Utu front end

I was looking my u over getting it ready to now and I noticed the large nut that holds the front steering shaft is loose and hanging there. The but I'm referring to is on the bottom right above the spindles. According to parts book there is a felt seal in there. I'm going to have to fix this what am I getting into here? Is the seal available? Am I going to have to pull radiator?

If its the nut with tabs that sets the pre-load on the vertical shaft, I don't think you will have to pull the radiator, provided you can get the axle off. Wendell Everett or Welters or MM Del who posts on here can tell you if that seal is still available.

If you find out its not available, post back on here. Somebody probably knows a source for it, a different replacement or some kind of way to fix it.

Yes its the but that sets the preload on the vertical shaft. All I see in the book is a felt seal. Is this just felt or an actual lip seal?

Have you jacked up the front end at all? My dad had to have some milled off of the axle assembly on his ZA (narrow front) so it fit farther onto the splines as that is where it was loose. If it is just the nut that is loose and the splines are tight on the shaft I would see if you could just tighten up the nut. A new felt seal wont stop the gear oil from dribbling down the front end, that was the way they were designed. Most I have seen do that.

No I haven't jacked up the front end. The splines are on the shaft. The bearing adjustment nut is rattling around above the spindles. I'm thinking some other things could be damaged and warrants inspection so I probably will need to replace whatever seals the bottom of the shaft or should I just try to screw the jam but back in and call it a day?

Yes the plate with the tabs on it is the adjustment for the vertical bearings. After you jack up and remove the axel, check to see if the threads are all right in the housing and the adjusting nut.I may be wrong but, I was thinking some of those pedestals had a allen set screw screwed in the side of the pedestal into the threads of the adjusting nut to keep it in place. Double check this.If not you may want to use some Loctite when you put it back together. There is no lip seal, the felt is the only thing used. As Alan says they all seep a little. I had posted on here a while back if you over grease the fitting located on the pedestal to fill in the cavity above the bearing it will help to keep the fluid from the top compartment housing from leaking out the bottom. If the tractor was ever used a lot for cultivating back in the day when corn was cultivated both directions, you will not want to preload those bearings. The years of bouncing causes miner indents in the top bearing race and if adjusted too snug you won't be able to turn the steering wheel. Just take the loose slack out of the bearings. with it jacked up you can gradually tighten and reach your own conclusions. The castle nut on the bottom has a cotter pin in it to keep it in place if if there is none, then it may be sheared off and stuck in the shaft.
MMDEL