GF1800 steering help

[KickStand]

New guy here.
I got my first Kubota from my neighbor for free. It’s been sitting for sometime and I’ve got it going. It’s running great; however, the steering seems to be all over the place. I’ve got to constantly keep moving the steering wheel to kinda keep it going in a straight line. It’s drastically worse, when I’m going at decent speed.

Any help, insight and or advice would be greatly appreciated.

TIA

 

[GreensvilleJay]

goto 'parts finder' and print off the 4 drawings of the 'steering' section.
there's a LOT of ujoints, tie rod ends, etc. and it sounds like most of them are 'worn'

 

[Dave_eng]

New guy here.
I got my first Kubita from my neighbor for free. It’s been sitting for sometime and I’ve got it going. It’s running great; however, the steering seems to be all over the place. I’ve got to constantly keep moving the steering wheel to kinda keep it going in a straight line. It’s drastically worse, when I’m going at decent speed.

Any help, insight and or advice would be greatly appreciated.

TIA

Start calling it a KUBOTA
Is it a 2 WD or 4WD/

Look over these free manuals:

ops manual
Dave

 

[KickStand]

Start calling it a KUBOTA
Is it a 2 WD or 4WD/
Dave

Yep, fat fingers and fixed it.
2WD.

 

[Hugo Habicht]

Hi,
welcome to Orange Tractor Talks !

I have a G1900 that had about 360 degrees play in the steering wheel when I got it.

Tightening the nut of one ball joint reduced that to about 90 degrees.

Removing front axle play reduced that a good bit further. See Link front axle repair

Next was remove ball joint play. See Link ball joint repair

What is left now is about 40mm at the steering wheel which is within specification when new but I consider it not good enough. This play is in the steering box. I have a spare one (used) in the post and will get the play close to zero for a precise steering and then swap it for the one in the tractor.

Kind regards,

 

[KickStand]

goto 'parts finder' and print off the 4 drawings of the 'steering' section.
there's a LOT of ujoints, tie rod ends, etc. and it sounds like most of them are 'worn'

Thank you. I’ll look for the 4 drawings.

Hi,
welcome to Orange Tractor Talks !

I have a G1900 that had about 360 degrees play in the steering wheel when I got it.

Tightening the nut of one ball joint reduced that to about 90 degrees.

Removing front axle play reduced that a good bit further. See Link front axle repair

Next was remove ball joint play. See Link ball joint repair

What is left now is about 40mm at the steering wheel which is within specification when new but I consider it not good enough. This play is in the steering box. I have a spare one (used) in the post and will get the play close to zero for a precise steering and then swap it for the one in the tractor.

Kind regards,

Tomorrow, I’m going to solder the radiator neck back. That should be fairly easy.
I’ll look more into your post tonight. I’m not sure how much time I’ll have tomorrow to work on it, due to it being Father’s Day but I’ll try to give it a shot.
This thing sat for two years and everything works great, other than the steering and a few other smalls things I need to fix.

 

[TimAT]

I have had 4 GF1800's. Refreshed and sold 3. Everyone, without fail, the steering was sloppy. Kubota used very simple ends on the tie rods. Not tapered, just like a bolt from a ball joint thru a flat plate. TIghted the nut instal a cotter pin and done. All of them have worked loose. I've tightend them and that works for a while, but the seem to work loose again. Next time I have the current one apart, I'm going to replace the steering links with good heim joints that are designed to have a bolt and jam nuts with nylon lock. Don't see a real need for high end race car type joints, but absolutely will upgrade the whols system.

 

[KickStand]

I have had 4 GF1800's. Refreshed and sold 3. Everyone, without fail, the steering was sloppy. Kubota used very simple ends on the tie rods. Not tapered, just like a bolt from a ball joint thru a flat plate. TIghted the nut instal a cotter pin and done. All of them have worked loose. I've tightend them and that works for a while, but the seem to work loose again. Next time I have the current one apart, I'm going to replace the steering links with good heim joints that are designed to have a bolt and jam nuts with nylon lock. Don't see a real need for high end race car type joints, but absolutely will upgrade the whols system.

I actually spent some time after dinner, tightening up them up. It actually seems to have helped some but I think they need to be replaced with something better.

 

[Hugo Habicht]

Check for play in them (the joint, not where it is mounted, tighten the nut there and use Loctite low strength for the round bar too). When replacing them I wanted to use automotive ones with a taper (had bought the reamer already). But tightening the ball part them did the trick. See my link above.

 

[TimAT]

I checked the joints themselves, (Thanks for the tip Hugo!), they were tight. All the play was in the holes the studs go through.
I elected to just replace the complete assemblies. Little more cost, but the end result is now the machine will travel in a straight line without constant corrections.
All the holes had to be drilled to 1/2 inch to fit the US standard. Another plus is the studs have wrench flats so they can be properly torqued.

Total Cost $122.20
2 XMR8 Joints with studs. Nylafiber. self lubricating
2 XML8 Joints with studs. Nylafiber, self lubricating
6848-33 1x1/2x33 Aluminum Swaged rod
6848-14 1x1/2x14 Aluminum Swaged Rod
4 1/2 Jamnuts (2 lH 2 RH)
4 Locknuts, 1/2 SAE Thread

Sourced locally (for me anyway) from Rod End Supply