Steering wheel acting funny

[k0ua]

Actually, it does have steering shaft linkage and U joints.

View attachment 710819

Well I stand corrected with egg on the face. I ASSumed his steering system is the same as mine on my Kioti, which has no steering linkage and no steering gear box. This looks more like automotive power steering. I guess this is what I get for ASSuming.

 

[ptsg]

Well I stand corrected with egg on the face. I ASSumed his steering system is the same as mine on my Kioti, which has no steering linkage and no steering gear box. This looks more like automotive power steering. I guess this is what I get for ASSuming.

Still an orbitrol steering unit, just located way up front. While most manufacturers just mount it under the dash.

 

[sea2summit]

Turn it back and forth several times and see if the wheel then will go round and round and round.

According to the manufacturer that would mean it’s broken.

 

[K5lwq]

I understand what James was saying if you disconnect the hoses and turn the steering wheel it will go round and round. But in no way should the wheel go round and round while driving straight. Something is definitely not correct with this tractor.

 

[k0ua]

The good news is I am now squared away with L60 series steering. The bad news now is the OP's tractor is probably broken.

 

[ptsg]

On the orbitrol steering unit used on the Branson tractors, which is actually a Eaton unit I believe, with the engine off, it will create a closed loop system between the steering unit and the cylinder. I'm sure there will be so minor loses, and eventually the oil is gone, but should still work just fine for some time.

 

[sea2summit]

The good news is I am now squared away with L60 series steering. The bad news now is the OP's tractor is probably broken.

I lol'd, almost want to make it a signature line but no one outside of this thread would get it

 

[k0ua]

I understand what James was saying if you disconnect the hoses and turn the steering wheel it will go round and round. But in no way should the wheel go round and round while driving straight. Something is definitely not correct with this tractor.

Well, you don't even have to disconnect anything on my Kioti (and my old Long worked this way too). If the engine is off and the main hydraulic pump is not working, you can steer for just a few movements of the wheel until the oil bleeds down and after that the steering wheel will go round and round the there will be no oil directed toward the steering cylinders. So you have in effect you have lost all steering control. That doesn't seem to be the case with this model of Kubota in that you would still have manual steering even with the engine off. And yeah, the bad news is this particular Kubota seems to be "broken" and not operating as designed.

 

[K5lwq]

Well, you don't even have to disconnect anything on my Kioti (and my old Long worked this way too). If the engine is off and the main hydraulic pump is not working, you can steer for just a few movements of the wheel until the oil bleeds down and after that the steering wheel will go round and round the there will be no oil directed toward the steering cylinders. So you have in effect you have lost all steering control. That doesn't seem to be the case with this model of Kubota in that you would still have manual steering even with the engine off. And yeah, the bad news is this particular Kubota seems to be "broken" and not operating as designed.

I agree but it should take a while for this to happen. I have just finished going through a steering system on a 2002 Branson and it definitely will move the cylinder without the engine running for a long time.

Eventually, it will stop moving and just go round and round. It should not do this immediately, if it does I suspect you may have a issue with yours as well.

 

[coupman35]

Ok so this is what happen WHEN I WAS DRIVING to my friend the steering was not going from full right to full leaf just a bit off movement but by the time i got there the steering wheel had done a few turn on it self .
Now at home this morning whit engine off the wheel wont turn but if i get the tire off the ground the tire will move if i turn the steering .
Whit the engine running yes i can turn turn wheel find to the right and to the leaf

 

[Midniteoyl]

Ok so this is what happen WHEN I WAS DRIVING to my friend the steering was not going from full right to full leaf just a bit off movement but by the time i got there the steering wheel had done a few turn on it self .
Now at home this morning whit engine off the wheel wont turn but if i get the tire off the ground the tire will move if i turn the steering .
Whit the engine running yes i can turn turn wheel find to the right and to the leaf

My Kioti does this as well. It's not like a car where the steering wheel returns back to center every time. After a few turns while mowing, for example, the steering wheel will be left or right of center. A few more turns and it will have made it all the way around. I usually mow in a square around the field. If I have to turn closer to lock, the steering wheel will do this faster.

