toe-end 861D adjustment

[MitchellB]

Ever since I had this 861D tractor it has steered hard and was difficult to handle on rough ground; sometimes whipping the steering wheel right out of my hand if my grip was not good. Definitely armstrong manual steering, but I could not understand how it could be so much more difficult than my old 8N was. Wider tires and heavier yes, but it just did not seem to justify the degree of strength needed compared to what I was used to. I got the idea to check the toe-end and looked up how to set it. It did not have the chisel marks anywhere that I could find, that I read were supposed to be on there from the factory. So I just set my steering wheel and gear arms at what seemed correct and even. Looking at the left wheel, it just looked like it was turned out left and the right wheel look kinda straight. After some measurements and shortening both drag links (the left one severely), I ended up with what I hope proves to be greatly improve steering now with a 1/4" toe-end. As it was, both wheels were turned out in front like a disc hiller. I guess you'd call it toe-out instead of toe-in. No wonder it was hard to handle.

 

[Soundguy]

check thrust bearings and gearbox lube too!

 

[MitchellB]

I haven't had a chance to test it out until today, but wow. It still ain't power steering, but that toe-end adjustment made a big difference in making this 861D much easier to steer than it was before. I was using both arms to make a turn on grass before and now I can do a one handed turn with my brodie knob.

 

[Soundguy]

have you lubed the box?

does the steering wheel rise and fall when turned lock to lock with the front end jacked up?

 

[MitchellB]

have you lubed the box?

does the steering wheel rise and fall when turned lock to lock with the front end jacked up?

I added grease to the zerk on the front of the steering box when I first got the tractor. I haven't had both front wheels off the ground at once, but I've never noticed the steering wheel rising or falling under normal use. Compared to what I had, since I've adjusted the toe-in, I can't really complain about the steering anymore. Almost as easy as my 8N now.

 

[Soundguy]

axle grease is not correct. should really be a NLGI # 0 or 00 grease. #2 will just cavitate and leave the bearings dry..

 

[MitchellB]

axle grease is not correct. should really be a NLGI # 0 or 00 grease. #2 will just cavitate and leave the bearings dry..

Thanks. I been calling around and on the internet trying to find 0 or 00 grease. That stuff is rare around here. I finally found a lawn mower repair shop just out of town that has one tube of 00 grease left in stock used for Snapper lawn mowers ($7.29 + tax) and I'm on the way to buy it from them in a few minutes.

 

[MitchellB]

Well, it took the entire tube of 00 grease. I spilled an oz or so trying to squeeze it in the little hole where the zerk came out with the pointy plastic nipple on the grease tube, but most of the 9 oz tube went in there, so it must have been pretty dry. I looked in my book and it says it takes 90w gear oil in the steering box in the summer, and 80w in winter. That's thinner than this 00 grease is. So is the 00 grease a Ford recommended update/upgrade of some kind?

 

[Jim L]

Mitchell, I would squeeze some 90w in there too to make sure the bushings on the two side shafts were oiled just for piece of mind. Just my 2 cents.

 

[MitchellB]

Mitchell, I would squeeze some 90w in there too to make sure the bushings on the two side shafts were oiled just for piece of mind. Just my 2 cents.

Actually, when I ran the tube almost ran dry of that 00 grease, the box had still not topped off, so I mixed some 15/40wt motor oil I had in the squeeze tube and shook it up with the remaining 00 grease and began squirting that in there until it overflowed. I may have got an oz of that oil mix added before the box topped and overflowed. Before I began adding anything, I jabbed a wire down in the hole in the box after I removed the zerk and it came back up with some grease on it, so I wasn't plumb dry before I added all this new grease to it. I think it will be OK, and at least better than it was.

