ford 800... need some support for steering box / power steering issues

   / ford 800... need some support for steering box / power steering issues #1  

centerline

New member
Joined
Aug 3, 2021
Messages
4
Location
Willamette Valley, Oregon
Tractor
1957 Ford 850
I purchased this old 850 a couple years ago, and for the most part, its a good tractor.... but someone has done a very shoddy job of installing a jackson power steering kit on it, and the wheels are out of time with the steering box, and out of time with each other.... by that i mean the front wheels will turn a lot farther one direction than it will the other... (and they have about 3inches of toe out)

im trying to find the "center" position of the steering box, but as the steering box has dual, offset pitman arms, its difficult to know where the center point is..... which then, I can then adjust the tie rods and the hydraulic cylinders so I will have the same stroke in either direction....

the steering column has been fully disconnected from the steering box, and a orbital hydraulic steering motor installed at the bottom of the column.... the steering box is still in place, which keeps the front wheels connected and timed to each other, but with so much "toe out" and not being able to find center, I dont know which side needs to be adjusted in...

in addition, i dont have any clue if the pitman arms where ever removed from the steer box shaft, and which may have gotten replaced in the wrong position..... once I can find center of the steer box, I can then set it up as it is supposed to be....

the steering wheel is of no help as a reference point, because it is only connected to the orbital motor, and only moves the hyd cylinders, which are at the present time DISCONNECTED from the tie rods so that the wheels will swing easy from left to right...

does anyone have any advice to offer to help me find center position of the steering box?...... thanks
 
   / ford 800... need some support for steering box / power steering issues #2  
The only way I know of and this applies to the later 8N tractor but should the same for the 850, is the sector gears have or should have a dimple or dot indicating the center gear tooth to line up the gears to each other.

Another suggestion and probably the best would be to remove the orbital from the gear box so you can turn the gear box by hand and determine center.
 
   / ford 800... need some support for steering box / power steering issues #3  
The thing that is troubling in your description is that you say it has 3" toe out. If the kit was installed wrong or is the wrong kit then that is your problem, but you should adjust your toe-in so that it is about 1/2' toe-in.
As John0829 says, the timing is similar to an 8N, but I would look at toe-in first
 
   / ford 800... need some support for steering box / power steering issues
  • Thread Starter
#4  
thanks for the help.... I got it done. I turned the steer box all the way to the left and marked the end of the pitman arm stroke on the trans case (both sides) then turned it all the way to the right and did the same, then positioned the pitman arms centered between the two marks...... due to the off set positions of the dual pitman arms, the drag links are adjusted to different lengths, so it was impossible to tell if one was abnormally adjusted by looking at how may threads were exposed on the ends...

after getting the steer box centered, the toe out issue was clearly seen as being a problem on the right side.... so I adjusted the drag link and rechecked everything, and readjusted the position of the hyd cylinders where they clamp to the drag link so as to allow the same throw in both directions... the steering will now turn stop to stop, which it never has since ive owned it, and has been a real PITA....
 
   / ford 800... need some support for steering box / power steering issues #5  
Glad you got it figured out... always a PIA trying to correct something screwed up by someone else.
 
 
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