450c Recoil spring

77 Ford · Post by **77 Ford** » Wed Jan 25, 2012 9:35 am

I'm neck deep in replacing the recoil springs on my 450c. I have it all tore down, I've cleaned the threads up in the back coil spring plate with a tap. I've made an offset tool so the front head of my all thread is in the same spot as the pictures in my manual.

Here is my problem, I've compressed the spring about 1" and I think I need to compress it a total of 4" to fit. I can't hardly hold the spring assembly with another guy and turn the bolt to draw it up. The manual says to use a press to compress the spring and then the bolt to hold it compressed. My issues is 1) I don't have a JD construction dealer within 60 miles of me 2) Even if you do that you still have to hold it in the machine to decompress it, so there has to be a way to hold it.

I've put lubricants on the threads and the friction area where the nut turns and it helped a little but I can't imagine fighting it in the other 3 inches.

Does anyone have any suggestions on this? We've talked about an impact to turn the all thread, is that a good idea?

Paul Buhler · Post by **Paul Buhler** » Wed Jan 25, 2012 10:28 am

Hi: A spring shop may have a big enough press to help you out. I'm concerned about the term "all thread". The all thread I've seen is only rated as grade 2 and won't handle the shock loads an undercarriage experiences. Make sure that your threaded rod is up to the task. Good luck. Paul

77 Ford · Post by **77 Ford** » Wed Jan 25, 2012 10:33 am

On a 450c, the all thread is only used to install the spring , it comes out after that.

I've crunched the numbers, the spring compression rate x 4inches vs the tensile strength of the all thread and it should hold to get it in.

Paul Buhler · Post by **Paul Buhler** » Wed Jan 25, 2012 2:58 pm

On a 450c, the all thread is only used to install the spring , it comes out after that.

Thanks. I was thinking how my 420 spring is threaded on and compressed and wasn't remembering how a 450 spring wraps around the adjuster. Again, good luck getting it fixed. Paul

77 Ford · Post by **77 Ford** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 2:52 pm

Well for future reference for anyone that searches here is my recoil spring replacement story.

First off I bleed the adjuster off and pried the idle wheel as far forward as it could go, hoping this would be enough room to work. More on this later.

I then proceeded to simply pry the broke pieces of my recoil springs out. I had the system with an outer and inner spring. The outer spring was broken in 5 places and therefore came out in 6 pieces, the inside spring I assume from doing all the work for so long was a gutless wonder. I literally used a very small pry bar and just started working pieces out. Now if your spring was good you could never do this and prying on your loaded spring would probably result in some very bad thing happening. DO NOT DO THAT!

Once I had the springs out, which only took about 10 minutes I tried to get the adjuster far enough forward so that I could get the new spring once compressed in. It did not take long to realize with the track on there was never going to be enough room to get the adjuster out of the front of the spring retainer frame bracket.

I decided to try and build a master pin press out of a 8 ton bottle jack and some 3"x 3" x 3/8" angle. I knew this was a long shot but I like building stuff and thought it was worth a try. Needless to say 8 tons did not budge my master pin.

I then decided to get a 4"x4" wood block with a hole in that held a 7/8" rod very snug. I used a ratchet strap to attach it to the pads on the track and then I could hit the rod and try and drive the master pin out without the assistance of a 2nd person. This did not work either.

I ended up just prying the track off the front idler ie like a thrown track and was able to get my front idle pulley far enough forward to get the adjuster out of the way.

I then cleaned up the spring caps and ran a 1"x 8 thread tap through the back to clean the threads ( the tap was only $18.00 thru McMaster Carr). I also turned a small alum spacer about 2 3/8" in diameter and 1.75" tall to sit in the front spring plate to make access to the draw nut easier. I purchased a piece of all thread and welded a nut on the top to compress the whole mess. As this thread started I was trying to figure out how to do that. I ended up getting a 3/4" impact and just cranking it up. It was all the impact could do towards the end. Once I had tried to install the spring and took it out to compress it more about 6 times I was able to get it drop down into place.

Now the real fun began in the impact could not loosen the nut and we ended up using a crow bar to hold the rear spring plate against the side of the frame and a very large break over bar with cheater too loosen the nut. Now the spring is installed and I just have to get the track back on.

I looked long and hard for a write up on replacing the recoil spring and never really found anything. I do not know if people do like to discuss it because of the danger of the spring or other reason but I thought a write up was in order.

One last note, I did in fact purchase the new style single spring and it fit nicely and I do not see any problem converting from the dual spring to it. It will save you a ton of money.

In summary for the TLDR crowd....

1) Get spring out, clean up parts, impact the all thread to the compressed length, remove bolt and profit.

Now I gotta do the other side.....

jtrichard · Post by **jtrichard** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 7:56 pm

ok you got me TLDR?

77 Ford · Post by **77 Ford** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 6:31 am

To Long Didn't Read.....

jtrichard · Post by **jtrichard** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 11:41 am

LOL got it i read almost all the threads all the way through but thats a good one

LeonardL · Post by **LeonardL** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 1:30 pm

This is one of those times when a teenager is handy! Translation of the abbreviations!!!

There are times when I just scratch my head at these abbreviations!!! I know what lol is though!!

Paul Buhler · Post by **Paul Buhler** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 1:43 pm

Lots of Love?

LeonardL · Post by **LeonardL** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 2:29 pm

You Got It!!

JDcrawlers Messageboard

450c Recoil spring

450c Recoil spring

Who is online