing when the front wheel of the 18-auto hit a Small rut.  Wheel snapped right off cleanly.  
 

putting a loader or snow thrower on a 3/4” spindle D is a gamble. 
 

I know they have their followers, but I’m not a fan of the D-auto series.  They were physically big, but didn’t really bring much to the table in capability compared to the C-series. 
 

regardless, you’ve got a neat find there.  
 

steve

[WheelhorseBob 1,550]

1 hour ago, wh500special said:

I haven’t seen reference to the c-series heavy front end kit in a long time.  Used to be a common discussion topic 20 years ago.  It was a great value and came with two reinforced spindles as shown above and a new set of tires mounted on wheels.   I think it was priced cheaper than just buying two tires.  
 

It was available for a long time.   I’ve seen them with both linen beige and silver painted wheels.   Always intended for when a tractor was equipped with a loader.  
 

I bet there are still a bunch of these kits  on old dealer shelves.  
 

The d-series axle kit is interesting too.  The 1973 18-automatic and the earliest D’s used 3/4” spindles and front wheels.    They were marginal for such a portly machine so were upgraded in ‘74/‘75...don’t remember exactly. 
 

The kit you have was the factory retrofit kit to fix the marginal design.  I don’t think there was a “recall” for the upgrade, but I am pretty sure I recall the upgrade being free to customers that had a problem. 

 

The difference between 3/4” and 1” doesn’t seem like much, but it represents about a 78% boost in load capacity for the front axle and wheels.  
 

it isn’t unheard of for front spindles to bend severely and even snap off on the early D’s.   I knew of one that broke while mowing when the front wheel of the 18-auto hit a Small rut.  Wheel snapped right off cleanly.  
 

putting a loader or snow thrower on a 3/4” spindle D is a gamble. 
 

I know they have their followers, but I’m not a fan of the D-auto series.  They were physically big, but didn’t really bring much to the table in capability compared to the C-series. 
 

regardless, you’ve got a neat find there.  
 

steve

Thank you for the explanation Steve. That is interesting. Presumably this could be desirable for someone with a D. Beyond that, the spindles And rims could be put on a 520 axle and mounted to my C161. I did some measuring and it would work minus the 520’s tie rods. I’d have to use conventional tie rods to make the geometry right. And it would be very wide with the D series rims which measure a full 7.75” across versus the roughly 6” wide rims on my 520H.

[76c12091520h 3,924]

13 hours ago, midpack said:

The bend on the spindle has a reinforcing plate welded on, the shaft where the rim mounts is longer (wider hub on the rims). The wheel bearings are larger OD, with presumably larger balls. The front weights I have don't fit over the hubs.

I found out about them when I tried to swap a better rim/tire from the HD front to another machine. Was like WTF?!?

The spindles are also reinforced around the holes that the tie rod ends bolt to; commonly worn egg shaped on older tractors, these spindles came off of a 2000 hr unit and show hardly any wear.