The Fordson Tractor Pages Forum

Started fixing the Dexta we bought a few weeks ago. The steering was almost too stiff to turn so greased it all up to see if that helped.
The front axle is to be refurbed as it is very worn but the wheels steer freely so that's not the problem.
With the drag arms off the steering wheel turns freely but connect them up and it is very stiff.
I'm thinking that wear in the steering box is stiffeninmg up the steering when pressure applied via the steering wheel.
The steering box will have to be refurbed I think so could any one let me know what to expect when we get to stripping it down please.

Hello Landowner,

I could type it all out,but as you know a picture says more than a thousand words,so i would like to advise you to visit Stefan's site.

http://www.fordson-dexta.de/

Be careful not to drop the 19 (i think) balls when working on the upper bearings.

Good luck!

I seem to think there are 16 balls. Talking about those balls can someone please confirm their size/diameter. The old balls that I removed measured 8mm.

Just read that there are fifteen and they are 8mm whatever that is.
Still cant work out how it works, is there a worm gear that is binding up making it stiff?

Thanks for the confirmation. 8mm is about 3/8"

8 mm (0.3149") is actually nearer 5/16" (0.3125")
3/8" (0.375") is nearer 10mm (0.3937")

Mike

try removing some shims from the top bearing to tighten that up, might reduce the resistance.

Hi it will take alot of head scratching to sort it out , iwould start with the easy,er parts first. the 2 bolts that hold the radius rods to axel can seize up and leave the steering tight, Gerry

Hi Landowner,
there are 15x5/16" ball bearings in the top bearing, There are no metric sizes on a Dexta.
I don't think sized radias bolts will cause heavy steering, Steering box oil seals may have gone so no oil. No easy solution.
Regards JOHN.

Thanks Mike. Strangely, while I was lying in bed last night I thought of the 3/8" that I posted and realized that I was wrong it should have been 5/16".

Hi Landowner,

I will ask a silly question. When you checked the front wheels to see if they were free when they were not connected to the steering arms, were they off the ground when you did it? If they were your problem may be collapsed "thrust bearings" (not sure of the proper name for the bearing that keeps the front axle spindle from contacting the front axle). When the weight of the tractor is on the front wheels it is the "thrust bearings" that allow free movement. My E27N had a similar problem caused by shot thrust bearings in the front axle. It was so tight that I broke a steering box housing trying to steer the tractor untill I changed the thrust bearings in the front axle. It steers great now and I didn't change anything else bearing wise. Well I will qualify that I don't need to use both arms and a foot to turn the wheel, but directional control over 10 km/h is a bit hit and miss.

Regards, Frank.

Have you checked the track rod ends to see if they are moving freely. I have known tight steering caused by the 4 joints partially siezed.

I think it's the box.
Reconditioning the box and all steering bits from the front to the steering wheel.
Got the wrong bushes for the front axle though, they sent four the same size but mine has small ones at the top and bigger ones at the bottom of the kingpins.
They say nobody else complains so I cant understand why mine is different. (its a 64 super dexta)

You didn't say who "they" are?

However the top bush is smaller than the lower bush, hence the two different part nos.

Gerald

Got some propper ones now and they fit.

'They' are agriline and 'they' supplied some new ones which did fit...

Guess why it was stiff to steer ??

There was no oil in the steering box only rusty water and there was also a loose ball bearing ''floating'' round in the box, this coused the steering to be stiff when the ball bearing got mixed up with the worm gear etc.
Worm gear in perfect condition and I thin with a new top bearing race, new seals and some oil all will be well.

Result....