Power At Work: A handy trick to save a worn shaft

Using a special, wider bearing, you should be able to fix a shaft that has become worn. And it’s a job you can do yourself

by KEITH BERGLIND

With certain repair jobs, the “proper” dealer or manufacturer way may take too much time or too many parts. So sometimes a clever guy can cut corners to save time and money.

Here’s a trick we sometimes use to save a worn shaft, where the bearing has turned on the shaft and caused about one millimetre of wear. This shaft is an intermediate, light load in a combine.

The original bearing has a locking cam lock collar, with a set screw lock. With time, the bearing has loosened, allowing the shaft to turn and wear. A normal repair would be to change the shaft and install a new cam lock bearing.

Better Farming - October 2009