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154 frame flex??

IH CUB Lo-Boy Series - 154, 184, 185 Forum -- Questions and answers to all of your Lo-Boy related issues.
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BigBill
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154 frame flex??

Postby BigBill » Tue May 01, 2007 7:37 pm

I love my INT 154 but i'm experiencing a noise when i'm plowing up piles of dirt. I can hear the fan hitting the fan shroud when my front axle is on a big slant/angle. I checked my engine bolts and they seem tight but i think its the frame twisting when one side of the front axle is hitting the stop it twists the frame. Has anyone ever had this happen?
I'm technically misunderstood at times i guess its been this way my whole life so why should it change now.

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gitractorman
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Postby gitractorman » Tue May 01, 2007 9:32 pm

The frames on the 154/185/184 tractors are known to be weak, but it is in the rear where the axle bolts to the frame. It could be that yours is broken there and allowing the frame to flex or twist in the front. Unfortunately it is more common than one would like to hear.

Another thought is that you are just trying to do too much with the tractor. I know that all of these cubs and lo-boys will do a lot, and we use them to move piles of rocks, dirt, move 5000 pound boats around, etc., but they were never inteded to do it, and you can overload one quite easily. The heaviest load a cub or lo-boy was actually designed to do was pull a 1-bottom plow or, in the case of the # series lo-boys, run a belly mower or push some snow. That is about it. I've pushed a lot of topsoil in my back yard with my grader blade on my 77 cub, and I've also run dozers at work. There is NO comparison. Dozers were made to push stuff. Cubs were not. It is probably the single easiest way to break a cub!

Bill
Cub Cadets 682, 1811, 1864, Simplicity Legacy XL 4x4 Diesel with FEL, 60" mower, 50" Tiller

BigBill
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Postby BigBill » Wed May 02, 2007 7:03 am

I'm pushing dirt with ease and the only time i hear the fan hit the fan shroud is on an off camber situation in the front so i think its the frame flexing/twisting which i can understand. There's weak points in both the farmall cub and the Int cub too and i understand there is only so much they can do too.

If my frame is cracked in the rear i have some 6"x6" x 1/2" angle that can fix that. I figure i can fishplate/box the rear frame if i have to, but to equal it out in the flex department something will be needed in the front too. Otherwise one part will be more rigid than the other.

So my repair list grows again.....

BTW; When the going gets tough and I need to push more dirt and rocks I use my 4x4 jeep tractor for the real heavy work.
I'm technically misunderstood at times i guess its been this way my whole life so why should it change now.

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Postby Jim Becker » Wed May 02, 2007 8:23 am

Just to not ignore the obvious, check the fan for worn bearings and the shroud for being bent or loose. After it has hit a few times, there should be a a fairly obvious contact spot on the shroud that can be tweaked a little bit.

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Postby barn_cub » Wed May 02, 2007 12:30 pm

Though you probably do not know it yet--- you are working on a break of the tie rod knuckles at the ball. Those are WEAK and they crack and break when the suspension travels as far as it can and the whole weight of the tractor rests on those knuckles. It is best to be aware of extreme situations and avoid them. Don't ask me how I know!
Barn_cub
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Postby BigBill » Thu May 03, 2007 6:59 am

barn-cub; I have 3 sets of extra front spindles, extra hubs, one extra front axle just incase something breaks. I picked up 2 extra fan assemblies too with good bearings. I'm going to fabricate a bolt or weld on lower truss bar for my front axle and i'm going to aggusset the front spindles too so it will strengthen everything up. I think every weak point should be addressed and redesigned. I don't want to change too much but just make it stronger so it will last. Overall extra parts is parts for down the road if something wears out and parts can't be found. We have to keep these awesome tractors running so they can do the work as we get older that we can't do by hand anymore.

Then once my INT 154 is reworked/restored it will be in the grass mowing mainly for the rest of its life.

Right now I'm moving the top layer of soft soil with it and making small piles of dirt. Your right too the axle swing bottoms out and i hear the fan hit the shroud then i back off and it stops.(frame twist) Yup its no D9 for sure. I'm just doing light landscaping on the driveway changing the pitch.

Funny Facts; I never used fertilizer on my grass until my first born son was able to push the mower. I never had a riding mower till my first son at 32 years old finally moved out he's been cutting the grass for 25 years. Yup he's been cutting the grass that long. I haven't touched a blade of grass till lastyear with my 154. My point is time flys by so fast and before you know it there all grown up and moved out so enjoy then as much as you can when there small........because before you know it there gone. Then the grandkids start comming.....I'm still waiting for that to happen.
I'm technically misunderstood at times i guess its been this way my whole life so why should it change now.


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