Getting Slop Out of MTD Steering

[bertsmobile1]

I just purchased a steering bracket assy. including the mounting bracket,fan gear, and all attaching bolts and bushings for the gear.
When I get that I will have the setup test bed that I have been wanting.
I'll be able to test methods and modifications to tighten up that assembly without
incurring down time for the tractor, which I still use regularly for leaf-mulching duty.

After tightening up the fan gear mounting and pinion gear meshing, I'm thinking
spherical washers for the upper drag link attachments and Heim joints at the spindles.

You need to get rid of those pin type tie rod ends as well.
Get the spherical ball ones but pay the extra for steel and not the zinc cause the zinc ones will break.
Buy some longer mounting bolts in grade 8 or better so that the tie rod end is on the solid shaft and not the thread
Now if you want to be real annal weld some tube on the fan gear over the pivot hole then bore the tube and hole out to take a double row ball or roller bearing and naturally a longer pivot bolt.
This will not only reduce friction & wear on the fan gear pivot hole but substantially reduce the effort required to turn it

 

[Ronno6]

You need to get rid of those pin type tie rod ends as well.
Get the spherical ball ones but pay the extra for steel and not the zinc cause the zinc ones will break.
Buy some longer mounting bolts in grade 8 or better so that the tie rod end is on the solid shaft and not the thread
Now if you want to be real annal weld some tube on the fan gear over the pivot hole then bore the tube and hole out to take a double row ball or roller bearing and naturally a longer pivot bolt.
This will not only reduce friction & wear on the fan gear pivot hole but substantially reduce the effort required to turn it

That's some pretty meaty stuff,Bert!
I had considered Heim (or Spherco) rod ends at the steering knuckles.
The drag link is threaded 7/16-20, the rod end for which will have a 7/16" bore.
I wish there were 7/16" shoulder bolts, but...nae...
Would need a 7/16" bole and drill out the connector arm n the knuckle, or use smaller bolt(I believe the stock stud is 3/8")
and use a bushing, but there are no 3/8id x 7/17od bushings.
So, I think a 7/17" bolt would do the trick.
Also interesting notion on the fan gear pivot. I'll do some serious tinkering on that one!
Maybe incorporate bicycle headset bearings.......
Thanks!

 

[bertsmobile1]

The headset bearings might be a bit big.
Plenty of double row balls down to tiny 5mm.
On the commercial mowers the deck tensioning arm has a tube welded to the pivot point and either have a solid greased bush or top & bottom bearing.
Cheap domestic ones just have a hole in the tension arm and flop around like the proverbial rooster in a man's hoisery .
In the land of the free & home of the lazy I would imagine the bearing shops probably sell the tube bearing mount either as a top hat bolt on item or a weld on tube.
That is the best way to get rid of the rock in the fan gear. That will work a lot better than packing plates and a knock out sealed bearing is an easy replacement.
If you go with the double fan gear idea ( I like that ) then you wont need very much tube as it will be almost thick enough to take the bearing
Just watch how big you make it cause you don't want to foul on the belts with the mower in the fully raised position.

As for the tie rod ends, don't overlook metric ones

 

[Ronno6]

The problem with stacking fan gears is that the rack gear section of the fan is formed at an angle
so that the tooth faces of the gear should mesh with those of the pinion at a zero angle.
Stacking another on top will have a staggered overlap teeth rather than a continuous smooth gear tooth faces.
One solution is to trim the arc-shaped rack section off the donor fangear and attach that section atop
the recipient gear with teeth aligned as intended.
Welding would be easiest, but, as I do not have that skill, maybe screws or rivets at the ends and spring roll pins
at a few points along the arc.

As for rod ends vs the stock ball joints, I fear that ball rod ends are longer than the stock joint.
I am not sure if there is adequate threading on the drag links to allow assembly to the same overall length.
More research needed.........

 

[Ronno6]

I received my steering support bracket and fan gear assembly today.
Now the game can commence in earnest!

 

[Boobala]

I'm sure you fella's will find this short video of significant help in your research !! I marvel at the simplicity of the descriptive adjectives presented here, you may have to watch it 4 or 5 times to fully grasp the true full effects presented ..:laughing:..:laughing:..:laughing:

 

[Ronno6]

I'm sure you fella's will find this short video of significant help in your research !! I marvel at the simplicity of the descriptive adjectives presented here, you may have to watch it 4 or 5 times to fully grasp the true full effects presented ..:laughing:..:laughing:..:laughing:

Pretty basic stuff, Boo.
Learned all about that in preschool...............
Actually this video is quite old, and is the product of a first grade class project in central Florida.

 

[Boobala]

Pretty basic stuff, Boo.
Learned all about that in preschool...............
Actually this video is quite old, and is the product of a first grade class project in central Florida.

Is that a fact..?? Well here's another fact to "absorb" IN all it's glory ! I've decided a NEW name for you is long overdue, after careful studying of your secretive activities I'm sure the name.. "Ben Dover" is quite a "FITTING" ..:thumbsup:

 

[Cleave]

I received my steering support bracket and fan gear assembly today.
Now the game can commence in earnest!

I know that this is an old thread, but did you ever get around to stacking the fan gears? I have an MTD made Bolens and have had nothing but trouble with the pinion and fan gear setup. Looking for any type of fix that might last me more than a few months.

 

[Ronno6]

I know that this is an old thread, but did you ever get around to stacking the fan gears? I have an MTD made Bolens and have had nothing but trouble with the pinion and fan gear setup. Looking for any type of fix that might last me more than a few months.

The project went on to the back burner as my new Hustler Raptor took the focus off the MTD.
I have the components and have got my welder up and working now, so, when the spirit again moves me, I am poised to go.
I also want to change the design of all the pivot points of the assembly to replace the plastic bushings and swivel joints
on the tie rods to beefier Heim joint designs.