# Replacing disc bearings on chipper.



## gorman (Sep 17, 2010)

Cant do this ####e myself, no siree. Gonna take it to the dealer which unfortunately three hours away hauling my chipper up 95. What perplexes me is that I've meticulously maintained it and the machine only has 800+ hours on it. I've cleaned/greased the bearings fittings every day, kept the knives sharp, and the anvil properly adjusted. I don't feed roots and garbage into my machine so does anyone have any insight as to what I may be doing wrong to cause this premature failure.

Oh, and it's a 2006 bandit 200.


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## jefflovstrom (Sep 17, 2010)

Does it have a belly pan? One you can open everyday and clean out?
Jeff


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## TimberJack_7 (Sep 17, 2010)

What are they going to charge you for that?


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## gorman (Sep 17, 2010)

The dealer gets around $92 per hour and "it's about an eight hour job" they said. If I took it anywhere else I'd pay comparable and have to wait for them to get around to chasing down the parts. I got a backlog so I just need it done right and quick. 

As to a belly pan, I'm not entirely sure what you're talking about. I clean out the chip debris from under the belts from time to time but I dunno how crud would build up around the bearing.


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## jefflovstrom (Sep 17, 2010)

Are the infeed rollers vertical or horizontal? If horizontal, is there a belly pan under the chipper under the rollers? If not clean out, debris build up and pushes out the bearing.
Jeff 
Never used a Bandit is why I asked.


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## lxt (Sep 17, 2010)

jefflovstrom said:


> Are the infeed rollers vertical or horizontal? If horizontal, is there a belly pan under the chipper under the rollers? If not clean out, debris build up and pushes out the bearing.
> Jeff
> Never used a Bandit is why I asked.



Ive actually seen so much debris compacted in there that it started to belly out the plate, what Jeff says is very true & after a premature change of bearings I figured it out...Now that plate stays open always & I dont care about cleaning the debris up either.

changing the bearings really is not that bad....but if your swamped I understand, I built what looked like a hangmans tower outta 6x6`s (had a few laying around) chain hoist and alot of swearing! hell I havent changed my bearings in 3yrs or better!



good luck!


LXT................


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## jefflovstrom (Sep 17, 2010)

I wish the guys would leave it open too, but I understand when they don't. As long as they are aware that every day it is cleaned. Kinda costly on big Morbarks. 
Jeff


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## mattfr12 (Sep 17, 2010)

ya i gotta agree just leave it open. A few shovel fulls at the end of the day and your done. when they say belly pan thier talking about on the bottom of the machine under the infeed rollers thiers a pan that swings open that will fill up with debris and cause an uneven spin to the disk thus wearing out the bearings.


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## Blakesmaster (Sep 17, 2010)

I never heard about the belly pan either. I'll need to check if mine has one or not. How did you know when your bearings went? What did the machine do? Horrible noises? Excessive heat? Everything come unglued? I check mine at least once a week to make sure neither one isn't heating up more than the other, but that's about it besides regular greasing.


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## gorman (Sep 17, 2010)

Oh yeah. That stays open. less dirt and gravel getting to the knives too. It's always been open. But I was not aware that accumulating shmeg in there could cause an uneven disc spin.


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## gorman (Sep 17, 2010)

yeah, I knew it was going because for a while it was making a rhythmic sound when i shut it down. nothing really bad, for about six months. yesterday that sound turned into something a wee bit more ominous at the drop of a hat. dealer said any sound in an unsafe chipper.


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## Blakesmaster (Sep 17, 2010)

gorman said:


> dealer said any sound in an unsafe chipper.



Mind clarifying that? Mine's making a bit of a rythmic sound but it's definitely not ominous. I've replaced dern near everything else on my unit so doing the bearings next would be par for the course. My father ( an industrial mechanic ) said if you're not seeing a difference in heat from one bearing to the other after a long use they're probably both ok. Granted, he does lack a bit of experience with high speed bearings. From what you say it seems on alert operator will "know" when they start to go.


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## jefflovstrom (Sep 17, 2010)

mattfr12 said:


> when they say belly pan thier talking about on the bottom of the machine under the infeed rollers thiers a pan that swings open that will fill up with debris and cause an uneven spin to the disk thus wearing out the bearings.



You said it better than me, yup.
Jeff


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## jefflovstrom (Sep 17, 2010)

Blakesmaster said:


> I never heard about the belly pan either. I'll need to check if mine has one or not. How did you know when your bearings went? What did the machine do? Horrible noises? Excessive heat? Everything come unglued? I check mine at least once a week to make sure neither one isn't heating up more than the other, but that's about it besides regular greasing.



Look at the in-feed rollers in the morning. You got your coffee and walk back and look at the rollers. Are they even?
Jeff


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## Blakesmaster (Sep 17, 2010)

jefflovstrom said:


> Look at the in-feed rollers in the morning. You got your coffee and walk back and look at the rollers. Are they even?
> Jeff









They look even to me. What you getting at, Jeffi? What do the infeed rollers have to do with the disc bearings?


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## ropensaddle (Sep 17, 2010)

Mine don't have no belly pan man but it whips your azz sometimes


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## Blakesmaster (Sep 17, 2010)

If you're saying that the belly pan is under the infeed rollers and should be open, ok, I guess that makes sense but I though we were talking about the disc bearings here. I can't imagine replacing the bearings on the infeed rollers to be that expensive.


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## treemandan (Sep 17, 2010)

I keep my belly open always. Jeff, the guy was talking about the disc bearings.


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## jefflovstrom (Sep 17, 2010)

treemandan said:


> I keep my belly open always. Jeff, the guy was talking about the disc bearings.



