new steering gear getting chewed up

[bertsmobile1]

Deere do not make every part .
A lot of them are bought in

 

[bigjake]

I'm experiencing the exact thing on an LA145. I just bought a steering repair kit from my local dealer, though once I got home with it I noticed the label on the kit is Atlantic Quality Parts, not John Deere, so I'm a little aggravated about that (it was placed label-down on the counter, so I didn't notice or even consider the dealer would have been selling anything other than genuine parts). My sector gear rocks up and down as well (just at the sides) but I think it has to for the steering linkages to be able to move up and down with the way the front axles can tilt.

I just mowed for the second time since the repair, so the parts have about 1.5 hours on them, the steering is tighter and more difficult to deal with than the (assuming) original gears I just replaced with 210 hours on them.

My mom has the same mower with around 260 hours - I just mowed at her house today and her steering is significantly lighter than I recall mine being.

That's what I wanted to clarify first, if it is normal for the sector gear to rock up and down at the sides. If yours is doing it too and not gouging the gears it may be normal

 

[bigjake]

That's what I wanted to clarify first, if it is normal for the sector gear to rock up and down at the sides. If yours is doing it too and not gouging the gears it may be normal. I read the reviews on the cheaper non John Deere parts and several reviews said they only lasted a few hours so I went with JD parts (but I think the package said made in CHina)

 

[bigjake]

I’m will to bet your problem is a worn steering shaft bushing, part #14 on your diagram. Anytime I service a steering problem like yours that is one of the first parts I look at. A worn bushing will allow too much play between the sector gear and pinion gear.

What am I looking for to determine if the shaft bushing is worn? The pinion gear is very tight on the shaft

 

[bigjake]

I’m will to bet your problem is a worn steering shaft bushing, part #14 on your diagram. Anytime I service a steering problem like yours that is one of the first parts I look at. A worn bushing will allow too much play between the sector gear and pinion gear.

I believe you are correct, upon closer inspection, there is quite a bit of play between the steering shaft and both bushings. I assume they should be a pretty snug fit? I alos discovered that the reason that the sector gear rocks up and down is a built in depression in the frame above it (see attached pic), so apparently it is supposed to rock up and down. Headed to the local JD supplier to pick up two new bushings.

 

[Forest#2]

AND sometimes I see the steering shaft itself worn where it goes through the bushings. The pinion seems snug and no excess gear mesh until the steering shaft moves up into a worn area which results in less gear mesh.
I've also seen them bushing have correct part number but actually the wrong size. Some of them bushings are metric and some are inches. (and one size does not fit all)
Your rig most likely has worn bushings.
I use a hoist and raise the front of the machine with the deck off and carefully with a good light watch the mesh of the pinion and sector gear and watch for any slack or the mesh of the gears changing. Just because it has new parts installed does not always cure the issue in this area.
Some of the Cub Cadets used about 3 or more different size and types of bushings (with same part number) above the pinion gear at the steering shaft area.

 

[bigjake]

AND sometimes I see the steering shaft itself worn where it goes through the bushings. The pinion seems snug and no excess gear mesh until the steering shaft moves up into a worn area which results in less gear mesh.
I've also seen them bushing have correct part number but actually the wrong size. Some of them bushings are metric and some are inches. (and one size does not fit all)
Your rig most likely has worn bushings.
I use a hoist and raise the front of the machine with the deck off and carefully with a good light watch the mesh of the pinion and sector gear and watch for any slack or the mesh of the gears changing. Just because it has new parts installed does not always cure the issue in this area.
Some of the Cub Cadets used about 3 or more different size and types of bushings (with same part number) above the pinion gear at the steering shaft area.

This is with the new bushings installed. The new gears are definitely not meshing well?

 

[Forest#2]

No need in trying to operate that with the gear mesh that weak.
Ronnie Milsap can see that is no good.

You need to get the pinion/sector closer together somehow.
Check that the bushing are proper size OD and ID and the holes in the frame are not worn where the OD of the bushings fit.

 

[bigjake]

No need in trying to operate that with the gear mesh that weak.
Ronnie Milsap can see that is no good.

You need to get the pinion/sector closer together somehow.
Check that the bushing are proper size OD and ID and the holes in the frame are not worn where the OD of the bushings fit.

I managed to get the pinion gears closer. I tried a few things but I think what might have made a difference was that the steering shaft was lightly worn where it fits through the bushings. Reluctant to throw any more money into a 16 year old tractor with 680 hours on it, I tried wrapping some metal duct tape around the shaft to give it a tighter fit in the bushing. Seems to have worked for now. no idea how long it will last. My bigger problem is that a couple months ago I replaced the transmission drive belt that was shredding. I used a genuine JD belt, confirmed the correct part number on the belt, confirmed the belt is routed properly, idler pulleys working correctly. But since changing the belt I'm having trouble climbing the steep hill in my back yard. One side is much steeper than the other. It used to be that if I couldnt make it up the steepest side then one of the rear tires would spin and I'd have to back down and go up the less steep side. Since changing the belt, when the tractor stops on the hill, the tires don't spin, it seems the belt is slipping on the pulleys as i can occasionally smell a burning rubber smell. Sometimes I wasn't sure if the transmission was just wearing out and nearing end of life, so i just started cutting up the less steep side and down the steeper side. That was working ok until yesterday. When I cut yesterday after fixing the pinion gear issue, I was having occasional problems getting up the less steep side too. I believe it's just the belt slipping but I can't bend down far enought to look under the tractor to confirm the transmission pulley is spinning and the belt is just slipping without taking too much weight off the seat and the dead man switch cutting out. I did get off the tractor and feel the drive belt and it was HOT, so it seems to just be the belt slipping. When I replaced the belt a couple months ago, I cut the old belt to take it off easier, but when the new belt was slipping right away, I assumed it was maybe longer that the original belt, so as best I could, I measured the old belt against the new belt while the new belt was still on the tractor and it seemed the old belt was actually slightly longer, which I guess would makes sense if it stretched with use. Any suggestions on getting the new belt to stop slipping on the hill? I bought the tractor from the neighbor 5 years ago after her husband died so I don't know the previous history, but I didn not have this problem until changing the belt. I've seen youtube videos of guys taking the transmission out and turning it upside down to drain and replace the fluid since they don't have drain plugs. I asked the guy at the tractor store about that when I bought the steering gears last week and he said the LA140 was built in 2007 and was an entry level tractor (probably sold at Lowes), he said they don't even sell those entry level models there. But he said the transmissions on those were not really designed for steep hills and don't last long (I have 680 hours). He said changing the fluid would probably not make a difference. He did say he had new transmissions in the back so i wasn't sure if he was just tryign to sell me a new transmission. I figure when this one actually dies I'll get a new tractor.

 

[Forest#2]

I figure when this one actually dies I'll get a new tractor.

Appears You answered your own question here.

14 year old machine, 3rd owner and duck tape around the steering shaft (redneck style) to help with steering sector gear mesh.
AND slipping new drive belt of correct size due to ????
probably inside groove on the 14 year old pulleys dished out and v belt not contacting properly plus other stuff. (that duck tape cannot be used to correct)

When I tell guys to go get a new mower that theirs is worn out mainly due to owner/operator neglect they usually call back in few days wanting to know if I know of any used GOOD mowers for sale, that the price of that new stuff seems high and not of good quality for the long haul.