1050 steering

[geneP]

Son-in-law's steering failed today. The steering shaft is anchored at the bottom by running through a hole in a steel plate. The hole wore oblong, letting the big and little teethed gears to separate.

What is the best fix? I'm sure the dealer would replace the plate, but we're thinking of trying to incorporate a bushing or bearing. Before we go trying to reinvent the wheel I thought I'd ask if anyone has a tried and true solution? Thanks in advance for any ideas

 

[zzvyb6]

We're gonna need a picture to work with here. I'm seeing that the bottom of the steering shaft goes into a steering gear housing. The housing has a ball bearing. Is the bearing shot or the housing worn?

Something doesn't add up from your description...

 

[geneP]

you are right, I need to dig a little deeper. I walked over as he was tearing it down trying to remove the lower plate that the steering mounts to. He told me that the hole had worn enough that the gears were slipping by each other. It got too dark to work before we got down to where we could see what is really going on. I looked at the Cub parts site this morning and there is a "bearing, hex flange 5/8" that the shaft goes through. It appears to be one of the plastic bushings often seen on the front spindles of MTD mowers. There is no housing, the "bearing" just sits in the steel plate. Kind of mickey-mouse, even for a low end Cub.

I have 2165 Cub and it has the housing with grease fittings on it.