Power steering hose on 4400

[Wayne_H]

Well, my trusty 4400 that is only 12 years old sprung a leak in one of the hydraulic hoses that go to the power steering cylinder. Deere has the two hoses listed as the same part, so I took the broken hose off and brought it to the local hose maker to make two new hoses. I get home, replace the broken hose, start replacing the old non-broken hose (like doing preventive maintainance...), and what the heck it is 5 inches too short.... Well, so much for the same part number from JDparts... Anyway off to the hose maker to get a new longer hose made up. $55.00 less money in my pocket I was good to go.

So changing these is not hard. The one on the "right side" of the tractor can easily be reached from underneath with some patience. Not so with the one on the left side. The trick is to drop the front drive shaft (one pin and one minute), chock the front wheels, put a jack-stand under the steering arm to balance the axle, remove the eight bolts holding it to the frame, and then jack the tractor up 4-5 inches and you are good to go. The entire job takes less than an hour, and that is taking a lot of time and checking everything twice.

If you want to go to Jd for the parts, the part number is AM126348. The local hose maker takes about five minutes to make one hose. Interesting though, the OEM hose was a parker hose, made in the USA, I would have thought it would have lasted a long time.

Wayne

 

[Zebrafive]

I wonder if JD only sells the longer hose as replacement for both sides? Never knew JD to try and simplify the part numbers, bet it is a mistake when the parts catalog was made.
I too would have replaced both hoses.
I do not think 12 years is a short life.