Steering Problem

[Kernopelli]

Need some advice on a steering issue I developed with my Mitsubishi MTE 2000D. I did a search of the forum but didn't find anything specific to my problem. Yesterday, while using my tractor, I noticed that when I initiated a turn the steering felt like it would catch just slightly and made a slight popping noise. This happened twice and then the steering quit altogether. I stopped to see what was going on and noticed the steering wheel shaft appears to have disconnected somewhere internally. When you turn the steeringwheel to the left, it appears like the steering shaft is unthreading itself, and rises up out of the steering column an inch or two and starts to freewheel and will not move the sector shaft coming out of the steering box (thus the front wheels will not turn left). Turn the steering wheel right and you can see the steering shaft moves down into the column like it is threading into a nut and it will eventually engage and turn the front wheels to the right.
I looked at my I&T manual and it shows an exploded view for 200 series tractors and referring to the manual I am guessing at this point that the problem may be with part #7 (ball nut) since this sounds (but not necessarily looks) like the shaft threads into it. Any input before I tear into it?

 

[Egon]

It may be quite obvious to yourself as to what you are talking about but many of us, like myself I assume, have no idea!

 

[Kernopelli]

OK, maybe I can clarify. I was driving my tractor and suddenly I was unable to steer in the left direction. Just before the steering quit, I felt something unusual in the steering and heard a popping sound when I turned the wheels. After looking at the steering system, I saw that the steering wheel shaft that connects the steering wheel to the steering box was rising up out of the steering column. Seeing that this was unusual, I began turning the steering wheel in both directions and saw that when I turned the steering wheel to the right, the shaft would slowly lower itself into the column, like it was screwing itself into something threaded. After several turns it would begin to turn the front wheels right ( like it had screwed itself in far enough to work properly again).

When I turn the steering wheel to the left, I can turn the wheel several revolutions and see that the steering wheel shaft rises out of the steering column and eventually the steering wheel begins to turn freely, without rising any more and never turning the front wheels to the left (imagine a bolt being held vertically and unscrewing it from a nut, the bolt rises vertically until it is backed all the way out then it turns freely).

I looked at my I&T manual and the exploded view of the steering system shows a piece called a "ball nut" and it is identified as part #7. The ball nut appears to be a part within the steering box that connects to the steering wheel shaft and engages the sector shaft that the pitman arm connects to. My hope is that someone either has a manual and can tell me if the "ball nut" is actually a threaded nut that the steering shaft screws into or knows enough about this steering system that they can tell me if the ball nut is the likely culprit of my troubles. From the diagram, it doesn't look like the shaft threads into the ball nut but the term ball "nut" implies that it may indeed be a threaded nut of sorts.
Any advice on what the problem may be, if I am making a correct assumption about the ball nut or any related experiences with this type of problem would be greatly appreciated prior to tearing into the system

 

[Egon]

That is very descriptive.

I had about the same type of experience with the box on my little tractor. I ended up rebuilding the steering box.

In your situation it may be to your benefit to disassemble the box and make it like new again.

 

[Mundy]

It sounds to me that you may have blown the bearings in the stearing box. There should be a bearing above and below the worm gear on your stearing shaft. If these come apart there is nothing to retain the stearing shaft from up down travel and when turned the action of the worm gear would push the shaft up and down rather than turn the pitman arm.

I do not know your specific tractor but this is a comon failure point and a pretty easy fix. When you dissasemble the box make sure to keep all the pieces and note what pieces were on top and what were on the bottom. You then can take the pieces to an industrial bearing shop and they can take the mesurements they need to sell you the proper fitting replacements.

Good luck
Mundy

 

[Kernopelli]

Mundy's right....bearings. They were completely disintegrated. I called Sheaffer's and Len S. had them in stock and they're on the way.
Thanks to Mundy and Egon for their input.