GT275 steering

[cliffblue]

If you have a GT242, 262, 275 or any model with a similar steering setup, pay attention to slack in the steering wheel to drag link gear. When the lower steering wheel shaft bushing wears out, the shaft will wear into the aluminum housing. The gears are all held on by cotter keys and adjustment is achieved by shimming washers. During my repair, I installed grease zeros on both steering and drag link shafts. Can't believe how tight and easy the steering is now.

 

[beenthere]

Do you have a pic of the grease zerks on the shafts?

 

[cliffblue]

I will post something in a day or two.

 

[cliffblue]

Here is the one on the draglink shaft housing. I used a 6mm 45degree zerk to keep the hole small. I get into the project and forget to photograph it when it's open and easy

 

[cliffblue]

It looks like I can only post one pic per posts. Here is the remote zerk I mounted for the steering wheel shaft lower bushings.

 

[cliffblue]

Here is the 6mm push connect line fitting installed at the lower bushings that connect to the remote zerk.

 

[beenthere]

Thanks for the pics. Just a caution, as being the grease points are easy to grease now, over-greasing may be your worst enemy. The one in the vicinity of the belts looks particularly vulnerable.
But good idea to ward off future seizure.
Thanks for the pics.

 

[cliffblue]

Yeah, I'm thinking 1 pump a season.

 

[BBO]

I think several of the mowers could use grease fittings on portions of the steering sector.:thumbsup:
This is on a LX188 and I suppose they think the grease impregnated brass bushings are sufficient.
I put a grease fitting on two of my mowers.
This is in between 2 of the brass bushings.
It fairly easy to drill & tap IF you have it all apart. Getting this off is not so easy...

 

[cliffblue]

Isn't that the truth! I was surprised that when I tore down my GT275, the bushings in the end that your picture shows, were not worn at all. They were extremely stiff. I couldn't hardly pivot the drag link arm by hand. I'm sure that accelerated the wear on the lower steering shaft bushing. I already had new ones, so I replaced them anyway. The grease will be a real game changer down there. My biggest ***** so far is the plastic hoods and dash. The GT 275 and 345 both run commando. Ugly, but I have better things to do with the kind of money it would take to replace and maintain the hoods on them.