Blades Major trouble removing blades

[motoman]

Ric has the key to this problem. In copying torque charts for the forum (threads, lube, torques-current) I note that a 1-1/8" nut in grade 5 takes 794 ft lbs to tighten. BREAKING TORQUE IS BEYOND THE CAPABILITY OF THE BEST RED NECK BREAKER BAR UNLESS IT IS A 10ft 4x4? This is heavy equipment tool capability? Again...why would a mfg set up such an obstacle to the poor home
gardener?:confused2: rfi also saw this clearly.

ERROR ERROR SORRY SORRY Entered the bolt chart ID instead of the backing into the shaft from the nut size discussed. If the shaft is 7/8 od the grade 5 torque is only 382 ft lb, but breakings torque is ? 420 ft lbs? If that bolt is put on dry it is beyond the capability of most home mechanics tools. So sandburs approach is understandable: neverseize drops required torque 45%, to 210 ft lbs, within the range of my trusty crafsman wrench. And breaking torque down to ?230 ft lbs, still a one man job. Ah, the joy of proper lubricant, Again my apology for the error. :ashamed:

 

[motoman]

ERROR ERROR SORRY SORRY Entered the bolt chart ID instead of the backing into the shaft from the nut size discussed. If the shaft is 7/8 od the grade 5 torque is only 382 ft lb, but breakings torque is ? 420 ft lbs? If that bolt is put on dry it is beyond the capability of most home mechanics tools. So sandburs approach is understandable: neverseize drops required torque 45%, to 210 ft lbs, within the range of my trusty crafsman wrench. And breaking torque down to ?230 ft lbs, still a one man job. Ah, the joy of proper lubricant, Again my apology for the error. :ashamed:

Something is still not right here for me. I don't have access to the nut/bolt on the CC Z force 44 so I'm working off paper. No free online manual but owners and e how all say torque should be 125 ft lbs. This must be for a 5/8" threaded shaft grade 5 (chart is 145 dry). This makes the nut wall really thick to result in a 1-1/8 " socket (big, beefy), and three times more difficult than my craftsman (50 ft lb) to remove. Maybe what is happening is that owners (and dealers) can't properly torque the nuts with a torque wrench and resort to big air hammers??? This could explain the difficulty getting the nut off. Tire shops well known for over torquing wheel nuts and damaging brake discs. So the poor CC gets over torqued on and impossible to get off. Someone please measue the threaded shaft dia and advise.:confused2:

 

[SeniorCitizen]

QUOTE: This makes the nut wall really thick to result in a 1-1/8 " socket (big, beefy),

**********************************************************************
Of the several classifications of nuts it seems they may have used the heavy as opposed to the standard. It would still be interesting what the shaft size is.

 

[Ric]

Something is still not right here for me. I don't have access to the nut/bolt on the CC Z force 44 so I'm working off paper. No free online manual but owners and e how all say torque should be 125 ft lbs. This must be for a 5/8" threaded shaft grade 5 (chart is 145 dry). This makes the nut wall really thick to result in a 1-1/8 " socket (big, beefy), and three times more difficult than my craftsman (50 ft lb) to remove. Maybe what is happening is that owners (and dealers) can't properly torque the nuts with a torque wrench and resort to big air hammers??? This could explain the difficulty getting the nut off. Tire shops well known for over torquing wheel nuts and damaging brake discs. So the poor CC gets over torqued on and impossible to get off. Someone please measue the threaded shaft dia and advise.:confused2:

Ok I had the CC 44" and I'm still running the CC 48". Both use the 1 1/8 socket to remove the blades. Torque on those nuts on both are 100 to 120 ft lbs ( that's what the manual calls for ) I would not torque those nuts at over 80 to 90 ft lbs. I never ran over 80 ft lbs on either the 44 or 48" and never had any problems. The spindle shaft size is 3/4"

 

[motoman]

Ok I had the CC 44" and I'm still running the CC 48". Both use the 1 1/8 socket to remove the blades. Torque on those nuts on both are 100 to 120 ft lbs ( that's what the manual calls for ) I would not torque those nuts at over 80 to 90 ft lbs. I never ran over 80 ft lbs on either the 44 or 48" and never had any problems. The spindle shaft size is 3/4"

I'm stuck on this one. A 3/4" threaded shaft in Grade 5 takes 257 ft lbs dry, 157 lubed; move down to Grade 3 takes 234 ft lbs dry, 137 lubed; move down to grade 1-2 low carbon steel takes 155 ft lbs dry, 95 lubed. ?????

But this machine is a cut above? The shaft is hollow for greasing? The grade 1-2 is plain unmarked wood working stuff. A thick nut makes a person think air hammer. We should call sherlock holmes.

 

[Elias40]

I just bought a set of blades for my Cub Cadet Z-Force 44" and have run into problems removing the old blades. The three blades are each bolted on by a 1-1/8 nut. I have attempted to remove them with an impact wrench, socket and pry par, socket - pry bar - sludge hammer combo, torch, solvents, and praying. I cannot get a single nut to rotate and looking at the threads as well as the manual, they are common threaded nuts which left turning "should" loosen. Any suggestions? It's hard to even get a bite to wedge the blades stationery on this thing.

THANKS!

IGNORE/NO COMMENT

 

[Ric]

I'm stuck on this one. A 3/4" threaded shaft in Grade 5 takes 257 ft lbs dry, 157 lubed; move down to Grade 3 takes 234 ft lbs dry, 137 lubed; move down to grade 1-2 low carbon steel takes 155 ft lbs dry, 95 lubed. ?????

But this machine is a cut above? The shaft is hollow for greasing? The grade 1-2 is plain unmarked wood working stuff. A thick nut makes a person think air hammer. We should call sherlock holmes.

I'm just telling you what the manual says and what I've always done with mine. The first time I changed the blades I had the guys at the shop remove the nuts and give them to me when I purchased the blades then brought the mower home and install the blades myself with my Impact gun, same thing on the 48"ZTR and never had a problem with blades on either. (I've always used an Impact gun to remove and install blade bolts) Never used a wrench. :confused2:
Really you should consider your self lucky to have the 3/4" shaft with greasable spindles, you will not find those in 90% of the residential mowers made today.

 

[Buckshot 1]

:smile: What size of impact are you using and how much air pressure? I have removed plenty of blades off cadet decks and various other decks that have not been off in years. I spray them with PB blaster let them soak for awhile and then use my 1/2" inpact at 130 psi. Never had one that did not come off. Try this trick, heat the nut and when glowing red, take a candle and soak the wax in between the nut and the threads. Then put the inpact to it. Don B.

 

[motoman]

Thanks Ric and Buck. I am still scratching over this one. However Cub Cadet ( International Harvester?) has "engineered?" this blade retention it seems to work even if it causes a lot of pain.

 

[east_tn_emc]

I just saw this thread in the monthly newsletter email and have a suggestion...

Since the deck is already off of the mower, take it to the nearest tire dealer that works with trucks (semi-tires, dump trucks, etc) and offer one of the people ~10-20 bucks to use their air-wrenches to take it off. They have the equipment (3/4" and 1" impact wrenches) that work in the range of 1500 fl-lbs of torque. I would bet they would have those three nuts off within seconds using the impact wrenches they use to remove a dump-truck tire-and-rim.