Steering Bushing Solution? or not?

[jsmit]

Looking for a review of my plan to fix my worn out steering bushing, you know the piece that is at the end of the steering arm...that the steering wheel shaft passes through on the way to the steering wheel...

Here's what Im gonna try, unless directed otherwise:

Mine is worn out well beyond the original diameter (paper thin on bottom). To fix, I am going to set it flat on a piece of saran wrap covered wood and clamp it tight, with the one side of the hole against the wrap and wood and one side exposed. Then I am going to fill the hole with epoxy/metal (ie JB Weld or other 3M style product), let it set, remove clamp and wood, sand to smooth, drill new steering wheel hole, tap a hole for a new zerk in the top and reinstall. Whaddya think.... I can't find any good ones to replace it so, I figured this would be a good rebuild solution.

[johnbron]

Heres a good one for $25.00. http://www.tmtractor.com/st/458.htm

[George Willer]

If you have a little time and equipment, it's possible to make a steel one, as I did for one of my projects...

[johnbron]

George. The original one in your picture is really really worn. Did the steering shaft have a lot of wear at that point also?. Such as maybe a groove.

[George Willer]

George. The original one in your picture is really really worn. Did the steering shaft have a lot of wear at that point also?. Such as maybe a groove.

Bronson,

No, and that was a surprise. Ordinarily, the harder of the two materials in contact will wear the most. The accepted reason: abrasive foreign material tends to imbed in the softer material and work like a lap on the harder material.

I've seen construction dust imbed in the bronze bushings on ventilator fan shafts and actually cut shafts in two!

[(CUB HUT)]

jsmit -------- Fixed my bushing the way you are going to --but cut A peace of wood dowel to put in the hole. Saved a lot of J B weld. Worked well,was easy to drill out.
DAVE

[beaconlight]

Some people think that greasing is onlyto lubricate. If sufficient is used it will flush dirt out. Tractors run in dusty, dirty conditions so that extra grease to flush out the dirt helps. As does doing it often enough. grease and oil copst but they are cheaper than down time and repairs.
Bill

[Steve Butram]

George , My guess is the bushing You are using as a illustration came off a cub that had been rolled over and the arm was never straighted . To have that much wear . I bet it was hard to turn the wheel. Steve

[johnbron]

Mine does not have a zerk grease-fitting. It just has the small hole for oil drops. While mine is off the Cub now clean & painted I was thinking of painting the bore with Slip-Plate and just leaving it dry.

[George Willer]

George , My guess is the bushing You are using as a illustration came off a cub that had been rolled over and the arm was never straighted . To have that much wear . I bet it was hard to turn the wheel. Steve

Steve,

No, the arm was straight. Unlike the earlier cast iron ones, the later die cast ones didn't hold up very well.

I wouldn't add the zerk as has been suggested. My Fords have a zerk there and Murphy's law says that whenever you drive one, you'll get grease on your hands and clothes.

[jsmit]

Thanks to all who replied. Im not sure which way I'll go, but TM Tractor Parts also has a link for newly fab'd version similar to George's shown in the picture. Pretty cheap too, I suppose, when compared to the cost of my time and alot of epoxy filler. Its not a show piece (yet) so Im not concerned with the "non-factory" aspect.
Thanks as always, I'll post some pix soon.

[John Niekamp]

Like George, I made one for a customer a couple years ago, but he insisted on a replaceable bushing, so I made it just a little tad bit larger than original and bored it out to accept a "standard" sized "oil-lite" bronze bushing. I guess he was figuring on plowing many acres.


Johnbron,

This fella's looked just like the worn out one in George's picture. I naturally thought the same thing, a bent shaft. It had very little wear on the shaft itself and was straight as an arrow. Sure must have been a lot of driving over the years.

John Niekamp

[johnbron]

Johnbron,

This fella's looked just like the worn out one in George's picture. I naturally thought the same thing, a bent shaft. It had very little wear on the shaft itself and was straight as an arrow. Sure must have been a lot of driving over the years.

John Niekamp

*************

The worn out one George is showing is worn on the bottom so that would mean a lot of downward pressure on it which means long straight discing runs with a heavy body weight napping on the steering wheel.

[Bigdog]

The worn out one George is showing is worn on the bottom so that would mean a lot of downward pressure on it which means long straight discing runs with a heavy body weight napping on the steering wheel.

JB - That sounds like the voice of experience!