How to put a 7000 front axle under a D-17
I decided to do this because the tractor that I bought had a
very damaged front axle. It looked as if they had run this thing into a ditch
at full speed, and when they put it back together it was not straight. My dad
had just parked a 7000 and he said I could pull the front end, so I did. On a
7000 the stabilizing structure goes forward instead of backward on a D-17 and I
first thought that I could flip the spindles, but after getting the axle on
stands and looking at it I decided I could not do that without major changes to
the steering.
I next needed to figure out how to mount it. I couldn't use the mounting from the 7000 because it was the entire front support, and I couldn't cannibalize it because it was cast iron. So I need something with a 1.75" hole through it. My dad has a basic machine shop set up, but I only have rudimentary skills and didn't trust them. So it was off to the scrap pile where I found a stabilizer cylinder off of an old case backhoe that was the right diameter with brass bushings to boot. I also picked up a piece of scrap H-beam to mount them to. You can see this assembly in the picture above.
I pulled the power steering assembly off and removed the bottom part to see how many bolt holes I had to work with and found I could only use the front 2. This required me to add some very heavy bracing, so I went back to the 7000 and pulled the weight bracket off. I mounted that to my H-beam and went to find some heavy metal to make extended frame rails. I decided to go with a couple of round bars that I brought home from work because they were heavy enough and I had them on hand.
In order to be able to pull this assembly back off and to add strength I double the frame rails on the tractor by taking the rails off another tractor flipping them around backward and bolting to mine.
I got the thing braced up and then was on to hooking up the steering. I decided to stick with the D-17 steering system and crossing my fingers that it would have enough hydraulics to turn the larger wheels. I pulled the hydraulic cylinder off the 7000 front end and then modified the drag link to fit on one side and used a d-17 tierod (for now, I know it is too weak) on the other.
Bolted/welded it all together and found some 14" tires so it wouldn't look so stupid and pulled it out to see how it did. And....it worked great. One thing I was really worried about was loosing the nimbleness of the d-17 and I really didn't, it turns almost just as sharp as it did with the factory front. I haven't used it a ton yet, but so far so good.
I pulled the power steering assembly off and removed the bottom part to see how many bolt holes I had to work with and found I could only use the front 2. This required me to add some very heavy bracing, so I went back to the 7000 and pulled the weight bracket off. I mounted that to my H-beam and went to find some heavy metal to make extended frame rails. I decided to go with a couple of round bars that I brought home from work because they were heavy enough and I had them on hand.
In order to be able to pull this assembly back off and to add strength I double the frame rails on the tractor by taking the rails off another tractor flipping them around backward and bolting to mine.
I got the thing braced up and then was on to hooking up the steering. I decided to stick with the D-17 steering system and crossing my fingers that it would have enough hydraulics to turn the larger wheels. I pulled the hydraulic cylinder off the 7000 front end and then modified the drag link to fit on one side and used a d-17 tierod (for now, I know it is too weak) on the other.
Bolted/welded it all together and found some 14" tires so it wouldn't look so stupid and pulled it out to see how it did. And....it worked great. One thing I was really worried about was loosing the nimbleness of the d-17 and I really didn't, it turns almost just as sharp as it did with the factory front. I haven't used it a ton yet, but so far so good.
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