Thanks Clooney, it worked

I did what you said on chasing the threads on the castlenut and on the front wheel spindles. They now lock on the spindle with no problems. Thanks again. Just another question, how tight should I have them against the bearings? When the tractor is jacked up, both wheels turn freely, but one has a little more drag than the other. I didn't know if loose was better than being too tight. Also, the metal felt retainer seats deeper in one of the hubs than the other. About 1/4 inch is outside of hub next to vertical spindle.

On the wheel bearing tightness issue?... You don’t want them too tight or too loose.. If you have new felts in the hubs for seals it’s sometimes real hard to judge the bearing drag due to tight felts.. Try to just snug the nut up until you can feel some bearing drag then back the nut up slightly [about ½ to 1 nut flat.. If new thick grease is used remember they will loosen slightly more as the grease wears in..

It"s always a good idea to re-check the wheel/bearings for being loose after you use the tractor a while [just jack the front wheels up & give them a shake],, If loose re-adjust..

JDClooney@aol.com