Hydrostatic steering

[Dan Uplinger]

Has anyone retrofitted their tractor with hydrostatic power steering? I have a Long 560DT that is almost impossible to steer unless the tractor is moving, and even then it isn't as easy as it should be. In fact, when the tractor is sitting still, I have to take alot of the weight off the front of the tractor by raising it up with the FEL. And that is with an empty bucket. I've been looking at the hydrostatic steering units in Northern Tool and wondering if they would work for my application. What do you think?

 

[buppy69]

This same thing happened to me on a 4WD tractor. After I installed power steering it worked great. Only problem, the reason it was steering hard in the first place was the king pin bearings were shot. They finally crumbled and froze up the kingpin. Since I now had power steering, I didn't realize it was freezing up. The cylinder didn't give so the boss in the bell housing where it was mounted broke off. Replaced the bearings and seals and tried the steering before I hooked the cylinder back up, probably wouldn't have needed it.

Eugene

 

[herringchoker]

Dan, I had a similar experience to Buppy's with my old Ford pickup. The manual steering was getting real stiff. I thought it was because I had set up the sector too tight to take the play out of it (the old steering box was nearly worn out), so (since I had all the necessary parts lying around) I converted it to power steering. But what a nasty surprise... the belt squealed and the wheels still didn't want to swing left or right. Turns out one king pin was seized (I should have known - it wouldn't take grease at the previous 2 services). Anyway, to make a long story short, maybe you should check your king pins first. Good luck.

 

[Dan Uplinger]

Thanks for the advice. I'll check the king pins before I do anything though they do still take grease. But if it isn't the king pins does anybody know what size hydrostatic power steering unit I would need? In Northern Tool the displacement goes from 3 cu in up to 9 cu in if I remember right. I've read where other people have taken the whole system off another piece of equipment but there they would have everything they needed, just like herringchoker. I would need to figure out what size cylinder I would need to go with the steering control. Thanks again for your help.

 

[heehaw]

would like to see some pics of that ps system...my 51 chevy an i need a ps system.
heehaw

 

[Taylortractornut]

We ve done a fewthings this way and its fairly easy. Especially if you have a scrap yard that lets you pull parts. the best place to start is looking for an orbit valve from a combine or forklift. Its just a remote steering valve. We took one off a forklift and and the double ended steeering cylinder when we pput power steering on our AC grader at work. Weve also put ower steering on a few tractors this way by removing the pitman arm and steering box and mount a cylinder with the same travel as the draglink. Pretty easy to do. You may have to add a Power steering box off a late model car to the tractor to power it if you dont have an easy way to split off the tractors hydraulics. Im about to put it on My M3000 Yanmar.

 

[midlf]

Check the PS from 63-82 Corvettes. It uses the valve at the pitman arm and a separate power cylinder. Or check with street rodders for how to do a retro system.

 

[egonegon]

Look into using a recirculating ball power steering box from a 3/4 ton truck. Should be cheap at junkyards and new will be about $400cd.

I had intentions of doing this with my Kubota B7100 HST using a chevy steering unit but was advised by the local dealer the pump did not have enough volume for to make this addition.

 

[Soundguy]

Has anyone retrofitted their tractor with hydrostatic power steering? I have a Long 560DT that is almost impossible to steer unless the tractor is moving, and even then it isn't as easy as it should be. In fact, when the tractor is sitting still, I have to take alot of the weight off the front of the tractor by raising it up with the FEL. And that is with an empty bucket. I've been looking at the hydrostatic steering units in Northern Tool and wondering if they would work for my application. What do you think?

(cough) Wasn't it 'nomad' that worked for a company selling aftermarket power steering. Form the looks of it.. they retrofit easilly onto a unit with manual steering jusing a cyliner with built in valve.. and slight mods to the steering arm / draglink on the tractor... No change to the steering box..

Soundguy

 

[86turbodsl]

www.jacksonpowersteering.com

For ideas. The calculations for this are pretty easy.

Go to the Eaton website for Char-Lynn and there are calculators there.