BX23 Steering fault

[tshep]

Noticed on my last 'road trip' that my BX23 ignored first few (partial) turns of steering wheel. Let's say the road curved left a bit, and my casual corrections were ignored, startled me, and a big left got it done.

Do I start with the steering wheel valve or lower stuff? All is 17 or so years old, I'm used to rebuilding hydraulics now, but it's work season and I wanna' fix the right thing the first time!

Any experience out there?

 

[JWR]

Oh yeah. I can tell you with essential certainty what the problem is. And you are just about at the typical age for it to hit. I had exactly what you describe on both my own BX2200 tractor and another that I maintain. It is the steering cylinder. The kits are not terribly expensive, commonly available via any Kubota dealer or really via any full service hydraulic shop. The seals go out in the single horizontal cylinder under the front of the tractor connecting directly to your steering linkage. Initially, you wonder if you were hallucinating -- did that steering wheel fail to work ? Once they start leaking the steering gets erratic and sometimes seems OK and then gets worse and it takes a large amount of steering wheel turning to change direction at all. Eventually you cannot steer it.

I visualized all manner of horrible things it might be from the steering control valve inside the console, to worn parts to obstructions, etc. on and on. This is a VERY common disease on BX tractors. It is a very accessible and easy job for a shop or a person who has done hydraulic cylinder maintenance and seal replacement before. I had mine done at the closest shop doing hydraulic repairs which was not a Kubota dealer but rather a Deere dealer. The other one was done down in Louisiana. No big deal. Let us know how your's comes out.

 

[Eagle1]

I've bent the brackets that hold the steering cylinder couple of times, letting the cylinder "float" left and right. Mine are now re enforced with a rod holding them together.

 

[JWR]

I've bent the brackets that hold the steering cylinder couple of times, letting the cylinder "float" left and right. Mine are now re enforced with a rod holding them together.

Good point ! If something like that is allowing the whole cylinder to slide left and right Eagle 1 is exactly right; that can cause "loose" steering.

 

[Eagle1]

BTW I bent them when digging in narrow "channel" and wheels would be locked against the wall when I turned the wheel. Wheel can't turn and hydraulic ram bends the bracket. They can be straightened in vice and reinstalled but are always weaker than before. I have a BH now, hope to not do that again.

 

[tshep]

OK, bottom end first!
THX guys...

 

[Jim_in_PA]

Absolutely start with the cylinder up front, the cylinder mounts and also check for play in the tie rod assemblies. But don't rule out the steering hydraulic valve up under the dash. I did have to replace that about two years ago on my BX22. An aftermarket unit was slightly less expensive than OEM. It was not a "difficult" repair, but was cumbersome just because of the location and having to disassemble a bunch of stuff to get to it. I'm soon to replace the tie rod end assemblies and cylinder mounts on my machine as there is uber-play in them after my recent work preparing the a site for my new shop building that involved removing "a whole bunch" of soil and then replacing it with 115 tons of modified stone with the machine.

 

[dodge man]

JWR has it. I had to rebuild the steering cylinder on mine. There is a seal in the center that leaks. As I recall getting a tie rod off so you can get it apart is the hardest part.