JD 4300 tie rod

[4310]

Is it leaking? If not, you might be better off to leave it as it is.

Mine has a pretty good bend in it. Been that way since i got it six months ago and it's hard telling how long it was bent before then. I've put about 50 hours on it and its leak free and works fine.

 

[arkvet]

It's not leaking but the bend is just enough to put the cylinder in a bind making the "power steering" require lots more operator power. Once the bend in the rod is completely out of the cylinder it moves smoothly... It just barely squeezes in during retraction though. If I don't get just a little bit of the bend out it's not gonna work. The friction during extension / retraction is probably what made the fitting pop loose and start leaking oil.

 

[Tx Jim]

I'm not too worried if the chrome cracks. I've never really cared about the aesthetics of the tractor anyway. lol

Seriously the chrome plating isn't for "aesthetics" but rather for "longevity" of shaft & seal by controlling "rust".

 

[arkvet]

Seriously the chrome plating isn't for "aesthetics" but rather for "longevity" of shaft & seal by controlling "rust".

Apparently it was a failed attempt at a joke. I knew the chrome's purpose was legit. Lol

I tried a small jack on its side to try and apply pressure yesterday. Didn't know a hydraulic jack won't work on its side. Learn something new every day.

 

[holzboat]

Apparently it was a failed attempt at a joke. I knew the chrome's purpose was legit. Lol

I tried a small jack on its side to try and apply pressure yesterday. Didn't know a hydraulic jack won't work on its side. Learn something new every day.

Can you borrow a porta-power? If not you may be able to buy a connecting/joining nut in the hardware store and use two bolts to make a small screw jack to push it out.

 

[dfkrug]

I have straightened numerous bent hydraulic cylinder rods using a straight edge and my 20T
press. The 420 loader that comes with some 4300s has 25mm rods that are easy to bend.

 

[arkvet]

OK. Got the tie rod repaired (welded larger sch 80 pipe over existing straight ends. And fixed the bend in the cylinde. Rod with a friends 20 ton air press. Worked great.

But now I still have an issue. The wheel is still tough to turn if turned quickly. If turned slowly it's with ease. Quick wheek turning is like and old tractor with no power steering (or slightly worse) I'll get my manual and see what I can come up with but would appreciate and direction with this problem too.

Thanks.

 

[arkvet]

My technical manual suggests that even though the cylinder rod bending did not cause an external leak of hydraulic fluid that the current symptoms of hard steering are likely due to internal leaking of fluid. I can see where that would cause the issues I'm seeing. Thoughts?

 

[dfkrug]

My technical manual suggests that even though the cylinder rod bending did not cause an external leak of hydraulic fluid that the current symptoms of hard steering are likely due to internal leaking of fluid. I can see where that would cause the issues I'm seeing. Thoughts?

Yes, a bent rod is very hard on the gland and piston seals. If your piston seal is leaky, the amount of assist you
get will be less. Try increasing the engine speed and see if the symptom diminishes.

Since repairing JD steering cylinders is so problematic, here is a substitution we fabbed up for a 955
a couple of years ago, using generic tie rod ends from NAPA and a SurpCntr cylinder.

 

[arkvet]

Yes, a bent rod is very hard on the gland and piston seals. If your piston seal is leaky, the amount of assist you
get will be less. Try increasing the engine speed and see if the symptom diminishes.

Since repairing JD steering cylinders is so problematic, here is a substitution we fabbed up for a 955
a couple of years ago, using generic tie rod ends from NAPA and a SurpCntr cylinder.

Care to elaborate on the JD cylinder repair being problematic? The reason I ask is because I just ordered the rebuild kit for the cylinder this am. I've never repaired the internal parts of a cylinder but was assuming it was doable. Interestingly I have fabbed a couple bucket cylinders using surplus center cylinder and a few misc parts, so I might have better luck fabbing my own vs repairing this one???

Thanks

btw, were you able to find a cylinder with ORFS ports that were same? Any part numbers to go by for the fab job?