1947 Farmall H

I recently put live hydraulics on my 1947 H. I'm looking to put a wide front end on it as well. It steers so terrible hard. I'm a fairly big guy. A former Marine but I'm thinking I could turn a tank by rolling one track at a time easier than this thing. Is there some place that could need grease that I'm not seeing or is it typical? Also if I were to put a wide front axle on it does that make it any easier to steer in itself. With the live hydraulics it would still require a steering pump to acquire power steering as well is that correct? I know of a complete Schwartz wide front axle with wheels and tires used one year for $400.00 but the power steering thing I'm at a total lose over , since some say it would also require steering assist rams etc. Either way the wide front axle is next but how much and what is needed for easier steering. Is there a lubrication issue, or maybe power steering and a lube issue? Please advise. I've had so many things from others but no one tells me about the lubrication of the steering bolster or tower how to and where to access to find this!! Please shed some light on this for me!! Thank You Kindly [/b]

It should not steer that hard. My 10 yr old daughter drives my H all the time with ease. check all the U joints on the steering and ensure they are free and not binding or stuck. Then check the worm gear to ensure that it is not binding or is full of crud. If that still does not fix it then you will need to jack up the frond end and check the bearing on the front end. A wide front with out power steering I think makes it harder to steer personally.

At the bottom of the bolster is a ball bearing that gets grease from the grease fitting that you see in front lower center of housing. I
recomend looking at the balls as I have found them at times all crudded up with old dry grease. The whole weight of the front end sits on
this bearing. Going wide front my be easier to steer if wide front is not all worn out. I am 67 years old and put power steering on my SM,
it was costly but the best thing I did to that tractor, makes driving it enjoyable. Also remove the grill and then the cover on top of the
steering gear box and see what it looks like inside you may find no gear oil or else old thick grease. Most likely the bushing and seal are
bad so unless you renew them no use to put in gear oil as it will run right down and out the bottom.

It sounds like it could use a steering rebuild. Things do wear out in 70 years. My thinking is a wide front will steer harder.

If you don't mind going to a JD dealer, you can put corn head grease in the top steering gear. It works quite well.

It sounds to me like the lower bushing or another bearing is dry.

PS is quite easy to install, you could use a priority valve, BTDT, I would use a separate pump.

you do not need a power steering pump if you put live hydraulics on you need priority valve and the char Lynn torque motor and various fittings and hardware

I would not buy a schwartz front end, the IH ones bolt on the same as the tricyle, you just put in an Eaton (Char Lynn) torque amplifier on the shaft

Yes clean that bolster bearging, @ the worm gear steering box ,buy a tube of corn head grease from IhC, John , or somebody and refill the worm gear box with that.

I spent my Youth on Hs and Ms. they steer well. We used a 2 row mounted cultivator and made 180 degree single rear wheel pivot turns twice on every round. (thousands IIRC) we used spinner knobs, and just spun them to the stop. Yours has thrust bearing issues where the upper bolster pushes up on the casting. This may be coupled with a lubrication bearing issue in the steering box at the top. Lift it up under the torque tube so the front wheels are lifted a couple of inches and turn it. if it is way easier, the thrust bearing is at least part of the problem. Jim

I 2nd what Jim says: block the front under the frame rails so there's some daylight under the front wheels and turn them from that end to help diagnosis. Back in the day, Grandpa had an MD that something got bent on after the tractor went into a ravine. It was hard to steer after that and they ended up replacing the whole bolster.

For PS I too would use a separate pump over a priority valve.

I have several H/M with Swarts,Norden and old style IH. The Swarts is the best.Easiest steering/tighest turning. The Norden Is a close second.The IH steers hardest,and takes '40 acres' to turn.Took'80 acres' before I installed a 'set back' plate.......

Remove the hood and grill, and remove the 4 bolts on top of the steering gear box. Renove cover, look and see if you have any grease in there. If not, you will need seals in the steering box. They are cheap at the CNH dealer, and you can pull them in from the top side with a seal-pull contraption you make of sockets, washers, dust tape, ingenuity, duct tape,e tc. Get them lined up perfectly, and pull them in. You'll damage a few, but youll finallt get good seals pulled in. Pull them in so the U-shape open end gets filled with the grease. Jack up the front wheels a little, get somebody to gently pull ths steering wheel with one finger, back-forth-back-forth, and see what moves and wat does not move. You'll discover what needs replacing. Youj can take up the slack in the gearing by rotating the big ssector gear or replacing it and the worm-gear-shaft-assembly from this site. You can make you own grease to your own thickness, by whipping up a 50-50 mix in a coffee can of RED wheel bearing grease and 90 wt. oil, with a coat hanger and your drill. [Won't have to go to the GREEN dealer.] THis job is fun, easy, you'll get a lot accomplished with not toomuch money.
I had a wide front on my H one time,..... remember that old song, Give Me 40 Acres And I'll Turn This Thing Around - It's The Easiest Way That I've Found. Hmmm.

Just one more thing to add to my fist post, how much air do you have in your front tires? Are they a matched pair or is one bigger therefore
binding the shaft? If you have lets say 15# in them and air them up to 60# you will have less tire contact with the ground and less
resistance to turning. Disclamer: 60# is a number for comparison only and I do not recommend overinflation.

Grease that lower bolster bearing through the fitting in frt. on the lower bolster casting.

Fill steering gear box {under the grill,has 9/16 wrench size bolts to take off round cover.} 1/2 way with 80-90 gear lub

Grease that lower bolster bearing through the fitting in frt. on the lower bolster casting.

Fill steering gear box {under the grill,has 9/16 wrench size bolts to take off round cover.} 1/2 way with 80-90 gear lub

Grease the fitting right a head of the steering wheel and the center brg that the shaft goes through.

Maybe have to loosen steering gear nut.

I appreciate your information. I tried pulling the grill and such when I first got it. That was hilarious. Had that trip bucket frame on it and was no way to get the grill off with all of it on there. Now I'll try it again. Thank You!! I'll let ya know how we turn out. We're in Minnesota under a roof that's all so might be a week or so before I get back to it!!