JM254/284 steering boot replacement

[RonMar]

I found a good replacement dust boot for the steering cylinder shaft on my 284. With all the brush busting I have done this last summer/fall, I have been a little hard on the original rubber cylinder boot(tore it all to ****. I came across a Rancho shock boot at a local auto parts store (Rancho # RS1927 $4.99). It is a perfect fit and slips on tight on both the cylinder end and ball joint end. They come in several colors(I chose red to match the tractor) and can be held in place with the stock spring clamps or the Ty-wraps that came with the boot.

I am glad I had to replace the torn boot because one of the pieces of hardware I didn't check for tightness when the tractor was delivered is the lock nut on the end of the shaft where the left hand ball joint is screwed onto the end of the shaft. It was completely backed away from the balljoint and I could rotate the shaft with my hand. This could have ultimatly led to the shaft backing out of the ball joint and a loss of steering. Since it is covered by the boot, I didn't even think to look for a lock nut there... It is easy to check. Stop the tractor with the steering turned all the way to the left and the cylinder shaft/boot fully extended. Compress the spring clamp on the ball joint end of the boot and slide that end of the boot up the shaft towards the cylinder to expose the threaded end of the shaft and the lock nut.

 

[jaroban]

Thank you for the info I tore mine up this summer and have not replacer it as of yet. The original was not very good however I worked the tractor in some brush that was 5 or 6 feet tall at my deer lease ( East Texas). Robby

 

[Affordable]

Robby, we have the replacements if you don't find something at the auto parts, these boots are right down there with the scrub brush and I don't think any of them are going to last very long if you are clearing brush web page , look us up or PM me we are in Texas also , and we have a very large supply of Jinma parts

Tommy
Affordable Tractor Sales

 

[Don_Tomaso]

Hi

This happend to my Jinma 254 at about 40 hours. The shaft and balljoint separeted, luckily i was standing still, turning the steringwheel, and not driving when it happend.
I don´t have a problem with torn steering boots since my tractor is equipped with two 6 m.m. thick steel protection pans under the tractor, one for the front axle and one under the rest of the tractor. I´m driving it mostly in the woods with a trailer for logging.

 

[Rabiddoggg]

Hey, I know this is an old posting, but I recently bought a 2003 284. I'm slowly going through it and replacing worn out parts. The steering cylinder boot is in desperate need of replacement. Can some one explain how I can drop the steering cylinder end out of the wheel assembly? I've removed the pin and nut, but can't get it to budge. Any ideas? Thanks!

 

[RonMar]

You need to use a puller to separate the steering arm. There is another way however. If you pull the boot out of the way, you will see a big nut and a piston rod with flatted spots to accept a wrench. Once you break the nut free, you can rotate the shaft and unscrew the rod out of the tie rod end. This will allow you to replace the boot without using a puller on the rod end. You want to inspect that rod end and locknut every now and then anyway. IF it comes loose, the rod can unscrew back out of the rod end putting sir issac in cahrge of the directionality of your tractor Mine came loose and backed out quite a ways. One indication of this was that it turned way farther/tighter in one direction than the other.

 

[Rabiddoggg]

Great, thank you Ron. I saw the nut you're talking about and backed it off but I never tried unscrewing the end though. I'll give it a try this weekend. By the way I just live down the freeway from you in Seabeck. Thanks again for the info.

R.