Loose and Rattling Steering Cylinder and Tie-Rods

[Langanobob]

Yesterday I hooked up the snowblower on my GC1720 and while putting the tire chains on I noticed that the steering cylinder was loose and rattling around in its brackets and the inner tie rod joints had about an eighth of an inch in and out play in them. A search shows that I'm not the first GC owner to run into this issue. The parts are under warranty (I think) and I'm hoping I can just get the replacement parts from the dealer rather than trailer up my tractor for a 90 mile trip each way. The cylinder brackets are mickey mouse and I think I'll modify them myself rather than just installing new ones that will have the same problem in a year. There are two ball type joints on each end of the steering cylinder tie rod and they won't sell them separately and the complete tie rods are $123 each so I hope the dealer will cooperate with the warranty parts.

Machine has almost exactly 100 hours on it when I noticed the problem and it looks like the cylinder has been loose for awhile. I have used it like a tractor so it hasn't been babied but still, the steering shouldn't be falling apart already. Just posting here so other GC series owners might check and see if they have the same problem. Better to fix it now before it gets real bad.

Bob

 

[Imold]

I only have around 30-35 hours on my 1705 but I am going to take a look and see how mine are doing, thanks for the heads up.

 

[Nacademus]

I had a tie rod start to loosen up resulting in my left tire wobbling about a quarter inch. It was very noticeable while mowing my yard and traveling over just slight undulations in the surface.

I contacted the dealer and they mailed me a new tie rod under warranty. The one I received is painted gray and just ever so slightly different than the original. So now I have a gray tie rod and a bright shiny tie rod on my brand new tractor.

Annoying

Removing the old one requires a rather narrow wrench to fit into the gap to contact the flat faces to turn it off. I had to sacrifice a cheap adjustable wrench by grinding it narrower.

My tractor developed this at around 30 hours. I have around 80 on it now and the symptom hasn't returned.

I am very unhappy about the obviously repaired look that the new part left me with...and my faith in the original item still installed is a lot less than favorable.

I will request a new one for the other side at the slightest hint that it's going out, too.
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[Imold]

At least they covered it no question asked. I have seen my share of tie rods ruined from rocks, tree stumps and hidden culverts.

 

[Langanobob]

I’m gonna call my dealer Monday and see what they say. That’s a good point about physical damage.
There isn’t a mark anywhere on my steering system, boots are also intact, so I don't think I hit anything with it. I’ll take a very close look at it today to make sure. Don’t expect MF to cover the cost of replacement parts if I broke them by hitting something.

 

[Nacademus]

I’m gonna call my dealer Monday and see what they say. That’s a good point about physical damage.
There isn’t a mark anywhere on my steering system, boots are also intact, so I don't think I hit anything with it. I’ll take a very close look at it today to make sure. Don’t expect MF to cover the cost of replacement parts if I broke them by hitting something.

My dealer replaced the transmission fan when I chipped the blades after running over a twig. No questions asked. I've got a good dealer that has always taken care of me.

 

[MF RED in MT]

My dealer replaced the transmission fan when I chipped the blades after running over a twig. No questions asked. I've got a good dealer that has always taken care of me.

Ask your dealer for me if he will open another business in Montana. Ha

KC

 

[Action Jack]

Mine were loose,I clamped them together tight against cyl.welded 1/8 X 1" strap between them,been tight since,if I ever need to change anything,I"ll just cut the weld and I can change what I need.

 

[Langanobob]

That sounds like a good and simple solution. I was going to cut a slice out of each bracket and weld tabs on them so I could run bolts through the tabs, turning the brackets into clamps that would grip the cylinder. Your idea is a lot less work and I think that’s what I’ll do. Thanks!

I’m surprised that Iseki has such a poor design on their tractor, or maybe it was added by AGCO.

 

[Langanobob]

The dealer warranted the tie rod end kits and I picked them up yesterday. The inner tie rod ends screw into the steering cylinder rods with some sort of super Japanese red Loctite. They would unscrew but were so tight I was afraid of breaking the threaded stud. Didn稚 want to use heat due to the nearby hydraulic cylinder seals but the dealer said that a judicious application of heat is the way to get them off. The old inner tie rod ends were sloppy when on the tractor but once I had them off I couldn稚 move them in and out by hand. There were pieces of white plastic in the grease under the boots and that might explain the cause of the problem - plastic tie rod end bearings. Would be great to find an alternate part made from metal.

I also ran across a Youtube video of a Kubota with a loose steering cylinder and it looked like the same exact type of bracket mounting system that MF uses.