Kingpin Bearings

[Nick]

Hi all, Im currently addressing the heavy steering on my major. One of the kingpins was very tight, i.e you couldnt turn the front wheel easily when jacked up. So ive taken it all apart to find it all dry and crappy inside.
Ive cleaned everything up and its now ready for re-assembly. I bought a few months back, the kingpin repair kit from sparex which includes, bushes, dust seals and new bearings. Ive tried fitting the bearings, but they are not the same as the original ones in size. The old ones tapped out fairly easily, but these are slightly bigger, do they need pressing in, or are they the wrong ones?

[Nick]

Well that serves me right for jumping to conclusions! I hadnt noticed that the top part of the bearing cage was still left in the axle housing, so i levered it out with a screwdriver and the new one fits perfectly!

I put it all back together and the steering is much, much lighter than before, although the top of the steering shaft still creaks at odd occasions when turning fast, this seems like a bad steering shaft bearing to me...............what do you guys think?

[henk]

Nick,

On top of the steering rod there a copper bush. It sounds like the bearing in your steering house is getting worn.
Did you check the other front wheel and kingpin. Can't do no harm to check the play and smooth turning.

[Nick]

There is a bit of play in the other side, but i havent attempted to take it apart, because it has been welded at some point, plus it turns very smoothly.
You can steer with one hand now, where as before you had a job to steer with two hands!

Im going to take the diesel tank off next as it has developed a small leak, and requires brazing, so i will inspect the steering box etc then. Which steering rod do you mean henk, with the copper bush?

[henk]

Nick,

Just under the steering wheel there's the bush. On top of the kolom. The bearing is inside the steering box.

I have done my tank one year ago. They all leak at the same place.
Inside across the mounting place of the tank are soft soldered pieces of metal. When you have condense water in the tank and the soldering is broke (wich they all do) the water will go in the area under pieces. When you have frost it burst your tank.
I have put tank cure in it. Works well so far.

[Kim]

After you have brazed up the leak, it would be a good idea to run tank sealer in the bottom half of the tank while it's off. The tanks never seem to rust out on the top section; you use less sealer by just doing the lower part; and if there is an unseen weakened spot, you're now covered for low money!

[henk]

You are right Kim.
I had to do it four times to cloose the hole in the solder.

[Pavel]

There should be a greaser for the top bearing - just under the steering wheel.
With the fuel tank off, do a couple more checks on the steering box:
Try pull/pushing the steering wheel up and down. There should be just perceptible free play. If more, remove one of the shims from the bottom of the column.
Try pull/pushing the drop arm in and out. Again, there should be just a bit more than perceptible free play. And again, you can remove shims.
There should only be about an inch of freeplay movement of the steering wheel before movement of the drop arm is noticed.
Also, of course, ensure the box has a topped up supply of gear oil.
Pavel

[Nick]

Ive inspected what you said pavel, there is very little movement up and down on the steering wheel, and no movement in and out on the drop are, but there is alot of wear on the splines on the drop arm itself, this is where most of the play in my steering is coming from!
I have got a spares steering box here off a super major, would the drop arm fit as the splines look good?

I will take the box apart when ive got the tank off, but that will be at the weekend because I now have another quad to repair!

[Pavel]

Not sure which Major you have, but the Power and Super have different length steering columns to the early ones. Assuming that the spare you have is the same as that fitted to your tractor,it makes better sense to just swop the outer cases over to rectify the sloppy top end bushing in the one currently fitted as, from your comment, it appears that the box itself is in perfect condition. Also bearing in mind the spline problem; wear of the splines will affect both male and female parts, even though the steering box shaft will be of a tougher material, and just replacing one may not be sufficient to do a permanent job. You could try shimming it.
Get a small sheet of shim metal, either 1 or 5 thou, and cut it to fit in a circle inside the drop arm -- allowing a lead-in length of an inch to guide it onto the shaft. When I once did this, a complete circle was too much so its diameter was cut in half. This was then judiciously [so as not to smash the gearbox casing] drifted on with a hammer. Good as new!
Pavel