Worm and sector gear question

[ShawnAgne]

Pulled the worm and sector gear on my 300. The worm gear had areas that had broken off on the gear itself in the front and the back of the gear where the threads start and end. The sector gear looked to be good but since it was probably original I was suspect. I was getting wobble when I was driving in 4/5th on the road. Would the small areas on the worm gear that were broken be the cause? Generally what would happen would be it would start wobbling and I'd pop the wheel and it would stop.

I checked the universal joint and it is tight there was no slop in it.

I have a new worm and sector gear coming but just like to verify what the cause probably was.

 

[oldfarmkid]

My experience with steering and worm gear is grand total of 1 ea. But, YIKES broken sections on worm gear. Guessing that was not caused by normal use. All you can do is replace parts and give it a try. If it were mine I'd replace all you can with new. With something that shows obvious signs of abuse it could be hard to pinpoint exactly whats in need of repair before hand. I was lucky when I bought my H that the fuel tank was full of crap and engine could only run 5 mins at a time. Was going to drive it home, but had to have a tow truck deliver it. Counted my lucky stars when I found the nail at the end of the steering shaft was the only thing holding everything together. So be careful, guessing the thrill of front wheels suddenly throwing itself fully left or right while in road gear is a short lived experience, literally. Also if the 300 is the same as my H, the sector gear is a tapered fit and after the nut is loosened, the front wheels have to be raised off the ground to allow the tapered fit to be broken loose. For me that involved a short stool to stand on and an eight pound sledge hammer. Remember to protect those threads. Our Dear lady on Steiners video shows no need to raise front end and hammer away. The added leverage of 3/4 ratchet and sockets came in handy for me also.

Good Luck