I do not think you can just use the needle bearings in your axle.
The axle was the same from the 1250 all the way through the first HT23's (P/N 1718602), and then a new axle part number shows up for the HT23-02 through -05 models.
I suspect that the difference is in the machining of the spindle bores to have a ledge for the needle bearings to sit against, whereas the earlier models all had flange bushings and that flange kept themselves from sliding into the bore.
I haven't personally examined a late HT-23 axle (P/N 1742018) to confirm this theory, but I studied the options for beefing up the spindle bushings when I added a loader to my 1886, and determined that retaining a needle bearing in that bore would require that I bored it out a bit and left a ledge as a stop for the bearings.
The axle was the same from the 1250 all the way through the first HT23's (P/N 1718602), and then a new axle part number shows up for the HT23-02 through -05 models.
I suspect that the difference is in the machining of the spindle bores to have a ledge for the needle bearings to sit against, whereas the earlier models all had flange bushings and that flange kept themselves from sliding into the bore.
I haven't personally examined a late HT-23 axle (P/N 1742018) to confirm this theory, but I studied the options for beefing up the spindle bushings when I added a loader to my 1886, and determined that retaining a needle bearing in that bore would require that I bored it out a bit and left a ledge as a stop for the bearings.