I got it. Thanks for making me feel stupider!
Jeff


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## Blakesmaster (Sep 17, 2010)

jefflovstrom said:


> I got it. Thanks for making me feel stupider!
> Jeff



Dumbass! lol


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## treemandan (Sep 17, 2010)

jefflovstrom said:


> I got it. Thanks for making me feel stupider!
> Jeff



Well, I am good at the impossible.

But 800 hours and the disc bearings went don't sound like to bad of a deal though. I dunno, I would like to think they would last longer. Its all this cheap recycled steel from China. What kind of grease was being used?


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## lone wolf (Sep 17, 2010)

gorman said:


> Cant do this ####e myself, no siree. Gonna take it to the dealer which unfortunately three hours away hauling my chipper up 95. What perplexes me is that I've meticulously maintained it and the machine only has 800+ hours on it. I've cleaned/greased the bearings fittings every day, kept the knives sharp, and the anvil properly adjusted. I don't feed roots and garbage into my machine so does anyone have any insight as to what I may be doing wrong to cause this premature failure.
> 
> Oh, and it's a 2006 bandit 200.



Why cant you do it ?


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## beowulf343 (Sep 17, 2010)

lxt said:


> Ive actually seen so much debris compacted in there that it started to belly out the plate, what Jeff says is very true & after a premature change of bearings I figured it out...Now that plate stays open always & I dont care about cleaning the debris up either.



Yep, we just throw a grape crate under it.


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## treemandan (Sep 18, 2010)

beowulf343 said:


> Yep, we just throw a grape crate under it.



good idea !


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## treeclimber101 (Sep 18, 2010)

I don't understand what the cutter wheel bearings have to do with the infeed wheels ? The bearing for the cutter wheel are simple enough to change but you need something to lift and remove the disc , as far as the ominous sounds what chipper new or old doesn't have a little noise in those bearing , the best way to test them is to use a 3/8 extension and touch the bearing casing while the machine is running engaged listen to the other end and you can hear the bearing inside , works with engines and pulleys bearings as well ..Overgreasing will destroy them as well..


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## Don't-B-Stumped (Sep 18, 2010)

i overgreased my stump cutter wheel bearings and blew out the seals. that allowed water to get in and then they even started locking up after hosing it down and letting it sit for a few days. i don't wash them with a hose much anymore. i use a blower now. now i just grease them every time i use it because of the seals but i'm gonna have to replace them soon as they are talking to me.


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## jefflovstrom (Sep 18, 2010)

Yup, don't just tell the guys to grease it, show them how.
Jeff


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## CUCV (Sep 18, 2010)

gorman said:


> yeah, I knew it was going because for a while it was making a rhythmic sound when i shut it down. nothing really bad, for about six months. yesterday that sound turned into something a wee bit more ominous at the drop of a hat. dealer said any sound in an unsafe chipper.



I had the same thing happen with my bandit 100 last winter. I got under the shaft with a large pry bar and was able to see some movement so I knew the bearing was shot. The chipper has thousands of hours on it so I wasn't surprised. It really wasn't a big deal to change. I struggled a bit getting the bearing off then just cut it off with a cutoff wheel. Come to find out a previous owner must have mushroomed the shaft with a sledge hammer. I didn't have to make a big contraption to lift or hold the wheel I just shimmed up the shaft. After filing and mic'ing the shaft the new bearing went on with ease.

Recently I was looking at another chipper to buy with 1200 hours. Another potential buyer had highered a service rep to look over the machine. I got a chance to talk with him and he recommended changing the bearings at those hours. I was surprise because they looked good to me without slope or noise.

At my engineering job I am always sizing and spec'ing out bearings. Everything I design the bearings have to have a L10 life of 50,000 hours


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## lxt (Sep 19, 2010)

how the hell did you lift the disc with bearings outta the bearing blocks to shim it? on a 90xp you have to pull the pump pulley wheel to get to the bearing......your not shimming on the bandit 90xp!

not sure what model your working on???


LXT..................


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## lxt (Sep 19, 2010)

A bandit 100, hmmm...doesnt that have the pulley(s) for the hydraulic system on the belt side? Im just wondering how you did it by shimming the disc shaft.....cuz any way easier than what I did..I wanna know!!!



LXT............


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## CUCV (Sep 19, 2010)

lxt said:


> A bandit 100, hmmm...doesnt that have the pulley(s) for the hydraulic system on the belt side? Im just wondering how you did it by shimming the disc shaft.....cuz any way easier than what I did..I wanna know!!!
> 
> 
> 
> LXT............



Yes I had to remove the PTO and hydro pump pulleys, I shimmed it up on the disc side of the bearing.


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## CUCV (Sep 19, 2010)

O yeah I used a trusty C-clamp too for fine tuning the height. I basically just had some key stock under the shaft.


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## lone wolf (Sep 20, 2010)

CUCV said:


> O yeah I used a trusty C-clamp too for fine tuning the height. I basically just had some key stock under the shaft.



Did you have to cut the bearing apart because it was so tight? 
or just the housing to get a puller on?


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## lxt (Sep 20, 2010)

wow the 100 is different from the 90xp, I would have to remove my gas tank...where yours is a lower profile, the other side is so close to the rear of the infeed chute that you would struggle to get the bearing off, for me it was much easier to just lift the whole disc with bearings out, easier to work with & really wasnt much of a problem.

your set up is different though & hey! whatever is easier!! good pic posting & helpful!


LXT..............


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## CUCV (Sep 20, 2010)

lone wolf said:


> Did you have to cut the bearing apart because it was so tight?
> or just the housing to get a puller on?



I had to cut thru into the ID of the bearing because the shaft was mushroomed. Although I didn't know it was mushroomed until I got the bearing off. I'm not shy of cutting off bearings, sometimes its way faster when they have a tight fit that will take thousands of pounds force to get off. I cut most of the way thru then crack it with a chisel.


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