So I decided to put new bearings in two Rover HD25 wheels yesterday. Turns out I should have left the old ones in place, even though they were feeling a bit gritty. The first wheel was no problem. I tapped out the bearings easily as expected. But the second one, it turns out someone in the past had glued both bearings in place using something like Loctite or a strong epoxy adhesive. Why they did this? I have no idea. I ended up taking it to a neighbour and after a lot of what amounted to bashing and flogging with a sledgehammer we finally got the bearings out. But on close inspection we were horrified to find cracks around the hub. Not surprising I guess, given how strongly glued in place those bearings were. Even though we had supported the hub as best as possible, so much force had been required to remove the bearings that it cracked the rim in two places around the hub. This is of course that old fashioned alloy crud metal that they use to make wheel rims out of, back in the 60s and 70s. Can it be welded?
I have searched online for possible replacement wheels, but the problem is the axle shaft on the machine is limited to 60mm and most aftermarket wheels today have a bore width of 60mm. So, THERE IS NO ROOM LEFT TO DO UP THE NUT.
I can get solid cushion wheels around the same 280mm diameter with a 53mm wide bore, but with 1" bearings. These will require a bush to reduce the bearing from 1" to 5/8". They may be my only option now.
If by a slim chance somebody has some original Rover HD 25 wheel rims that suit the 2.5-6 tyres, please let me know. Part numbers are Rover A01599 Female hub A01738 Male hub. Rover Colt also used the same wheels.
This had to happen right at the end of a major renovation on an old HD25 walk behind slasher. Without a wheel the whole project might as well be scrapped.
I agree with Norm ,with Loctite you need to use an oxy to heat the bearing first to release the Loctite before you hit the bearing out ,a LPG torch may also work.
The old Rover ride on mowers I guess aren't too difficult to find ,I thought they had the same wheels as the slasher, usually I see them for $50. ,there was one not too long ago on Marketplace for $50.
I have seen Rover slashers for $50. but the ride on mowers come up more often for $50.
And VM if you want to use the new wheels that are too wide (60mm) I assume these are a steel wheel then you can knock the bearings out and carefully cut a few mm off each side and then put the bearings back in
My heat gun stopped working about 12 months ago and I am a bit lost without it. Guess I got a bit frustrated with those bearings, but they were unbelievably tight. I showed the rim to a welder and he thinks the cracks are repairable, but would take someone very skilled with welding cast material. He actually suggested against it and said to burr out the cracks with a dremel and maybe drill a few small holes into the cracks in a couple places, then fill with a strong metal epoxy like JB Weld. Then sand back to original. He thinks that would probably be as strong as the original casting, which might have had a flaw in it from the time it left the foundry.
I will look into your idea Norm, but most of the new wheels I've looked at have the bearing a bit proud of the hub, so there is nothing to cut out. I've done a lot of searching but so far the only wheels that come close are solid cushion rubber with minimal tread (280mm diameter with a 54mm hub width), and an inflatable one measuring 260mm with a 54mm hub length. But that last one would have to come from the US, so too expensive to consider.
Failing all that, get another one cast, which could be the most expensive option.
A friend told me about a HD25 he saw advertised locally but did not tell me about it, so I missed out. Haven't seen a Rover Colt for probably 15 years.
Hi VM, do not rely on JB Weld for any structural strength, I only use it as a filler that doesn't absorb moisture. All those wheels I mentioned use a flanged bearing which means you can cut the housing down to what ever length you want and then just tap the bearing back in up against the bearing flange
Thanks Norm, All of the ones I've looked at so far would not be easy to modify, but I will keep searching.
Amazing how many people think a wheel is a wheel. When I showed it to a mate he said "Oh just go to Bunnings, they have stacks of those!" No such luck. Yeah they have stacks of wheels but not one the same as this. They were unique to Rover. I often wonder how many back catalogue parts got sent to the dump after Rover sold out to MTD in 2010.
When you work on any old equipment you have to be able to remake, rebuild things because the supermarket where these things were once available has long shut
I got hold of one that will fit. It is a front wheel off an older model Rover Rancher which had that red powder coating. Most of that is peeling off in strips like plastic or vinyl. The aluminium casting underneath nearly always went powdery after a few decades, thus lifting off the powder coating. Compare that to older models that were painted and the paint and primer are still on them and no signs of corrosion underneath.
This is a slightly different hub, different design and held together with only 3 bolts instead of 6, but at least still the same profile and fits the 2.5-6 tyres and correct width/length for the axle shaft. Problem is I am now a bit mismatched, so would have preferred to at least have two the same, but "them's the breaks" I suppose. I am sure to pick up another one in future if I look around. There have got to be a lot of old Colts and Ranchers out there in backyards and paddocks just rusting away.
I am also fairly sure that these modern wheels available from Richmond will fit and are the right diameter (280mm), and have the same 6 bolt pattern as the old Rover ones, although requires an adapter sleeve for the bearing (1" to 5/8" reducer bush). But as they have rubber cushion tyres (not inflatable) and are slightly narrower, I am not sure how well they would work with Rover's "dog drive" system. In theory they should work, but that all depends on how "cushiony" the rubber is. At least they might be okay for the pull behind jockey seat. Only the Richmond ones (CR1110N-1) have a narrow enough profile of only 53mm hub length to fit the Rover, but oddly the similar-looking ones from EHI (WHD280/9315570910040) and Fallshaw (R280/70R-SRQ20) are both too wide (60mm). Also, whether or not it might be possible to undo the bolts on the Richmond wheel, remove the solid rubber tyre, and replace it with a tube and inflatable tyre might be worth investigating, but I am sure they will not have made them that easy to modify.
That one has no engine or friction drive Norm ,it's been advertised for months for $50.
The tiller steering is easier to turn as it has more of a mechanical advantage than a steering wheel setup ,I did convert one ride on mower to go kart steering when the steering gears were worn out and that worked well but i had to setup steering knuckle stops on full lock otherwise the steering links went too far and the steering jammed on just past full lock.
