Best way to straigten bent steering shaft of tractor steering box?

[unfinished]

I'm working on a Ford 3000 tractor. Had the known issue of hydraulic fluid leaking profusely out the top of the steering column. However while I had the steering box apart, I noticed one of the steering shafts is bent, making it very difficult to rotate in the housing. It must have had a collision in it's past. Housing has two bronze or oilight bushings on each shaft. I don't need perfect, just need to get it to rotate better.

1) Can I just press in the center of the bend, using some aluminum blocks and shop press?
2) Should I use any heat?

[toprecycler]

1st question.

1. If the part breaks trying to fix it, how bad is it to find a new part?

It might bend nicely cold. I would screw a nut on the end to protect the threads.

If you can set up a dial indicator to moniter how far you are bending the shaft, that can be helpful to keep from going to far.

Do it slow and intentional minimum steps. Go .025” increments, til you start seeing improvements. Put the shaft in vee blocks and rotate with the indicator showing how much deflection exists.

If I was doing it with heat, I would maybe just try it with heat straightening. Heating opposite side to cherry red then letting it cool on its own to see if it will pull back on it’s own. If not, then you need to heat and then press it straight and hold it til it cools.


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[digr]

I would try the press using a nut to threaded all the way on to support the end and make a saddle from pipe about a 1/2" long over the bend to push on.

[Shade Tree Welder]

+1 on what Bryan said.

[mccutter]

Can you put the arm back on the splines and use it as spacer in the press? It looks bent AT the beginning of the splines. I would venture a guess this is a weak point so I'd be careful.

[arizonian]

+1 on previous replies, I would not use heat except as a last resort.

Shaft looks north of 1", maybe 1-1/4"? As far as the pipe softener, if you could take a block of steel twice the diameter and machine (drill?) a hole close tolerance, cut it in half and use that for a softener. Increments with a dial indicator.

[unfinished]

Originally Posted by toprecycler

1st question.

1. If the part breaks trying to fix it, how bad is it to find a new part?

It might bend nicely cold. I would screw a nut on the end to protect the threads.

If you can set up a dial indicator to moniter how far you are bending the shaft, that can be helpful to keep from going to far.

Do it slow and intentional minimum steps. Go .025” increments, til you start seeing improvements. Put the shaft in vee blocks and rotate with the indicator showing how much deflection exists.

If I was doing it with heat, I would maybe just try it with heat straightening. Heating opposite side to cherry red then letting it cool on its own to see if it will pull back on it’s own. If not, then you need to heat and then press it straight and hold it til it cools.


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Probably can't find new, just used parts. But everybody is snapping up any power steering boxes that come up on marketplace for their own tractor. I have seen new manual boxes made in India on the auction site.


Good tips, I'll do the press cold and use the nut, check with indicator in small steps.

[unfinished]

Originally Posted by mccutter

Can you put the arm back on the splines and use it as spacer in the press? It looks bent AT the beginning of the splines. I would venture a guess this is a weak point so I'd be careful.

Yes the bend is right where splines transition into straight part, but it has slightly deform the straight section where the bushing rides thus making it impossible to turn by hand. Good idea, I'll see if I can rig up something in the press and use steering arm. The splines have a little twist to them but I can get the arm seated.

[unfinished]

Originally Posted by arizonian

+1 on previous replies, I would not use heat except as a last resort.

Shaft looks north of 1", maybe 1-1/4"? As far as the pipe softener, if you could take a block of steel twice the diameter and machine (drill?) a hole close tolerance, cut it in half and use that for a softener. Increments with a dial indicator.

Softener? From the description, I'm thinking a saddle or v-block (just round instead of v). Is that what you mean?


Shaft is 1.125" on straight section.

[unfinished]

Thanks guys, I'll give it a shot this weekend and report back. If it snaps, maybe end up welding it and machining it back down.