RE: (ET) axles

["Pieter Litchfield" <plitch attglobal net>]

My E-12 has a steel axle, and my E-15 has a cast axle.  By the way - when
using a loader or other device that make the tractor top-heavy, you can
reverse the rear tires (put valve stems to the inside) to produce a wider
track and more stability.  My E-15 has a hydraulic/electric loader and a
weight box.  The reversed rear wheels do seem to add some stability.  Not
suggested for close mowing however!

Incidentally, I have replaced 1 front axle spindle on my E-15.  The 
vertical
shaft crystallized and broke - the extreme steering geometry and a heavily
loaded bucket surely didn't help.  For use on a bucket loader, front axles
supported top and bottom would have been a much stronger design, but I'm
sure that use was never anticipated.  Just a suggestion to be careful if 
you
do use devices that heavily load the front end - don't spin the steering
wheel to the extremes because the resulting "plowing" vectored forces on 
the
spindles may result in stress fractures!



-----Original Message-----
From: owner-elec-trak cosmos phy tufts edu
[mailto:owner-elec-trak cosmos phy tufts edu]On Behalf Of Neil Dennis
Sent: Tuesday, July 03, 2001 5:25 PM
To: Elec-trak
Subject: (ET) axles


Just to feed the fire, just looked at my E-12 - it has a cast front
axle.

wombat