4500 steering?

What kind of steering is this?
The tractor looks like a 4500 or maybe a 3550.
Supposed to be a 74.
Is this something that could be retrofitted onto a 4400?
Part of the reason I got rid of the 4400 I had was the steering sucked. It was slow and had more slop in it than I liked.
This was despite tightening up all the linkages in the bolster. And there is a lot of them btw. There was just too many components in there and the steering was sloppy. Not bad for loader work but not crisp enough compared to my 3000 PS.
I had a couple of 4000s with the early side arm PS and I liked those just fine. Still not quite as crisp as my 3000 but a whole lot better than that 4400 was.
Just musing here, wondering what all they got rid of under the radiator to make this work.
click here

The 4500 had the cylinder under the nose of the tractor like the 4400 and early 5000's. Plus the 4500 front axle was different than the one in that picture. It was heavier and beefier and the top of the axle housing sloped down as it went from the center out toward the wheels.

That tractor looks to be a 3550. The front axle and steering on the 3500 and 3550 were basically the same, but the 3500 had the single reduction rear axle and outboard dry brakes like the 2000 & 3000, but the 3550 had the double reduction rear axle and inboard wet brakes like the one in that picture.

The 4400 did not have the heavy reinforced nosecone like the 3500 and 3550, which is where that bracket for the front of the cylinder is mounted on that tractor, so you would have to fabricate something for that bracket to bolt to if you were to retrofit that steering to a 4400.

As for your last bit about what they got rid of under the nose, pretty much everything. it is basically the same as the axle from a 4400 combined with the steering linkage design from the early sidearm 4000, with a tie rod going across under the nose to connect the right spindle to the left one, except for the mounting for the front of the cylinder was on the nosecone instead of the bolster and all of the linkage parts were beefier than the sidearm 4000's. Take a look at the parts drawing for the 3550 and you'll see what I mean.

Thanks Sean.
I didn't look close enough at the bracket
where the tie rods connect on the left side.
Otherwise the axle and bolster are the same
as a 4400.
I have never seen one of these in person -
neither the 3500 nor the 3550.
I think I might have found the right front
end for this latest 4000 school tractor I
have in my back pocket.
This steering looks MUCH simpler than a
4400.
I'd really like to have the power and brakes
of a 4000 but not have to have the darned
wishbone front axle like the SUs.
The wheel base on this one and a 4400 is
only a couple of inches on longer than a
3000 too.
Plus, I wouldn't mind having that hard nose
- just for looks.
PS,I think I would cut about 1 1/2" - 2" off
of each side of the front axle this time. I
thought the 4400 was too wide.

With the cylinder bracket mounted to the nose cone I don't think I'd want to put a loader on it. Nose cone is strong enough as it's made from heavy steel, but unless they changed the way it's mounted it's held on by the same four 3/8" bolts like regular tractors.
Being the same basic design steering as a 4000 I'd guess it turns slow like my 4000 does.
Just redone the steering on my 5000 replacing some of the smaller pins, welded up and reground the tapered pin that holds the cylinder to the steering arm. After readjusting the stop bolts it has about 1/4 turn of slop but steers as easy or easier than my 4000SU.
Getting ready to do a engine swap on the 4500 and will go through the steering while it's easy to get to. Worked on it some years ago but after going over the 5000's steering I know more on how to tighten it up.

DS,
No, the bolts the front steering cylinder
bracket is mounted with are 3/4". Just like
on a 4000.
I thought the side arm steering on my 4000s
were just fine. As I said, Not quite as
crisp as a 3000 but ok.
I wonder if you have the right pump on
yours. Or maybe it's worn.
The 3000 pump only put out about 800 psi
whereas the 4000 pump was more like 1100.
Neither of mine would keep up at idle but at
800+ rpm they were fine.
I don't want a loader on it. I want a short,
low, little bull for mowing.

Yea I figured they where good sized bolts but was talking about the four bolts that hold the nose cone onto the bolster. It been a while since I had the nose off of my 4500 and couldn't remember it it had bigger bolts or not.
Steering on the 4000 is good just slower than the SU's, only time I really noticed it was mowing hay with the disc mower. I have a trailed unit and mow in 6th gear so at the end I'm turning pretty fast to the right and then counter steering back to the left to keep the front end from running over unmowed grass, the counter steering is where the slower movement shows as I often have to catch the left brake to help pull the front end back around.
I've just completed a full upgrade on the 4000's front axle and steering and am excited to see how it does. Having recently sold to transmission off of a 3930 parts tractor I had a complete late model front axle and hydrostat steering laying around so I swapped it onto the 4000.
The original axle had worn almost an inch up into the bolster and the rear pin was almost worn into, a major rebuild was in order so I figured I'd just upgrade it. Tractor now sets 2 1/2 inches lower in the front than originally with 1/2" down rake verses 2" up, right now I like the look.

I agree, that 3550 would make a nice mowing tractor.

I like a bit of down rake on them.
With 30" rears they look like their going up
hill. 38s look better. Best of the bunch IMO
was a Brit 4000 I had with 36s. It looked
nicely balanced.

(quoted from post at 11:50:29 05/17/16) I wonder if you have the right pump on
yours. Or maybe it's worn.
The 3000 pump only put out about 800 psi
whereas the 4000 pump was more like 1100.

Click to expand...

I think that the 3000 p/s pump was 650 psi, the early sidearm 4000's were 850 and the later 4000's with the cylinder inside the steering column were 1100.