Kraig - Oh Great One Keeper of the Photos - your instructions letter "b." ends with "refer to foldout at back of manual". Where's that picture? I agree with Jack - the instructions are clear as mud, and even in the morning when he looks they will still be mud. I think Jack will have to resort to the tried and true method normally associated with an adjusting nut - use a wrench of the proper size, and tighten the nut, just slightly. Interesting the diagram with the list of parts no. 1 thru 23, doesn't list the adjusting nut (but I think it's supposed to be the top item 21 in the pic.
Jack - make sure you let us know if in the end you just held onto the the Speed Control Rod (shaft) no. 19 in the pic, and tightened the adjusting nut with a wrench. I recall it's a big nut like 7/8" so I hope you either have a stubby wrench for it or figure out how to get a long one in there.
Earl L - I know you were asking Dennis and I don't disagree with Dennis' response as a method you could use, but I think that's somewhat over doing what the situation requires. I agree the bearing does need to be snug or even somewhat tight inside the wheel but an easier method is to just hammer lightly around the outside of the wheel hub and it will tighten the hub enough that the bearing will have to be hammered lightly to get it back in. I wouldn't hammer directly on the bearing - place a block of wood on it or lightly tap around the outside to get it back into the hub. If you got the hub to tight and light hammering won't get the bearing to go in then you'll have to tap on the inside of the hub to open it back up a little. Typing and talking here is harder than it is to actually do this.
You also asked about greaing the bearing so here's what I always liked to do.
1st, remove and clean the bearings as best you can. Then pack them using the old palm of your hand method like car wheel bearings. Then insert the bearings back into the hub and slide the wheel onto the spindle and install the nut and washer.
THEN you need to check the end play between the bearing and the washer. The manual calls out a maximum of 1/32". If you have more than 1/32" end play you'll have to add shims (and I'll bet your hub problem happened because you currently have more than 1/32" end play).
Then, once you're sure you have the end play down to to 1/32" or less, I'd remove the wheel and remove one of the bearings and put a damn of grease on the inside of the hub all around the bearing still installed. Then I would install the other bearing and do the best I could to get a dam of grease on the back side of that bearing. Then install the wheel back on the hub, add the shims already determined necessary, and install the washer and bolt. Spin the wheel to make sure it tuns freely and WHALAAAA - you're done.
You actually should do this every year. Once you've done it a few times it only takes about 15 minutes as part of your annual maintenance routine.
Those wheel bearings will last a good long time with annual maintenance, but people leave them go and the bearing fails, or normal usage results in to much end play, the bearing starts to slide out of the hub and the bearing gets sloppy, eventually twisting slightly, fails, comes apart and starts cutting into the spindle AND NOW you have a BIG maintenance expense.
So - for those of you having a look see at a Cub you spied some place - make sure you grap the top of the tire and push back and forth a little. If you see alot of end play there is a good chance the bearing has failed and it could already be cutting into the spindle. Don't confuse appearance of toe-in with the end play. The NF tractors usually look like they don't have toe-in but if you see one sitting toe-in or especially with toe-OUT it's probably a bearing and spindle problem. The WF tractors normally do appear to have toe-in so grab hold and see if there is play just to make sure. And if you got end play on both front wheels that could be spindle and bearing problems, that could cost a couple hundred in new parts - so add that to your bargaining.
