Tight steering
 

I was putting the 127 back in the shed tonight when the steering got real hard in one direction and I hear a noise that sounds like it is right at the steering wheel.
Does anyone have any ideas on what it could be??
I was going to take the wheel off but I am not sure how to get the plastic center cap off. Does it pry off, unscrew or what????????
I dont want to break it and it already has a crack.

It's almost impossible to not see a bad upper bushing. Sounds like it's time for a column rebuild.

So how do I remove the center cap off of the steering wheel with out breaking it??? It seems tight. It doesnt seem to spin in either direction.
Does it need to be pryed off or does it screw off somehow???

If I have to pull out the column, do I have to remove the whole tower with the dash???

I used a small flathead screwdriver and gently pryed on mine till it came off. They are just pressed in and most the time glued. Once you get the wheel off the column unbolts from underneith and then will slide out from the bottom

I use a small rubber strap wrench,but sometimes I use the screwdriver method if all else fails.

Well I have a tractor in the garage without any steering. You were right Yosemite Sam, its rebuild time. The ball bearing came out of the bottom and the plastic retainer wound up into the worm gear on the shaft. Luckily there was no damage to anything besides the bearing retainer.
So its time for a new pair of bearings in the gearbox and I should be good to go.

While you are in there you will also want to replace the bearing cups and seal as well.

Please understand that I am not normally one to jump to the "rebuild" conclusion. But in this situation, I was pretty sure that was the case.

Once the steering wheel is off the whole process isn't all that difficult, follow the instructions and everything will be fine.

Yeah it was a real simple job to pull out the whole column. I got lucky that my center cap came right off and a couple good whacks with a hammer and a socket and the steering wheel came right off too.

How do you get the old cups out and the new ones in without damaging them?? That looks a little tricky to get the upper one in without messing it up or getting it "cocked" as the manual states.

Also, if I turn the stud in does that take play out or does it just make it harder to turn the wheel???

I can't ever remember having any kind of trouble getting the cups back in. I have had trouble getting the top cup out a time or two though.

Tightening the 5/8" "bolt" (the one that is welded to the "lever") too tight will only make it hard to turn the wheel and cause pre-mature wear to the "seal kit".

The "cam follower" is used to adjust radial "slop" in the steering wheel. It is pretty-much impossible to get the cam follower adjusted so that there is the same amount of "drag" throughout it's travel, this is due to the fact that the cam follower moves in a semi-circle, that causes it to be further away from the centerline of the center shaft on the top and bottom of its movement than it is in the middle.

I find it easiest to adjust the cam follower with the steering wheel on the column and the column clamped in a vice. This allows you to "feel" just how tight, tight really is. Right or wrong, I adjust mine so that it feels "pretty good" near the top and bottom and a little tight in the middle, otherwise, it seems (to me) that there is too much slop in the wheel.

Others may have better ideas on this matter and I would never say that they are wrong.

Good Luck!

Please understand that I am not normally one to jump to the "rebuild" conclusion. But in this situation, I was pretty sure that was the case.

I am not one to jump to that either but I had a feeling I would be doing this when it happened.

Thanks for all the advice Sam.