Steering ball bearing upgrade
 

I've been wanting to upgrade the steering to use a ball bearing for some time now. I actually bought the parts well over a year ago. We spent 2 hours last Sat. looking for them--it turns out I have spare parts for everything but Cub Cadets---they didn't have a designated place to be. Anyway, we had the 128 in the shop for routine maintenance and decided this would be a good time to do it. I don't really see where changing from the original thrust washer setup to the Nice bearing (I can't remember the number, something like a 605 or 606 maybe) makes a big difference. I did notice a lot of other slop in the steering so the plan is now to pull the engine and tighten things up from the steering box to the front axle. I think the plate the steering rod is hooked to is warped pretty bad so the steering box needs to be torn apart and the job done right. I bought enough bearings and locknuts to do 7 machines, we have 4 plus a Deere with that same setup. The 128 will have to wait until cold weather for me to open up the steering. We do have a 129 waiting to have the engine pulled for an oil seal replacement so it will probably get its steering "fixed" first. Just a bit of a ramble here, my point being don't think the bearing upgrade alone will give you "power steering".

I believe you are correct, the upgrade kit alone doesn't make that big of difference, I've been selling them for years and admittedly only have them on a couple of my machines. But people want them so I sell them, actually I give them away, over the years, I've never raised my price on them and I believe with the rising cost of everything including postage and the padded envelope to send them in, I lose about 62 cents on every one that leaves here.

NOW, if there were a way to put a similar bearing between a spindle and the bottom of the axle... THEN you'd have something!

The Case GTs, actually do have that upgrade available.

All I know is that the kit and a bearing in the steering tube just under the steering wheel made a huge difference for my 128. I can pretty much use 1 finger to turn with, where as before it was tighter and more difficult to turn.

I am also doing the steering upgrade in a QL. I have the kit with the Nice 605 bearing for the base of the column but what do you put in the top of the tube under the wheel?

Thx

I have one of your kits Mark, and don't know if it's that or the Ags on the front, but you can steer it with one finger! Want to put the front ags on the 1211 and see how much difference it makes.

The cub front wheel bearing will fit the top of the column.

Thanks- I think I'll do that too while its apart

Didn't realize there was a bearing upgrade for the top, I'll look into that as well when we get a chance to pull it down.

I did the bearing upgrade in the top of the column of my O, made a huge difference in steering along with column rebuild. My daughter (less than 2) can steer no problem. It takes a 1-3/8" OD, 3/4" ID flanged bearing if I recall correctly, same as a cub front wheel, I got a cheap one meant for a hand truck.

Mark, I believe Sammac did the thrust bearing upgrade on the spindles to one of his tractors. There is a write up on here somewhere, but I think he had to machine down the bottom of the axle to make room for the bearings on the spindle.

Bill