If you have been following my WD hubs saga, here is my final update... As you may know, I ordered new hubs because my old ones were shot. Added new races. Added new bearings. New grease. The works. But still had some play that was giving me grief.

Had a lot of nasty wear on my bearing spacer due to the side to side pounding of the hubs along with stuff spinning that shouldn't be... So a buddy of mine made me a small spacer on his lathe to take up the slop and to keep it so the hubcap wouldn't touch the spindle when re-assembled (as it was scarily close, especially on one side). It's nice because the bearing spacer is essentially 1.500" ID and 2.000" OD, so I was able to find some shim stock that was close as a starting spot.

I used  my bearing race installer to install the cup washer seal the proper direction this time.

Everything nicely repacked, tightened down, cotter pinned. Look at that freshly painted hub, I'm sure that will never look this shiny again lol.

After a six hour marathon session this afternoon, I got both sides put back together and got her back out with the mower for the first time in a year! Feels fantastic to finally have gotten this issue knocked out, and the front end is super solid now and doesn't slide all over while driving. It feels entirely different driving now than it ever has; more responsive and easier to hold straight!

Oh, and I put a hubcap off a WC on it to replace that old brazed one that had been sliced through before I got it (probably before I was born honestly).

Thanks for the assistance along the way everybody. It's been quite a learning experience and an adventure!

 Awesome! Yes so nice to get them back to how they were early in their life. You did good. Yes sometimes a shim or a spacer is required to keep these things moving along! Get out there and work that old girl!

Regards,

 Chris

ACinSC - Thanks!

Sugarmaker -- Indeed, it's incredible how nice it is to mow with this now. It'll be even more awesome once I get the calcium worn rear rims fixed up (gonna have somebody else fix that for me, as I can't weld and don't have the equipment). I've got two spare spacers in case when I tear into my other WD, it has similar issues (gotta plan in advance). Thanks for all the show and tell on your tractor thread. It did actually take a bit of hammering to get the cup washers to fit down in the hubs as per that pic, but boy it looks nice with them assembled that way. Went through 4 of those blue nitrile gloves trying to keep the red grease off my hands, but that was a lost cause! I think I used a full tube of Mystik hi-temp red grease between the two hubs.

So just for fun, I tallied up the last 2 years of expenditures on this saga... Here is where I am at (prices include shipping):

Parts:

Replacement Front Hubs (x2) -- $150
Front Wheel Bearing Kit (x2) -- $120
Wheel Clamp Lock Nut (x2) -- $50
Bearing Spacer Shims (x4) -- $25
Replacement Hub Caps (from a WC) (x2) -- $30
Front Wheel Lug Bolts (x4) -- $10

Tools:

Bearing Race and Seal Driver Kit -- $40
Bearing Race Punch -- $25
#7 Thread File (8-27 TPI SAE) -- $15
Tube of Mystic Red Grease -- $3
10 Pack of Nitrile Gloves -- $2

Front Wheel:

New 5-Bolt Rim -- $100
New Tire, 3-Rib, Mounted -- $80

------------------------------------

Total Parts: $385
Total Tools: $85
Total Wheel: $180

Total Cost: $650

No regrets on spending my money on the old gals for sure, and thanks for all the compliments! They're my favorite hobby, and I want to keep them going as best as I can for as long as I can (even if I have to spend a bit of extra money along the way to try and do it right). Even got some good mowing in today!

Repair seems to be solid. Can tell the next wobble in the system is either from the steering or within the pedestal itself, not the hub assembly. Mowed real good and steering was good and tight!

Also, RE: Bearing Race Punch... It looks like a giant rod with an oval on the tip so you can knock the old bearing races out. Pretty sure any punch or chisel type device could be made to work for removal, or solid piece of round steel provided it was hard enough. However, I am super glad I bought the bearing race and seal installer. I installed 4 races and the 2 cup washer seals with it.

ACinSC -- I must admit, it works pretty good, albeit the one I bought was a bit long and hard to control. But the tip is like this:

Fits right in the slot and you just slug away.

IBWD Mike -- Thank you! :)