Poor mans power steering: John Deere L130 Spindle Bearing Upgrade 

Thanks so much for the video, no fluff just you just walked us through the process and I very much appreciate the info. Will be doing this tomorrow!

I work on mowers in my shop for a lot of people and I have a lot of ladies bring their JD mowers to me because of hard steering problems. I ordered the parts today, and I will be using your fix from now on. Thanks for the video.

Take dremel tool and grind a small dip into inside of the top washer so grease from axle can enter to the bearing..

A much better how to vid than I saw on another channel..he used a torch to soften the rubber cap..I use a hair dryer which puts really hot air and MUCH safer to soften the rubber cap..yes, that adds a step but SAFER..I've found 3 yard sale dryers for .50 cents each..good technique..

Thanks for the video. Took me about 30 minutes to do both. Nice smooth steering upgrade.

Just watched your 5 year update, I read in comments it makes a big difference. I ordered a 5 pack and am going to also install a smaller ID one under the steering gear plate.

Thank you so much! I believe that's what my LA150 needs, and I plan on getting it done this weekend. Thanks again.

I did this to my la145 using your parts list. It works great. This is something that should have been done at the factory but I appreciate your video and your parts list

I added these to my L130 this spring and it made a huge difference in the steering effort. I also replaced the steering sector gears and the steering wheel shaft bushings which helped even more. Only use DRY LUBE like WD-40 PTFE DRY LUBE SPRAY as any kind of regular grease will collect dust and dirt and become a grinding paste.

thanks for the tip... i just ordered my bearings. next step is FLAT-FREE FRONT TIRES.

Thanks for the video, I have the parts you linked to, now I will install them on my JD L118.

Thanks man, you have saved me tons of money on my 06 LA130automatic!

I just performed this upgrade to my L130 (I've already done the roller bearing upgrade to the front wheels) and it's a night and day difference. I believe the factory suspension was binding quite a bit since even the ride is smoother now with the addition of these thrust bearings. One side of mine was a bit difficult to get back on due to the increased height these bearings add, but it was due to the casting from Deere that a little grinding easily took care of. Thanks for posting this and the links! This upgrade is well worth the $ and I only wish I had done it sooner!

Steering rebuild, wheel bearings plus this idea makes it better and easier than new.. great idea. I might add these thin washers are the perfect addition to the axles. Wheel Bearings do not take up as much axle room as the original wheel bushings. Thank you for the idea and post.

Loved your video. Just what I needed to see. Thanks

I appreciated this series. I read something about doing this in the Farm Show magazine that was written by a 90 year old man who had a hard time turning his lawn tractor (I'm thinking just the fact a 90 year old man is still mowing his yard is awesome!) and he said it made a big difference. I'm going to do this for my wife's Dixon yard mule and my Cub Cadet; thanks again for the posting

Thanks for the link and numbers.

Great video Steve. I was given a 03 L130 because a friend said he had been spending too much to keep it running. I installed 2 UHMW washers and was amazed how easy the steering is now. The transmission was slipping when is warmed up, I simply removed it, dumped the fluid and replaced it with 20w-50 motor. This made it pull like it was new.

Nice! I just put pillow block bearings on the steer column, roller brg on the steer rack pivot and roller wheels that ride against upper plate, roller brgs in the wheels but totally forgot about Torrington style bearings to fit the spindles. Genius!

I just finished this modification to my Craftsman L1000 mower (8-13-19). The improvement in the steering is significant. On my mower, it's at least 4-times easier to turn. It truly feels like power steering compared to the old tug-of-war I used to wage whenever I mowed my field. I recommend this power steering modification and also replacing the bushings in the front wheels with bearings to everyone. I decided to make both changes to my mower. And it now rolls so easily that moving it by myself is a piece of cake. Note, however, I did have to make some minor modifications to the instructions that were provided here - mainly due to the fact that the setup on my mower was slightly different from Steve's John Deere tractor. Why the manufacturer's don't make bearings standard for all their tractor mowers is beyond me. The added cost would be minimal - likely only $20.00 extra.

Great idea!! I took just nylon washer 3/4 by 1 and 1/4 instead of the bearing! It did make difference but not sure how long it will last washer is fairly thick!!

thank you for the video which was well done and very helpful.i'm gonna do this for sure

Absolutely genius. just ordered using your links. thank you

This is a good idea. Even more important than this is checking the front tire pressure. This is a major cause of steering drag that can lead to premature steering parts wear.

Awesome upgrade I'm ordering some soon!

A good upgrade .. Deere Dealer knew nothing of this potential upgrade. Cheap upgrade compared to the other parts I am replacing.

Thank you so much. I needed easier steering because of the front end loader I have on mine. My spindles are 7/8"so cost a little more. $19.95 plus about $7.00 shipping. I already ordered mine but found them a little cheaper at "Motion Industries".

great job cut slot in the top washer

Well if I was able to have this mower your videos would have saved me $$ as well thank you.

The steering shaft on those cheap bushings is a friction point. I replaced the bushings with flange bearings top & bottom. The bottom req some cutting & welding, but it is smooth as silk. NOW....I'm mod'n the drag links to have heim joint ends. They are a ball joint like used on go karts etc... Same cost as replacing the drag links to also include cutting & welding a bolt on the end for the rod ends to attach.

