Stripped steering wheel thread on shaft on a 4600

Alright, so I just bought a 4600. The steering wheel is the least pretty part, so I wanted to put on a new one. Putting the new one, it stripped the thread on the steering shaft that the nut goes around. What the best option here? Rethread? Replace the shaft? Weld the dang steering wheel in place?
 
If you know someone with a thread die that big. I believe there are thread restorers that you can buy at autoparts stores also
 
Are the threads actually stripped or just
bunged up?
You (or someone else) will curse yourself
bitterly someday if you weld the steering
wheel on as the upper seal in that steering
box [b:654c4848f0]WILL[/b:654c4848f0] fail someday, start to leak
and need to be replaced.
If the threads are just bunged up you could
buy a die nut and rethread them. Die nut
would be cheap enough. Maybe $20 on Amazon
or Ebay. If they are actually stripped
Iwould would definately have them fixed.
Pull the cowel around the fuel tank and
remove the upper portion of the steering
column. I've only been into one of those
one time so can't remember exactly but I
think the steering shaft is made in two
pieces - upper and lower - and the upper
shaft can be removed without taking the
steering box off the tractor or getting
into the hydraulics.
Then take the upper shaft to a machine shop
and have it repaired.
I'm sure there's an upper seal in there so
replace that while you're in there.
Others here will correct any misinformation
I've given you and probably know the thread
size and seal # from New Holland.
PS, Welcome to Yesterdays Tractors.
 
I didn?t think to get a picture, but the threads are pretty well
gone. The splines are worn down too, so that the steering
wheel spins freely without the nut. I jammed a piece of
cardboard in there for now, just so I could steer it around and
check it out.

I?m having a heck of a time finding that shaft online. Would I
have a better luck at a dealer? Any idea on cost for that
piece?

Also, any idea on the size of die I would need if I went the
other route? Tractor is stored out at a friends place until we
get our house built, so it?s not readily available for me to
check.
 
(reply to post at 20:43:00 09/19/18)
?m down near Chattanooga, on the Cleveland side. Actually bought the tractor from up in Nashville over the last weekend! No picture of the wheel though. I could get one in a day or two when I?m back out to it.
 
You might want to get a new wheel, depends on how bad the shaft splines are. It will keep what splines you have left on the shaft in better shape, maybe even define them more.
 
If you just want to get it working for now with the plans of replacing the shaft and wheel later on, you could just drill a hole cross-wise through the base of the steering wheel and the shaft and put a bolt through it with a nut on it. That would keep the steering wheel in place and keep it from spinning on the shaft without the down sides of welding that others have already pointed out.
 
The NES External Thread Repair tools work great but the threaded end of your shaft may not be long enough for them to work. I would probably just use a thread file.

If the splines are shot, you're going to have to do some kind of repair. I'm not sure what it would take for a machine shop to repair the splines. They could always cut a key way but you'd have to find a wheel to fit it. Can you drill it and put a roll pin or bolt in it?
 
I'm thinking that shaft would be prohibitively expensive. Just a s.w.a.g. here but like $800? For a new one from the dealer - if still available.
If the splines are shot too you might consider stubbing the top from another steering shaft into it.
I did that on a shaft from a 3000 once.
The upper seal surface was badly damaged and the keyway was shot
So I cut the top off another shaft that had a bad bottom end and grafted it onto the one I wanted. All precision done on a lathe of course.
I believe the topmost portion of those shafts are the same on many tractors built from 1965 onward - 3000, 4000, 2600, 4400, etc, etc. both PS and non PS. You just need the top couple of inches or so.
I stubbed many shafts when I was a machinist in the Navy. A good machine shop could do it in a couple/3 hours.
Ultimately though a bolt as Sean suggests would accomplish the same for a lot less $.
 
I'm thinking that shaft would be prohibitively expensive. Just a s.w.a.g. here but like $800? For a new one from the dealer - if still available.
If the splines are shot too you might consider stubbing the top from another steering shaft into it.
I did that on a shaft from a 3000 once.
The upper seal surface was badly damaged and the keyway was shot
So I cut the top off another shaft that had a bad bottom end and grafted it onto the one I wanted. All precision done on a lathe of course.
I believe the topmost portion of those shafts are the same on many tractors built from 1965 onward - 3000, 4000, 2600, 4400, etc, etc. both PS and non PS. You just need the top couple of inches or so.
I stubbed many shafts when I was a machinist in the Navy. A good machine shop could do it in a couple/3 hours.
Ultimately though a bolt or roll pin as Sean suggests would accomplish the same for a lot less $.
 
According to the parts page, it looks like they changed the steering on April 1, 1978, so there's 4 different part numbers for the upper shaft depending on when it was assembled and whether the tractor had a cab when it left the factory. They all appear to be no longer available new, but you might need to know the correct part number if you're calling salvage yards.

D5NN3A525AB (superseded by 83917395) 1/1/75-3/31/78 no cab
D8NN3A526AB 4/1/78 & up no cab
D5NN3A526D 1/1/75-3/31/78 with cab
D8NN3A526BA 4/1/78 & up with cab
 
If things are to bad to repair cut off the threaded part of the shaft flush with the top of the steering wheel. Take a drill and drill a hole half in shaft and half in the wheel at the parting line between the two. thread the hole for a 1/4 or 5/16 bolt. the bolt will hold the wheel on and keep the wheel from turning on the shaft. I have done this on shafts where a key way was damaged.
 
Thanks for those. Even what I found online, looks like the shaft will be pretty expensive. I'll probably go with a bolt through the wheel and shaft if I can't rethread it.
 
Thanks for all the info! I need to get back out there and figure out what die size I'd need to rethread, otherwise I'll bring a drill and tap and go through the wheel and spindle.
 

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