d7e sterring clutches

Onee side on my D7e steers good but the other is not so good.Can anyone give my some info and direction as to the problem?Is there a crertain oil that has to be added for them.My book does not say anything about how they work.Thanks for any thing you can advise me on!!Dave A

It depends on what's happening as to what the problem might be, as the clutch can be pulling all the time, partially pulling, or not pulling at all.

Many 'steering clutch problems' aren't in the steering clutch at all. If the clutch isn't pulling like it should, or at all, what often happens is the levers on the steering valve, just below, and behind the seat, will stick. This puts pressure on the piston in the clutch and causes it to partially, or completely release. When this happens, the discs aren't being held tight together by spring pressure like they should be, and that side doesn't pull.

The way to check this is to put a guage on the line going to the clutch that's giving problems and see if there is pressure on it when the machine is sitting sill and not being steered. If there is pressure, then the problem is in the steering valve. Usually this can be remedied by putting new bearings in the housing where the levers rotate. These often get dry and will bind in a heart beat when they do.

Once that problem is taken care of, if it still doesn't pull, that usually means it has run in a partially released mode for so long it has worn the clutch discs out. Basically like riding the clutch in your truck will wear it out, the same happens to the discs in the steering clutch pack. In this case the clutch will need to be pulled, and rebuilt.

Now if it's not releasing at all, or barely releasing, it can be the steering valve, but that's unusual, at least in my experience. Again check the pressure going to the clutch from the steering valve. If you have pressure and it doesn't release, then you have internal problems. In this case, it's not actually the clutch, but rather the piston that releases the clutch. If either of the seals on it blow out, it won't release like it should. Depending on the severity of the blow out, it may work some, or it might not work at all.

To check the pressures look in from the back of the machine to where the two top covers over the steering clutch housing are. You should be able to see the back of the steering valve, and it will usually have two cast lines running off of it that are bolted to the machine's housing just inside, and about mid ways of the covers. These two lines will have a pipe plug in them. Remove that plug, and put your guage line in there. I don't remember exactly but the pressures going to the clutch piston should be some where around 300 psi. Again, I'm not 100% on that pressure, but best I remember that ought to be close.

I hope this helps, and good luck.