Play in steering

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 12:35 pm

I have a bit of play in my steering. Its also quite stiff sometimes, which ive narrowed down to one of the king pins, so ive bought the repair kit for both sides, what is the best way to tackle this? The play in the steering, i think is the drag link, because the joints move before the steering and the front pins need replacing. Interestingly enough, if you tighten the large nut on the shaft that goes into the steering box, it becomes really tight, but if you slacken it off a bit, it frees up. Is this supposed to do this?

Dandy Dave · Post by **Dandy Dave** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 2:54 pm

The toughest part of this job is Fitting the bushings. They are in unfinished sizes, and must be reamed to fit after installation using expanding reamers. Also, The nut on the steering box is not suppose to do that. You should beable to tighten it without it binding. Dandy Dave!

henk · Post by **henk** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 4:29 pm

Nick,

Play in your steering system is mostly a build up from al the different parts.
I have done the whole system.
Starting with the steering house. Remove the elbow and feel the axial play. Remove a shim on the back. Use a liquid sealer when you put it back together. Because its common to leak oil. Check the radial play to see if the bushes are worn. There are new bushes, but you have to ream them just as Dandy Dave tells about the front axle bushes. Feel on the steering wheel how much play you have vertical. To remove a shim for that you have to remove the diesel tank.
Check the part at the elbow / rod connection and do the same on the rod / steering arm.
Than check the play on the rod connectors from the steering rod that goes under the tractor. Most of the time the holes and pins are worn.
Than the steering axle vertical and radial.
And than the adjustment of the bearing on each front wheel.
Start solve the worst part, but if you have to do the steering house, do that all at once and properly. Will save you a lot of agony.

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 6:27 pm

ok, had a quick look. took the drop arm off from the steering box to the drag link, and as soon as you turn the steering wheel, the shaft moves, and its feels very smooth. So i am assuming the box is ok.
However behind where the drop arm fixes on the splined shaft there were two large washers/spacers, what are these for?

I think most of the play is coming from the drag link and one of the front steering pins and holes being worn.
Can you buy new steering links? I know you can buy pins, but the hole is almost oval!

henk · Post by **henk** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 6:54 pm

Nick,

There should be an oil seal made of a sort of rope. To hold it in place there’s a aluminium washer that is kept in place by making some dents in the outline of the hole. You have to feel the axle with the steering wheel in middle and on both end positions. Check if it has enough oil. If not, fill it with the thickest oil there is, because it will always leak at the seal end.

You can buy new pins for the cross rod. New steering arms and pins.

http://people.zeelandnet.nl/hmdetroije/ ... e%203.html

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Mon Sep 20, 2010 7:07 pm

yeah i can see the dimpled washer, i havent taken it out yet, but there were two huge washers infront of that. I have taken these huge washers out (because there arent any on my other major) and now when the nut is tight, the steering is not stiff, so that solves that.
Where do you put the oil in the steering box?

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Tue Sep 21, 2010 5:07 pm

ive found why those large washers/spacers were there. there is lots of play on the spline where the drop arm slides on. So my conclusion is : to solve play these spacers were put in so the nut would keep it tight, alas it worked but made the steering stiff. Can you buy replacement drop arms and steering box splines?

super6954 · Post by **super6954** » Tue Sep 21, 2010 5:58 pm

Hi Nick
Ive never seen new replacements unless somebody has new old stock laying around. I think its only good used if you can find them.
I was wondering if its the washers pushing the arm up against the end of the steering box that makes it tight. if it is that could you grind some off the back of the arm to give more clearance.
this would then let the arm further up the taper and tighten it if the splines are not to bad. you would then have to find nice fitting washers to go on the nut end to space it as before and then push it up tight as it should be.
I did this on a big Case1175 tractor kingpin and steering arm a couple of months ago it was the same idea with splines and tapers. The guy got quoted $800 for new parts . It cost an hour of my time at $35 and hes happy and it still works fine

.
Regards Robert

henk · Post by **henk** » Tue Sep 21, 2010 8:10 pm

Nick,

I think Robert has got a point. Only thing is, the bushes in the steering house must be ok.
When you can grind about 2mm of maybe the arm will fit right.

If not, bushes are available but hard to find. Old20 man in Holland searched 3 months for me.
Steering axle itself is only available by breakers. I would try to find a complete steering house. Than you will have bushes, shims and bearing balls as spare parts.
All the houses from the Majors types are the same. Only the New Major has a shorter shaft.