This is the main reason I don't have a spinner on it.

 

[the old grind]

I've had a low tire make me turn the wheel 360 deg every 600' ft or so to stay in a straight line.

 

[number two]

FWIW,one of our Texas members has three steering wheel spinner knobs on his Kubota with hydrostatic steering.
Great thread!

 

[MoKelly]

My Kioti does this as well. It's not like a car where the steering wheel returns back to center every time. After a few turns while mowing, for example, the steering wheel will be left or right of center. A few more turns and it will have made it all the way around. I usually mow in a square around the field. If I have to turn closer to lock, the steering wheel will do this faster.

This is the main reason I don't have a spinner on it.

Exactly. It took me some time to figure this out.

I have a Bobcat and the Bobcat symbol is in the middle of the steering wheel. When going straight, I noticed the symbol was sideways. Later it was upside down. Later it was perfect. Confused me until I discovered the reason.

MoKelly

 

[dirttoys]

ALL Orbitrol steering systems will free wheel when the engine is off ALL. You will have a little bit of residual pressure but if you keep turning the steering wheel left and right, it will bleed off and will go round and round and round as many times as you want to turn it. This is perfectly normal.

Mine does not freewheel when off. It does drift especially when cold. I know you said all, but I can't remember one?

Best,

ed

 

[MHarryE]

The HMU is a small hand driven pump that sends pilot flow to a valve. Turn, flow shifts the valve, valve directs oil to cylinders, machine turns, stop turning, centering springs center valve, flow stops. It’s all hydraulic, no feedback to the steering wheel like on power assisted steering like a rack and pinion. When hydraulic pressure drops below a specific pressure, flow from the gerotor pump flows directly to the cylinders to provide ability to steer if the engine dies. This is the system on the machines I’ve engineered my whole career, and as described in my WSM (checked to see if there was something new under the sun). I read directly from my L6060 WSM. “When the engine is not operating, and the steering wheel is turned, gerotor(1) rotates to supply oil to the steering cylinder (2). Thus the machine can be steered manually.

The WSM covers all Grand L 60’s sold in USA. I do not believe this same unit is marketed in Europe because EN500 requires cross over reliefs so if you hit an object with a tire at and angle, feedback will create a pressure spike that can burst a hose. We needed to use a different HMU for Europe, a bear to keep straight on the assembly line. I thought Kubota might have commonality. My old M135GX has the North America, Oceana, and European versions in its manual.

So OPs tractor is full hydraulic, will have steering wheel rotate a little continual due to leakage (likely worse when hot), perfectly normal within limits. I don’t find those limits in the WSM. The difference between full hydrostatic steering and power assisted is described in my M135GX WSM. It concludes with all hydraulic, no feedback to steering wheel on position. I think they left off same as everyone else in this class, likely HMU from same supplier, live with it.

 

[Midniteoyl]

Exactly. It took me some time to figure this out.

I have a Bobcat and the Bobcat symbol is in the middle of the steering wheel. When going straight, I noticed the symbol was sideways. Later it was upside down. Later it was perfect. Confused me until I discovered the reason.

MoKelly

Ya, took me by surprise at first as well. Old Ford 3400 didn't do that.

 

[dougtrr2]

If the cylinder that is connected to the tie rods leaks internally, then the steering wheel could be constantly turning. On my little BX24 that is what happened. I noticed the drifting and if I was on a side slope the steering wheel had to be constantly, albeit slowly, turned to keep it straight.

Doug in SW IA

 

[ruffdog]

The crown of the road will tend to make the steering wheel work its way around towards the center of the road.

 

[k0ua]

Ya, took me by surprise at first as well. Old Ford 3400 didn't do that.

I bet your old Ford had a steering box with gears inside and a pittman arm.