JD 4100 steering cylinder leaking

[MARKMONKEY1]

My first post...thanks in advance for any assistance.
The technical manual says that the steering cylinders are not servicable and must be replaced in whole (not repaired). However, looking at the JD parts website, they show a blowup of the cylinder and individual parts of it!
The cylinder is $520 from JD.

Any good options other than buying a new cylinder?
Has anyone repaired the steering cylinder?
Or are there aftermarket cylinders available? Where?

Thanks again. Mark

 

[pat32rf]

Don't know where you are located but up here (logging country) we would take it to a machine shop that does hydraulic cylinder repairs. I just paid JD's price for a FEL seal kit for my 4300. Took them to a buddy who used to work doing cylinders in a shop. He told me that the shop could have supplied all the seals that we used for 1/4 the JD price. If you are in Canada Princess Auto will custom make cylinders if you give them the dimensions. I thought that I would rebuild my steering cylinder (slightly bent rod)about three years ago until I asked about parts at the dealer. Learned a lot since then but I still haven't had to do the cylinder...

 

[MARKMONKEY1]

It seems that the end of the cylinder is pressed or welded on and not designed to be removed. I did speak with a repair shop who said they commonly remove the end, replace the seals, then reweld it back on. significantly less cost than new cylinder, so I will probably give them a try. mark (from PA)