Steering shaft gear jumping teeth under load

Joined
Sep 3, 2019
Threads
8
Messages
33
'97 or '98 Wheelhorse. I took a 48" Craftsman snow plow and converted that into a tractor shovel with dual winches (one open/closes and other lifts the entire plow/shovel scoop). Shovel assembly alone is heavy enough it can lift the rear/nose dive empty with NO ballast, so I've got about 300 pounds of ballast (not including my weight of 165) on a custom frame box in the rear that rides over the rear axle but goes further forward under the foot rests like a slapper bar. I can lift about 300-400 pounds (total) if I load up completely with damp dirt or gravel. Surprisingly, this Wheelhorse with it's 12.5 Kohler Command repower (apparently from '02) is actually doing the impossible and can lift the front tires like a skid steer if it grabs and winch has too much slack, and engine has plenty of power to move everything. Even more surprising is an entire tank of gas gets me a full day's worth of moving dirt for 10 hours if keeping revs low and running high gear 1 and 2.

Anyhow, I'm WAY beyond the original operating norms for this Wheelhorse, and steering under full load is incredibly heavy. So heavy in fact, it can jump teeth on the pinion gear if trying to muscle it at a stand still, and steering wheel will clock wrong, so entire steering shaft from pinion to steering wheel is somehow moving just enough while the gear is binding, to lose contact with the pinion gear.

Is there something on these that typically breaks/cracks causing this to happen? I can't see anything out of the ordinary, and it has to be under a full load to cause this. Also, any links to mods to make the steering lighter would be appreciated too.
 

bertsmobile1

Lawn Royalty
Joined
Nov 29, 2014
Threads
64
Messages
24,647
Pinion gear wears, fan gear wears , hole in the fan gear flogs out oval. bush on the steering shaft wears .
 
Joined
Sep 3, 2019
Threads
8
Messages
33
Thanks. I have a 312-8 but found a video for a 520H where the guy went over everything to reduce play. Gives me enough of an idea to tackle my 312.

If anyone else is looking at this, video is old but was helpful:
 
Top