Steering wheel play: is it normal?

sevilla · Dec 25, 2009

Merry Christmas everybody, I have a L3830 and the steering wheel has a play of about 1/10 of a turn before engaging the wheels. Is this normal? If not can I fix it? thanks for your help.

Dead Horse · Dec 25, 2009

my 3710, does the same thing.........I have had it all apart and cannot find any signs of excessive wear, everything just fits loose.....

He only time I notice it is when I am driving on a road and the wheels wander a bit.

Randyj · Dec 25, 2009

There is a screw & loc-nut down on the side of the gearbox. You may be able to lessen the "play" by loosening the nut & running the screw in. Don't forget to tighten the loc-nut when your done.

Dusty · Dec 25, 2009

Randyj said:
There is a screw & loc-nut down on the side of the gearbox. You may be able to lessen the "play" by loosening the nut & running the screw in. Don't forget to tighten the loc-nut when your done.

Not certain what type of steering gear box you have, but if you adjust the nut on the gear box, you must do it exactly how it is explained in the factory service manual. If the gear box uses chrome balls in a raceway, and you over tighten it, you will crush the chrome on the balls, resulting in a total steering box failure. I have seen this many times in the past when people are not familiar with the proper procedure in automobile steering boxes, and they ruin the steering box on their classic / antique automobile, only to find that replacements are expensive if they can even find one.

ToadHill · Dec 25, 2009

Many tractors are designed with a lot of "slop" in the steering. If it was tight the wheel would be ripped out of your hands when going over really rough ground.

David_Kb7uns · Dec 25, 2009

The Grand L has no steering gearbox, it is a hydrostatic system.
There is a cylinder on front axle and the steering controller/valve that is under radiator area. In shop manual it says if there is excessive play, to check linkage and u joints (runs down right side of tractor under lower skirt).
If tractor is running controller regulates flow to cylinder, when engine is off controller becomes a pump to move cylinder and it can be hard to steer.

David Kb7uns

Dead Horse · Dec 26, 2009

Ed Zackery!

sevilla · Dec 26, 2009

Thanks fort the ideas. I think I will live with this play, it is not particularly annoying and the risk of damaging things too high. Just wandering: is there anyone with a L series tractor to tell me how is his steering play?

GardenFence · Dec 26, 2009

During the purchase of my used BX2200 I noticed a "wander" as well. The dealer advised me they replaced a seal in the power steering that was allowing power steering fluide to pass through (...something), and that fixed it.

David_Kb7uns · Dec 26, 2009

GardenFence said:
During the purchase of my used BX2200 I noticed a "wander" as well. The dealer advised me they replaced a seal in the power steering that was allowing power steering fluide to pass through (...something), and that fixed it.

This system is similar to the Grand L xx30 series and others. There was a well known problem with a group of BX cylinders being bad and having to replace seals in them.

David Kb7uns

warrenfarm · Mar 31, 2011

David_Kb7uns said:
This system is similar to the Grand L xx30 series and others. There was a well known problem with a group of BX cylinders being bad and having to replace seals in them.

David Kb7uns

Yep....and I haver been asking my dealer for YEARS and he always says it is one of two things and mine is the expensive one. As my steering has gotten worse, I have researched it thoroughly and found that this SHOULD have been a recall issue. I'm pretty ticked as I now have 800 hrs, but have been asking for 4 years.