Farmall H steering wobble

[IHplankton]

Hello all, I have searched on this subject and theres enough to read until my eyeballs bleed. But I'm right in the middle of farming season and I need some specific advice.

My H has a bad case of front end wobble and I need to road it a short distance maybe 4 miles to hay. However even in third the wheels slap back and forth so bad I'm afraid they will fall off. I need to do something about it soon. I was wondering if anyone could pinpoint what could be causing this problem/what to fix first. In the winter I'll have time and plan on pulling the bolster out and replacing the bushings in there. However I'm thinking it is coming from higher up.

with the cover off the worm and sector gear I can turn the wheel over a quarter turn until the gear catches and turns the wheels. I just replaced the sector gear and that did not do anything, I had the original half moon gear in there before. The castle nut is tight enough so I am rocking the tractor tightening it anymore... I tightened up the collars on the steering shaft, and have less pressure in one tire then the other but no change.

When the wheels wobble the steering wheel pedastal and shaft rock back and forth with each wobble...I just wanted to see if anyone had an idea of something that would make that happen that I could replace with no more then a day of downtime. I would replace the bushings and all but I am afraid that once I tore into it I would find more problems and more parts to order etc. and I would be down for too long.

Any help would be appreciated, Thanks.

 

[James Williams]

Let a little air out of one wheel

jimmy

 

[LA in WI]

Let a LOT of air out of one of the front tires...it will pull to one side a little but wobble will quit. Only need one wheel to support front end anyway. Quick and dirty fix that works.
LA in WI

 

[PretendFarmer]

(quoted from post at 19:19:10 08/11/15) Hello all, I have searched on this subject and theres enough to read until my eyeballs bleed. But I'm right in the middle of farming season and I need some specific advice.

My H has a bad case of front end wobble and I need to road it a short distance maybe 4 miles to hay. However even in third the wheels slap back and forth so bad I'm afraid they will fall off. I need to do something about it soon. I was wondering if anyone could pinpoint what could be causing this problem/what to fix first. In the winter I'll have time and plan on pulling the bolster out and replacing the bushings in there. However I'm thinking it is coming from higher up.

with the cover off the worm and sector gear I can turn the wheel over a quarter turn until the gear catches and turns the wheels. I just replaced the sector gear and that did not do anything, I had the original half moon gear in there before. The castle nut is tight enough so I am rocking the tractor tightening it anymore... I tightened up the collars on the steering shaft, and have less pressure in one tire then the other but no change.

When the wheels wobble the steering wheel pedastal and shaft rock back and forth with each wobble...I just wanted to see if anyone had an idea of something that would make that happen that I could replace with no more then a day of downtime. I would replace the bushings and all but I am afraid that once I tore into it I would find more problems and more parts to order etc. and I would be down for too long.

Any help would be appreciated, Thanks.

You may want to seek out a parts H somewhere, and replace the whole front bolster.

 

[rustyfarmall]

(quoted from post at 11:19:10 08/11/15) Hello all, I have searched on this subject and theres enough to read until my eyeballs bleed. But I'm right in the middle of farming season and I need some specific advice.

My H has a bad case of front end wobble and I need to road it a short distance maybe 4 miles to hay. However even in third the wheels slap back and forth so bad I'm afraid they will fall off. I need to do something about it soon. I was wondering if anyone could pinpoint what could be causing this problem/what to fix first. In the winter I'll have time and plan on pulling the bolster out and replacing the bushings in there. However I'm thinking it is coming from higher up.

with the cover off the worm and sector gear I can turn the wheel over a quarter turn until the gear catches and turns the wheels. I just replaced the sector gear and that did not do anything, I had the original half moon gear in there before. The castle nut is tight enough so I am rocking the tractor tightening it anymore... I tightened up the collars on the steering shaft, and have less pressure in one tire then the other but no change.

When the wheels wobble the steering wheel pedastal and shaft rock back and forth with each wobble...I just wanted to see if anyone had an idea of something that would make that happen that I could replace with no more then a day of downtime. I would replace the bushings and all but I am afraid that once I tore into it I would find more problems and more parts to order etc. and I would be down for too long.

Any help would be appreciated, Thanks.