Excellent idea!!!

This was a great idea you had. As I was tearing mine down the MASSIVE question of wear at this location came to mind. Googled it and found this video. Thank you.

They have held up well so far, but its only been through one mowing season. I'm not to concerned about the dirt, after all prior to the bearings it was greased metal to metal with the dust and dirt, as cheap as they are you could replace them every couple of seasons if need be. If I think about it this summer I'll pull it apart and make a short video to give a visual of how well they are holding up.

How are the bearings holding up, this is a great idea just wondering how long they last being open to all the dust and dirt.

Not exactly power steering , but it does help a lot to steer smoother and way easier to turn.

This is a great mod, thanks for sharing, I’m going to try this on my MTD rider, I’m removing the worn out stamped steel front axle and putting on a cast iron axle and the only thing that is different from your set up is that my spindles are held on by a nut on top not a clip.

Thanks!

Part numbers would be great, thanks!

I am going to be doing this on my Husqvarna and my Ariens

Great video Steve, very innovative. I plan on doing these upgrades to my JD L118. Please list where I can get these roller bearings. I did not see a link anywhere. Thanks.

Did this tonight. Very simple and inexpensive. Not sure yet if there will be a noticeable difference.

I added this thrust bearing upgrade 12 yrs ago when the tractor had 8 hrs on it, and was surprised by the amount of wear already created to the turn spindle. That spindle was $60CAD back then and the bearing/race from JD was $28 per side. They'll last forever with bearings. I also added bearings to the wheels and through away those useless bushings. Again I was surprised by the amount of wear already created when that tractor only had 8hrs. Today my LA145 has 147hrs and the spindles/axles are the exact same condition as the day I added the bearing. Biggest difference is I can replace the bearings cheaper when that day arrives that I need to through Amazon. There's tons of small upgrades a person can do to these lawn mowers to prolong the life of wear areas. JD cuts many corners to stay competitive on these units, correct those shortcuts and you won't have to open your wallet buying expensive parts. My JD is way better that new.

Good job, but I wish you had a light on so we could see it better!

Sorry about that I meant to post the numbers but I spaced it off. They are now in the description.

Steve, can we get an update along with exact part numbers and suppliers. The bag with the bearing assemble didn't look JD.

Would it have been possible to leave off the top washer and let the axle be the top race? This way, when you grease the axle, grease would be forced into the bearing.

Nice trick but now that these flat roller bearings on mowers have been around for a few years, does anyone know how long they last before needing replacement?

Good video, however if you cut two grooves on the inside of the flat washers you can get grease to the bearing. Otherwise no grease to the bearing. The grease won’t go passed the washers to get to the bearing. What do you think about that.

We're do you get the bearing and washers

I’m Curious to know if the c clip fits back into the groves on the top of the spindle after adding the additional thickness of the bearing and two washers? In your video it looks as if the top washer (before the c clip) covers said grooves. Thoughts?

Good morning. Great video! Wondering if its the same size for my john deere lx178- wondering so i can order from Amazon maybe instead of go to our Deere dealer- haven’t ben happy with them and how they do business but if i need to i guess i will have to go there and get parts for this! What is the correct name for these so i don’t have to explain or argue with them if you don’t mind? Thank you and have a good day

Ineed to do this on my L120...its hard to steer....

where did you buy the bearing?

I could not get the snap rings on the top of the spindle, not enough room after adding the the 2 washers and needle bearing to install the snap(lock) ring into the groove on the top of of the spindle. This was on my JD D170. Can anybody suggest what the problem might be?

Midway You all are making a big thing , I did mine in 10 minutes, just jack the front up 6 in or so and remove snap rings,drop wheel assembly down wipe shaft off install thrust washer, reassemble do the other side, drop jack down install snap ring, grease and you are done. no need to take the whole front end all apart to do a simple inst.

Can anyone out there help me, I went on the McMaster/Carr website and could not find the part number specified on the website?

What's the bearing part number??

Can you tell me the part numbers and where to get the shim and bearing, thanks...

How are you supposed to keep it greased take apart?

Any suggestions for getting a stuck steering shaft out? I think it is rusted in there tight. It is an LA125

What is the PART # for the John Deere D130 anyone have any options?

do you have part numbers ?

I have a JD L120 and I did this, but my right tire doesnt clear to put the c clip back in. Any ideas guys?

Did this on my L120 just 2 weeks ago. Good thing it wasn't an expensive mod because it did absolutely nothing. Can't tell any difference in ease of steering. Of course maybe it is because I maintain my equipment and everything is always well greased. No one ever applies grease to the steering components underneath.

Go for wheel bearings instead of bushings, easy-peezy

Mine did not change, why?

what are the part numbers? i couldnt read the packages and havent found them in the comments. Any help?

Will this work for the John Deere L 120 ? Thanx in advance

Added to my L110 John Deere but not enough clearance on my John Deere 185 hydro. Can I use even thinner washers around the bearing?

Is this why it is so much harder to steer than the Cub Cadet?

Lost my cheap upgraded gloves

What the part #for the bearings

Part numbers ?????????

People call this poor mans power steering.

I've Posted a 5 Year Update video here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-u0rB9PYzE8c.html Here is an affiliate link to a bearing set similar to what I used here: amzn.to/41OdL8p or amzn.to/41LOps6