Adj. Steering Wheel for B7800HSD

[nharrold]

My son and I are tall enough that we keep whacking our knees on the underside of the B7800 steering wheel; it's a pain in the butt when we have to get on and off of the tractor frequently. So I've been wondering if it would be possible to replace that fixed steering wheel with the adjustable steering wheel assembly that comes with the B2910.

I've asked my local Kubota dealer to see what he can come up with on this issue, and how much the parts would cost. I also asked him if a reasonably mechanically-proficient guy like me could make the change without needing any special Kubota tools or specialized knowledge. I downloaded the B7800 and B2910 parts books from tractorsmart.com, and it seems like a pretty straightforward task.

Has anyone done this, or does anyone have any suggestions or insights that might help me figure out what to do?

 

[Henro]

Nharrold,

This is the first time this question has been posted probably. Not that I remember all the posts by any means...

I can't help with an answer but I can say that on my B2910 I adjusted the steering wheel once, all the way up, and that is where it has stayed since day one. I can't even remember if it goes higher along with tilting forward... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

I actually thought it was almost a useless option, but now I will have to reconsider I guess... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Hope you get some helpful feedback. Sorry I can be helpful, but thought I would give you an answer of some sort, because the question is unique in my memory...and it may take a while to get a useful answer...

 

[nharrold]

Thanks for the reply, Henro; I've enjoyed and learned-from many of your other posts.

I bought the 7800 instead of the 2910 because the latter would have been more than $2000 additional, which I couldn't afford; and because I had no need for the added goodies like cruise control, fancy seat, etc. Didn't give much thought to the adjustable steering wheel, unfortunately; and the dealer didn't caution me that any prior customers had found the knee clearance wanting. (And neither model was available on the lot for a sit test when I made the purchase.)

But now that we've had time to use the machine, my son and I both find that we continually whack our knees against the underside of the steering wheel when dismounting. This will become more of a problem when the wet winter arrives and we have to wear bigger, heavier boots and foul weather gear, which effectively makes us larger and reduces that wheel clearance accordingly.

I e-mailed Kubota asking for a detailed machinists drawing of the 7800's steering shaft so that I could have a local machinist make one just like it, except 2" longer. That would give us the clearance we need. But Kubota wouldn't come across with the drawing; not only "no", but "hell, no!".

So, I guess my next option is to remove the steering shaft and take that to the machinist to use as a pattern to make the longer shaft. Getting it out of the tractor may take some head-scratching, but I think I can do it without too much trouble, using a digital camera to document each step so I can get the thing reassembled again. I also have the exploded diagram from the Parts Book at tractorsmart.com.

I'll check-in here from time to time to see if you or anyone else has come up with anything helpful. I'm so busy that I'm lucky to get here once a week.

(Different subject: the most helpful thing I've read here, so far, was the warning about being careful when removing/installing the FEL to make sure both pins were engaged...so as not to destroy the hydraulic connectors on the control valve should the loader assembly drop unexpectedly.)

 

[nharrold]

The dealer has since told me that the substitution cannot be made; would require major re-structuring of support members, etc.

So I'm back to finding a local machinist who might be able to do either of the following:

a. cut the shaft and insert a 2" piece of filler; would require the ability to make sure that the new lengthened shaft was perfectly straight; or

b. machine a complete new shaft, 2" longer than stock; would be quite expensive, I'm sure

Arrggghhhh.......

 

[Henro]

Just a thought...but...

The steering wheel and the shaft that it is on does not really have to withstand much in the way of torque, being power steering and so on.

And why does it have to be perfect anyway. So what if it wobbles a little as it turns. Would you notice? I doubt I would. Not like it is the family car...

Since I have a tig welder, If I needed to I would probably cut the shaft below where the steering wheel slips on it, and insert a piece of rod whatever length I needed to make it right for me, and weld the splined end back on...

IF I did not get it perfect...well, so what. It would make it better for ME, and the son, and I would be happy with the result.

First I would price the replacement cost of the shaft though...just in case I was not happy with the result...if it cost an arm and a leg, I might then just practice spreading my legs further apart... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif ...take a class in yoga....or whatever... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[nharrold]

I'm going to wait until I get the B7800 service manual that I've ordered from my dealer, before I venture into pulling the steering shaft. The manual may have some helpful info or photos that will keep me from doing something stupid out of ignorance; like destroying the plastic cowlings in the process of removal. For example, I need to determine if the lower end of the shaft is press-fitted into the universal; it's apparently not roll-pinned. I also need to know if the shaft passes through any bushings that would require that the shaft be the same thickness from end-to-end. Anyway, it looks like it should be pretty easy to get that shaft out of there. Will keep you all posted, even if this takes awhile longer...

 

[nharrold]

Afterthought: Henro, I'm concerned about "wobble" in the lengthened shaft (if it were not exactly straight) because that would tend to enlarge the opening in the bushing at the top of the shaft (don't know if it's pot metal, delrin, or whatever), thus increasing the clearances to the point that I'd be pretty unhappy with the assembly because of the resulting sloppiness.

 

[nharrold]

Another afterthought: Henro, Tractor Smart shows the price for that steering shaft as $35.14. I can't believe it; having had to buy Kubota parts in the past, I figured it would be in the $200 range. Live and learn, I guess.

 

[nharrold]

An engineer at Kubota USA called me last week about my question. He said even they cannot get the mechanical drawings from Kubota in Japan. So I told him that I planned to buy a shaft from Tractorsmart for $35, have a machinist weld in a 2" extension, and install it in place of the existing shaft. He agreed that that was probably the best and cheapest solution.

(One other option I explored was to find a steering wheel with the same spline setup but a deeper "dish" to it, which would raise the steering wheel rim accordingly; but I couldn't come up with anything workable.)