# 4000 Steering play



## govsux (Sep 3, 2006)

New to the forum today. I have a 1964 Ford 4000 W/ 4 cyl 172 ci gas. I got it a few years back. I have used it for many things around my 2 acres primarily for installing a septic field [ it has a 1099 super long back hoe ] and maintaining two driveways ect ect ect. seems like it gets a lot of use one way or the other. The most recent was hauling 70 yards of sand and gravel bucket by bucket to the rear of my property where it was too tight for the 10 yard dump to fit. While hauling all that fill it became rather apparent with the extra weight on the front that my steering box has a LOT of play. It's so bad that I was lucking I didn't pop a tire off the rim because of all the toe out from the slop. Here's where it gets a bit hard for me to ask a legit question because I'm not sure I know the terminology that great and also this tractor appears has a modified steering system. The steering box does not have a shaft coming up to a steering wheel. Is this called the sector? Instead it has what looks like a steel plate bolted on top of the steering box then some other metal welded on that holds a steering wheel with hydraulic hoses that then goes to the pump and ram. I can tell it's hand made stuff here. So in other words there is no direct mechanical connection to the steering box at all. So the steering wheel moves... the hydraulics at the wheel send the fluid to the pump which sends the pressure to the ram which pushes on the steering arm on one side of the steering box which then transfer this energy through the steering box to the other side. The slop is in this steering box. I have tried to adjust the lash but it has not fixed the problem. I can adjust it to the point it gets stiff and there is some threads still showing so it does not seem like the adjustment is problem?? What I totally don't understand is how without the sector shaft / gear in place I don't understand how it is really working at all?? I am now wondering if who even did this modification to utilize this type of hydraulic power steering just removed the gear from the sector rod and it's just somehow free floating inside the case? I am really at a lose here. I don't know where to begin to fix it because I'm not sure what I should be looking for. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!
Rick


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## govsux (Sep 3, 2006)

Trying again on a pic


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## Morgan (Oct 26, 2006)

You could always convert it back to the shaft. 

Welcome to Tractorforum.


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## chrpmaster (May 5, 2004)

First of all Welcome to the Tractor Forum!

I am by no means a steering expert but if the steering is so bad as to make the tractor useless you wouldn't have much to lose by opening up the gear box and scouting around. At least then you would have some idea of how the system is setup and could make a better decision on whether to try to fix what is there or as Morgan suggested convert it back. It could be something simple like some gear/bushing inside the box is loose and needs replaced.

Andy


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## chrpmaster (May 5, 2004)

Another thought I had is that toe out is not a result of slop in the steering box but in the front end. You may need to look at replacing bearings/bushings etc to tighten that up. 

The sector shaft is the one that attaches to the pitman arm. On a regular gear steering setup the steering shaft has a gear at the end that goes into the steering box. This engages the gear on the sector shaft which is at a 90 degree angle to the steering shaft. The sector shaft attaches the pitman arm which attaches to the various linkage going up to the front wheels.


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## govsux (Sep 3, 2006)

Guess I'll have to tear into it and see what going on. There must be some diagrams of the thing somewhere?? The play is definitely in the steering box. If I take some weight of the front end I can move one tire back and forth and watch all the play happen inside the steering box.
Rick


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## chrpmaster (May 5, 2004)

Let us know what you find and we will offer suggestions if we can. Sounds like you will get to know your tractor better than ever.


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## govsux (Sep 3, 2006)

I did replace all the pistons rings and bearings so I know it pretty well. ha Unfortunately I can't tear into it now for 3-4 weeks. Thanks for the idea's I will get lots of pics.
Rick


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## Morgan (Oct 26, 2006)

Some sites with some information I found from doing a search. I know nothing about these sites except that they may help you.

http://store.telepak.net/samstractors/page19.html
http://www.powersteeringkit.com/


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