otlski
Gold Member
I have a Lodi made clone of a Terramite TC5. The Ross steering box had the bottom of the casting blown out so the guts were exposed to air. It was likely that way when I bought it from a buddy. It still functioned and I used it for over a year before I discovered it.
About six months ago I was looking at a picture of an Economy Power King tractor similar to what another friend has, and I noticed that the steering box bolt up was the same-looking three bolt pattern that my Terramite clone had. Some investigation online found that it was also made by Ross. I found one on EBAY for $200 and ordered it figuring that I might have to cut, drill,weld, grind, or swap out components. I hoped the the column length and exit angles would work out.
Yesterday I finally got around to making the repair. Everything (well almost everything) went flawlessly. The three bolt pattern matched, the Pitman arm spline and steering wheel spline matched, the column exit angle and length matched. I was done in less than and hour... except for getting the steering wheel off the old column.
The plastic wheel did not like the gear puller and absorbed any attempt to use a hammer to add shock. I brought it to the basement and drilled and tapped the the metal part of the spline and made a puller. Lots of PB Blaster, torque, hammer-whacks, and time, and it surprisingly popped loose (it is always a surprise). The old wheel then bolted right up and it all works as it should. I did not count turns lock-to-lock on the old box, but the new box takes four full turns and seems like a slower (easier) ratio than the old one.
About six months ago I was looking at a picture of an Economy Power King tractor similar to what another friend has, and I noticed that the steering box bolt up was the same-looking three bolt pattern that my Terramite clone had. Some investigation online found that it was also made by Ross. I found one on EBAY for $200 and ordered it figuring that I might have to cut, drill,weld, grind, or swap out components. I hoped the the column length and exit angles would work out.
Yesterday I finally got around to making the repair. Everything (well almost everything) went flawlessly. The three bolt pattern matched, the Pitman arm spline and steering wheel spline matched, the column exit angle and length matched. I was done in less than and hour... except for getting the steering wheel off the old column.
The plastic wheel did not like the gear puller and absorbed any attempt to use a hammer to add shock. I brought it to the basement and drilled and tapped the the metal part of the spline and made a puller. Lots of PB Blaster, torque, hammer-whacks, and time, and it surprisingly popped loose (it is always a surprise). The old wheel then bolted right up and it all works as it should. I did not count turns lock-to-lock on the old box, but the new box takes four full turns and seems like a slower (easier) ratio than the old one.
)