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3400 steering shaft alignment


jb3179

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Hello again all, in preperation for my sovereign 3415 restoration project I was wondering about the steering shaft on my sovereign. it has been pulled slightly to the right over the years from people using the wheel to pull themselves on to the tractor. will i have to replace this shaft or can it be adjusted back to center? I already loosened the collar on the shaft and moved ti up ad down trying to find a better spot to alieviate the problem but no luck. thanks Joe
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Joe, can you post a pic? I am having a hard time understanding what's wrong. Is the shaft bent above where it comes through the dash? Or has it elongated the hole in the dash?
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Sorry on the pics. Heres the deal, where the steering shaft comes through the dash there is a bushing on a 2 bolt mount. when i replaced the dash with a better one i noticed the bushing was worn much thinner than the one on the newer dash and that the steering shaft didnt come out the center of the hole in the dash it was leaned more to the right. I surmise it is from previous owners pulling themselves ont he tractor. I adjusted the bushing collar over as far as i could to compensate but it still steers pretty hard. The steering shaft may be bent but I dont think so because if it was bent it would get easier to turn in part of its rotation and this is not the case. I was wondering if there was an adjustment somewhere down there to straighten things up or if I should be looking for a new shaft and gears?
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There is an adjustment to how tight the gears mesh, but you have to take the steering mechanism out of the tractor to do it. That will do nothing for straightness though. I never thought the steering shafts set perfectly straight in the tractors to begin with anyhow, so there may not be anything to worry about in respect to that. If you want to try to make it steer easier try greasing the zerk accessible from underneath the tractor. Then take the battery out and spray a liberal amount of WD 40 or PB Blaster or similar down the steering shaft and into the gear assembly while turning both ways back and forth with the front end jacked up and the wheels off the floor.
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I did the greasing and adjusted the mesh of the steering gears last night which helped alot. but the shaft is so far to the right that i had to trim some of the rubber off the outside of the bushing to relieve the pressure on the shaft. I guess thats as good as its going to get. thanks for all the input.
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Yeah, if its that far right then something somewhere must be bent. Never had to trim a busing on the several dozen tractors I have redone over the years.
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I think I solved the problem the right way! I bought another 3415 and snow blade. picking it up on wednesday now Ive got all the parts I need, well maybe just a few more!
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From the factory, the steering wheel tilts down to the right side and up on the left, due to the fact that the shaft needs to clear the driveshaft underneath.
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Thats an interesting fact, thanks. I think when i get to reassembly I will massage the mounting location and use the best looking shaft or the two that i now have.
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