Swapping out narrow front for a wide front wd45

This is my first post. Brand new to the forum. I just bought a 1950 wd wide front. I own a 1955 narrow front wd45 that i am planning on using the wide front for. I believe the wd wide front is a 3 bolt (if 3 bolt refers to the front plate connected to the cast gear housing?) I read this was a pretty easy swap but i still am still left with a few things that confused me after reading several different tutorials about it. I have already started uninstalling the wide front end from the wd. The 8 bolts in the casting came out nicely. I took the two bolts out of the cross member that holds the back plate of the wf. I loosened the left side of that crossmember to help make it easier to slide out the casting and front end from between the frame. I also removed the two bolts from where the steering shaft enters the casting. Should the gear on the steering sector slip away as the housing slips out from between the frame? Or should i have left the steering sector opening untouched and sealed and removed the sector at the ujoint? I am not having much luck slipping the casting forward, but partially because im reluctant to damage the worm gear meshed inside the case. I cannot find one youtube video on this swap which really surprised me since it sounds like a pretty common procedure. If anyone can give me some advice i would appreciate it. Thanks for your time

if you have the (corn picker pedestal)that bolts to the adj.wide front,you can bolt it to it without changing the nose steering box.the row crop pedestal will bolt right on.if you have to remove the steering box,just loosen all the bolts down the lt.and rt side frame rails all the way back to the rear axle.disconnect the u joint on the rt side of the frame,and after a lot of prying and bad words it will slide out.....

Thanks Kelly that should help me. When you said "unbolt the shaft support", are you referring to a bracket or something near the ujoint?   I hope i can reseal and clean the casting hole where the shaft goes through. I would be sick if i damaged the steering gear somehow and ruined my "new" front end.

Yes, there is a bracket (that bolts to the rail) close to the u-joint. I think you'll be fine, those gearboxes are pretty tough!!

Once you get the bolster loose, the steering shaft should slide out easily. You might need an extra pair of hands to put it back in when you are reinstalling.

yes, thanks, that would be great to see a few pictures!!!

Thanks for the advice. I think once i get this front end changed over, im going to do a little body work, then paint both tractors. I may post pics of them tonight if i can figure this thing out. Thanks to all for the help!!!

Might have over done it with the cribbing but it worked



As Chris said if you manage to get it apart without breaking bolts you are lucky. I unfortunately wasn't.



Bob

Using a wrench and hitting the upper end of it with a hammer might help. The bolts I seemed to have the most problem with was the ones that bolt the steering gear box to the frame. Ended up with three broken trying to use a long handled ratchet and getting in a yank.
Thanks, and couldn't think of a better way so I used what I knew from work. That configuration is how we use the cribbing to hold houses up when we redo the foundations.
Best of luck,
Bob