Worn-Out 4020 Wheel Hub Repair

Worn-Out 4020 Wheel Hub Repair FARM SHOP Repairs 31-1-38 Anyone who owns a Deere 4020 tractor with duals knows that over time the wheel hubs work loose, damaging the key so badly that the hub can no longer be used. Dale Denton, Cowden, Ill., came up with a way to restore worn wheel hubs to "like new" condition. He cuts a new keyway into the wornout hub and replaces it with a new full-size key. "It costs only a fraction of what a new wheel hub sells for," says Denton, who does the work for a neighbor who sells the refurbished hubs. The wheel hubs on Deere 4020, 4430, and 4440 tractors are designed to U-clamp onto the axle and have a key that's molded into the hub. "When the hubs get damaged most people just throw them into the scrap pile. My neighbor gathers up those worn-out hubs and brings them to me. He then sells the refurbished units," says Denton. First Denton removes what's left of the old key and then cuts a new slot in the hub. He uses cold-rolled steel to machine a new key that fits the slot, shaping both sides of the key at a 20-degree angle to fit the tapered groove in the axle. Then he welds the key in. If the bolt holes in the hub are damaged, he also drills new holes. "My neighbor charges $50 for a refurbished wheel hub, whereas a new hub costs at least $180," says Denton. "The problem often happens when the farmer uses the tractor with single wheels on back for a while, then installs dual wheels and doesn't get the wheel hub on tight enough. The same idea will work on any tractor that uses wheel hubs with keys in them. Some later Deere tractor models have wedge-type, double-tapered hubs which rarely come loose." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Dale Denton, Rt. 1, Box 168, Cowden, Ill. 62422 (ph 217 783-6530).

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