 

[Jim L]

Sounds like you got your bases covered,Mitchell. My 660 used to be manual steering and before I done a little trading with a buddy for the stuff to install power steering ,I had mine steering pretty good by taking the steering arms beside the front wheels to a machine shop and getting 2" added to the length of the arm by cutting the arm and having a section of steel welded in. Then I moved the axles out one bolt hole from all the way in to make up for the additional 2 inches in the arms. it gave the steering box more leverage on the front wheels. It still wasn't power steering,but it really helped it steer a lot better. Another trick I used was putting one of those vinyl truck steering wheel grips with the wrap around lace on the steering wheel. You don't have to grip as hard to turn the wheel. A poor man's got poor ways LOL

 

[MitchellB]

Sounds like you got your bases covered,Mitchell. My 660 used to be manual steering and before I done a little trading with a buddy for the stuff to install power steering ,I had mine steering pretty good by taking the steering arms beside the front wheels to a machine shop and getting 2" added to the length of the arm by cutting the arm and having a section of steel welded in. Then I moved the axles out one bolt hole from all the way in to make up for the additional 2 inches in the arms. it gave the steering box more leverage on the front wheels. It still wasn't power steering,but it really helped it steer a lot better. Another trick I used was putting one of those vinyl truck steering wheel grips with the wrap around lace on the steering wheel. You don't have to grip as hard to turn the wheel. A poor man's got poor ways LOL

I think we might think a lot alike Jim. While I don't want to extend the front axle width, I did wrap the steering wheel on my old 8N with a cover like that years ago, but mainly because it left my hands black when ever I drove it. I have just always liked those covers and put them on my trucks as well that I've owned. One of the first things I did when I purchased the 861D last year was swap steering wheels with my 8N because it was in better shape than the 861Ds and it still wears the black cover. I wasn't sure at the time if the wheels would swap until I tried it. That is one thing I like about these old Fords; no need to change the design if it works.

 

[Soundguy]

Actually, when I ran the tube almost ran dry of that 00 grease, the box had still not topped off, so I mixed some 15/40wt motor oil I had in the squeeze tube and shook it up with the remaining 00 grease and began squirting that in there until it overflowed. I may have got an oz of that oil mix added before the box topped and overflowed. Before I began adding anything, I jabbed a wire down in the hole in the box after I removed the zerk and it came back up with some grease on it, so I wasn't plumb dry before I added all this new grease to it. I think it will be OK, and at least better than it was.

In 1962 ford put out a service bulletin to use #0 grease int he steering boxes due to endemic leaking sector seals.

The snapper 00 grease is what I use. Actually I use stens, but it is a replacement for the snapper grease. A source of 0 grease is john deer cornhead grease. it is sold in tubes you can load in your grease gun for ease. PS, you can load your grease gun with that thin grease from the squeeze tube as well. just lead it into an empty cartridge instead of pulling it out, then recap and release the plunger, then you can grease gun pump the 0 0 grease.


But yeah. you see now that there was a big cavity in the center due to it taking 8-10 more ounces of grease.

 

[MitchellB]

In 1962 ford put out a service bulletin to use #0 grease int he steering boxes due to endemic leaking sector seals.

The snapper 00 grease is what I use. Actually I use stens, but it is a replacement for the snapper grease. A source of 0 grease is john deer cornhead grease. it is sold in tubes you can load in your grease gun for ease. PS, you can load your grease gun with that thin grease from the squeeze tube as well. just lead it into an empty cartridge instead of pulling it out, then recap and release the plunger, then you can grease gun pump the 0 0 grease.


But yeah. you see now that there was a big cavity in the center due to it taking 8-10 more ounces of grease.

Our JD dealer is in the next town, but the few local auto part stores I called, never heard of Cornhead grease or #00. My local New Holland dealer wasn't any help either. I read online about Snapper using the 00 when I lucked up and the 2nd lawnmower repair shop I called had the 00. The grease gun idea would probably have been easier than trying to squeeze that grease thru that little plastic tube I had stuck down inside the gear box fill hole. My hand was cramping trying to squeeze the tube and I finally got out my vice grip sheet metal pliers to give me some leverage to squeeze that grease out of that tube faster. I wasn't expecting the whole tube and then some to be needed to fill the box.

 

[Soundguy]

Most auto stores are run by monkeys that have no formal mechanical education.. not surprising they don't know anything about grease. It's a pitty the CNH dealer knew nothing, and most stock and sell a 0 or 00 grease for certain mower lower ends. 'Pourable lube'.

In any event, I buy stens 00 grease from a local mower shop in a quart bottle that has the pointy tip like a quart gear oil bottle.

I keep an empty grease tube from an expended grease cartridge. I load it in my gun like a new tube, squeeze in the 00 grease, then cap my grease gun and release the plunger, then just grease like normal by putting a big zerk in that steering box hole. it should be 1/8 pipe thread,a nd they make zerks in that size straight or 45 or 90, 45 works best for me.