Steering box is rebuilt

I finished up my steering box on my 1948 8N I am working on this morning. This has been a full rebuild replacing everything that can be replaced. It has new steering sector bushings I reamed myself with a brake hone, I replaced the nylon bearings with good steel bearings and cups, TWO steering sector oil seals on each side, new upper steering tube bearing and dust seals, and new 3/4" jamb nuts and lock washers for the sector arms. All backlash was adjusted out thanks to the new bushings.

I had about 2"-3" of free play in the steering wheels before it affected the steering sector shafts, now it is almost immediate response. All bolts and holes have been cleaned up with a tap and die. I filled the box with 2 tubes of John Deere cornhead grease when it was all put back together. I wire wheeled the three layers of paint off the box this morning, and applied three coats of TSC New Holland Red enamel paint to finish it off. Sure turns nice and smooth now.

It will sure be nice to drive across the pasture without the wheels flapping all over the place :-) Hydraulics are next.

Dan

I replaced the bottom bushing by pounding the round steel blank you see when you flip the steering box over inward and in doing so pushed the nylon bushing into the center of the box (yours may be the correct steel bearing race). I pounded the round blank back into place from the top after cleaning the area real well. Then I used a long brass drift to pound the steel bearing race into the recess for it. The roller bearing just floats in this race with the downward pressure of the worn gear shaft the only thing that keeps it in place.

HTH,
Dan

Dan