Bush Hog U-Joints

[kerley]

I got careless and bent my Bush hog drive line, just enough to make it vibrate. I'm thinking I will have to replace it and my question is about new Universal Joints. My Trucks and Automobile have sealed U-joints. the Bush hog has grease fittings but when I grease them only some of the bearings excrete grease, the others remain dry. Have any of you replaced your greased joints with sealed joints, If you have which joint lasted the longest time? Thank you, Kerley

 

[Atimm693]

It came with greaseable parts, might as well replace them with the same type.

Ag drivelines are subject to a lot more twisting and turning than automotive stuff. I'm not normally a proponent of greaseable parts, but in that application I think they're a good idea.

 

[Texasmark]

Every hog I ever saw/bought/operated had greaseable zerks on the input shafts...........and the tailwheel axle and mounting shaft. Seems to me the mfgrs. knew what they were doing!

 

[dvcochran]

Be glad. I have a 7' Howse brand cutter that I have had for around 15 years. It might see 20 hours use per year. I was using it behind my cab tractor and never felt or heard that the U-joint nearest the gearbox was failing. The yokes were rubbing together hard enough to let the joint come out. You cannot find individual parts for this shaft. Howse used to use a their own gearbox input shaft. A complete clutch/shaft to go back to their gearbox was going to cost just under $500. I ordered a 90 horsepower gearbox and series 6 clutch/shaft for just over $500. Now everything is standard. No brainer but damn that was an expensive U-joint!

 

[Hardin Farms]

A joint with a grease fitting will typically last longer IF its greased regularly. We try to grease ours every 10 hours of operation or so on the bushhogs, probably excess, but keeps the rearends off the buckets around the shop. We use a moly grease as well. We don't have many u joint problems at all other than knuckleheads turning to tight with our batwings.

dvcochran got an older howse boss10 and ran into the same issue. Center gear box had some pitted gears and was beginning to get hot. Went to fix it and couldn't find a single part for those older howse hogs. Found a local business here in MS that dealt in some of the older stuff. Watts Brothers Distributing, 7065 US Highway 49, Hattieburg, MS 39402-9815. Super easy to deal with. Might be worth a call if you run into older howse problems again.