VAC Case hard steering

[beercase]

I've had my 1950 VAC Case for 47 of its 73 years and I love it. When I bought it from my uncle he thought it might be steering hard because he had a loader on for a long time. {Narrow front end}. I replaced the front pedestal bearings but that didn't seem to help. So I disassembled the worm and worm wheel housing. It's the model with the gear box above the torque tube. The worm and worm wheel look fine. Would moving that adjusting screw (P/N 04241-AB) help anything? After looking at some of the other posts it looks like I might just be stuck with a hard steering VAC. I love it anyway! Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[Bob Bancroft]

I haven't had the front pedestal apart on mine, but I have worked on the gearbox above the torque tube, to remove some excessive play. It still steers hard.

 

[Tgrasher]

Just for the heck of it, give any grease zerks in the steering linkage a couple shots. I had a hard steering narrow front 300 that I jacked up to adjust the worm gear, thinking I had assembled it too tight. When I turned the steering wheel back and forth I could hear a slight squeak. Greased everything and it steered easy.

 

[Bruce from Can.]

So my VAC14 was just getting harder and harder to steer. I know its probably a bit different set up on my 1953 tractor, but heres what I did. The shaft that the steering wheel is fastened to, goes through a tube behind the battery box, and the shaft continues down to a universal joint. The steering shaft on my tractor was seizing in that tube it travels through. Pulled it out cleaned it up, greased it good and back together and it steered like it had power assist. There is a grease zerk on that steering tube and it is near the bottom, naturally the grease doesnt migrate up the steering shaft very well. That was the problem on my tractor. I know the VA tractor has a different set up for steering linkage and I dont know what your tractor set up is.

In this picture you can see the steering assembly on my VAC14. How does this compare with your tractor?

 

[olgentdc]

no one mentiuoned checking the steering gear box for oil ... i put lucas hub seal in my 411b ,, it was pretty well dry from a loose oil plug .. then greased the wide front on at least 4 different occassions getting old grease to oooz out the to p side but still not much out of the bottom ,,. it does steer easier but it needs to be better ,,.was thinking of pummping diesel fuel in those zerks.

 

[beercase]

I just cleaned and relubed everything and put it back together. Nothing looked worn. It'll probably just be hard steering.
It also looks like I have hydraulic oil leaking from the torque tube into the differential. I'm not looking forward to splitting the tractor to replace part no. VT2052 Oil Retainer on the transmission shaft. I assume that's the only fix. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[chuck machinist]

(quoted from post at 19:25:32 09/04/23) I just cleaned and relubed everything and put it back together. Nothing looked worn. It'll probably just be hard steering.
It also looks like I have hydraulic oil leaking from the torque tube into the differential. I'm not looking forward to splitting the tractor to replace part no. VT2052 Oil Retainer on the transmission shaft. I assume that's the only fix. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks![/


I helped a fellow club member with this exact issue. Kroil oil the crap out of it at the steering wheel, and continue to exercise it over several days. It will loosen up in a couple of days.CM

 

[beercase]

Thanks, I'll try that on the steering. My next issue is hydraulic oil leaking from the torque tube into the differential. Not looking forward to splitting the tractor and replacing that oil retainer and probably the bearing next to it. Pretty big job! I assume there are no other options except topping up the torque tube frequently on suctioning excess oil from the differential. Any thoughts?

 

[kenbob]

A true 1950 would have different steering than the 14 (mid 51 on). That said, a lot of above said is true no matter what steering. I will say my 300 leaked regular gear oil out of the pedestal so I put in John Deere Corn head grease. It is thick enough you have to gun it in, but there was a remarkable difference in steering between a box full of 90-140 gear oil and the JD. It IS almost like power steering now.