Letting some air out of one front tire is NOT the way to fix it. Maybe if the H was nothing more than a parade queen, that MIGHT work, but only temporarily, and having one front tire FLAT sure wouldn't be much fun on a tractor drive either.

Fix it right!! It will take some time, and it will take some dollars. New bushings, thrust bearing, and probably the bolster shaft itself will need some welding and then turned down on a lathe. Fix it right and it will be good to go for as long as you live. Letting the air out of one tire is the lazy mans way.

 

[Charlie M]

Some things to check that are quick include the joint in the middle of the steering shaft, pull the cap on the gear box and tighten the nut and do the same thing on both wheel bearings. If are you are lucky there will be enough slop in bearings that can be tightened up for a while.If you're not so lucky the bearings are worn beyond just tightening them up and will have to be replaced.I guess I would also make sure the wheels are bolted on tight.

 

[kevinj54]

(quoted from post at 19:26:31 08/11/15) Some things to check that are quick include the joint in the middle of the steering shaft, pull the cap on the gear box and tighten the nut and do the same thing on both wheel bearings. If are you are lucky there will be enough slop in bearings that can be tightened up for a while.If you're not so lucky the bearings are worn beyond just tightening them up and will have to be replaced.I guess I would also make sure the wheels are bolted on tight.

You mention the bearing cap, it sounds like the bearing on the worm shaft is gone.

 

[ewtirecutting]

make sure your spindle is the right way and not turned backwards. Also if there is still play on the worm gear you can shave the bottom side down to let it seat deeper and that will tighten it up.

 

[Chance M]

im with rusty farmall but understand your need for the tractor. I'd use it and let the air outta one tire to get it to the field and use it for the season. But definitely restore the entire front end on the old girl at seasons end....like you where saying you where gonna do. Good luck and be careful.

C

 

[David G]

The shafts, gears and bushings were all shot in mine, ended up replacing all.

I would jack the front end up and see how much play the bolster bushings have in them, they can cause a lot of play.

 

[Andy Martin]

If it got real bad real quick check the worm gear bearing as someone else said. I had the plug fall out one time and wobble was terrific. Fortunately the plug landed inside the grill.

 

[FBH44]

IF you still have oil or grease in the steering chamber, OK, butif not you need to replace the seals. Very cheap, at the dealers'. You pull them in from the end, the U-shape facing into the grease. Invent yuour owl puller of sockets, duct tape, all-thread, washers, etc. more sockets.....
I fuond on my H I had good bolsters, good bushings, I finally buoght a new worm gear / shaft assembly from this site, all fixed! But you HAVE to keep good thick oil / grease inthe steering chamber. I mixed up my own 50-50 combo of red RED wheel bearing grease and 90 wt. All fixed.

 

[IHplankton]

Great, thanks for all the responses. I do have the worm gear box full of fresh grease, not sure what kind just out of a tub labeled grease in the garage.

I did check the play in the wheels when I had it jacked up and I could turn them back and forth easily but the steering wheel turned at the same time.

I will definitely look at the worm shaft bearing today, how do I tell if my spindle is backwards or not?

If nothing else I guess I will let even more air out of the one tire I only had a 10 lb difference so probably not enough, I did notice that when driving on a slight sidehill on the road it smooths out...

 

[Roger in Wisconsin]

A little play in the universal joint in the middle of the
steering shaft can cause a lot of wobble. I was lucky that
mine was a separate universal, and was fairly easy to
replace. On some models the universal is welded to the
back steering shaft. That would be more expensive to fix.

 

[FBH44]

I was saying the worm GEAR itself, not the bearing . That's what was worn out on mine, the GEAR.

 

[kevinj54]

(quoted from post at 08:59:38 08/12/15) I was saying the worm GEAR itself, not the bearing . That's what was worn out on mine, the GEAR.

He said he replaced the worm gear, now the worm may be worn also.

 

[rustyfarmall]

(quoted from post at 06:03:38 08/12/15)

(quoted from post at 08:59:38 08/12/15) I was saying the worm GEAR itself, not the bearing . That's what was worn out on mine, the GEAR.

He said he replaced the worm gear, now the worm may be worn also.

A worn out worm, and/or worm gear would cause excessive play in the steering. Same goes for a worn out u-joint in the steering shaft. The front wheel "death wobble" has nothing to do with either of those.