Heavy steering

[Nick]

Hi all, my major has always had heavy steering, i had hoped that with a bit of use it would free up and be ok. The spindles have freed up alot but still wont accept any grease but the steering is still very heavy.
If i jack the front wheels up off the ground it gets alot easier to steer but you still have to do it with both hands. Also when its down on its wheels and either stationary or slow moving something creeks nastily. It does get easier to steer when moving fast, to me its like a bearing is worn and it does have alot of play (90 degrees) before the steering moves.
It did also have a loader on it before i got hold of it.

[Dandy Dave]

You may need to remove the grease fittings and see that the holes are clean and that the grease can get where it needs to go. I have had fittings in the past that were so bad, I had to use a drill to clean the dirt out of the holes. At the lowest part of the spindle, there are bearings. Perhaps these are worn and bad, especially after many years of use with a loader as there is nothing harder on a frontend. Also, have you checked the steering box oil level? 90 degrees on a steering box is not uncommon on a tractor. It will be less when you get the frontend moving like it should. Dandy Dave!

[henk]

Nick,

Remove the cross steering rod on one side. Then you can feel if the right wheel is going nice or bad.
Remove the steering rod between from the steering house at one of the three point. Than you can feel the left wheel and the steering house.
Seems to me the ballbearing of the steeringhouse is bad.

[Nick]

Ok i had chance last night to have a look, it seems the offside spindle is very tight to turn by hand (you need to really push the wheel) as the nearside is free and moving well, maybe a bit too much it almost seems loose?

The steering box seems light when the drag link is disconnected and most of the play is coming from the drop arms splines which are very worn.

I suppose what i should of done is put it down on its wheel with the cross shaft disconnected and see it the free wheel moves nicely on its own.....will do that later.

[henk]

Nick,

While you have the wheels up an disconnected, you can feel if there’s free play on the bearings of the wheel and/or on the spindle by lifting the wheel a bit.