Riding Mower Converted To "Shaft Steering"
After a few years of use, the steering gear on Robert Pruyne’s “K Grow” MTD garden tractor became worn and sloppy, making it hard to steer. So the Athens, Penn., man removed the steering wheel and column and converted the mower to a push/pull shaft steer system. He removed the pitman shaft and gear sector, as well as the steering gear, from their original location and remounted them outside, above the footrest.
“To steer I just pull or push a shaft that comes up out of the tractor’s left footrest,” says Pruyne. “I installed a cup holder where the steering column used to be.”
According to Pruyne, the nylon bushing in the steering mechanism wore badly, which allowed the pitman shaft to become sloppy where it goes through a hole in the steering bracket. That affected the gear sector on the pitman shaft, as well as the steering gear. Eventually they became so worn they started slipping and became impossible to turn.
So, Pruyne welded the gear sector and steering shaft gear together solid. Then he cut a 1/2-in. wide by 6-in. long slot in the footrest and inserted the pitman arm down through the footrest, with the gear sector and steering shaft mounted above it. He also drilled 4 holes in the footrest to secure the steering bracket to the footrest. After that it was a simple matter to re-attach the tractor’s left front steering linkage to the pitman arm below the footrest. He also slid a length of pipe over the steering shaft to make it easier to reach.
“It works just like the original steering system, except that instead of turning a steering wheel I’m pushing and pulling on a steering lever,” says Pruyne. “To turn left I pull back and to turn right I push forward.”
Pryne has made a similar modification to a Sears Craftsman mower with the help of son-in-law Tom Walters, who operates Tom’s Truck Repair in Milan, Penn.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Robert Pruyne, 593 Roundtop Rd., Athens, Penn. 18810 (ph 570 888-0778; rpruyne@stny.rr.com).
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Riding Mower Converted To Shaft Steering FARM HOME Lawn Mowers 31h 38 After a few years of use the steering gear on Robert Pruyne’s “K Grow” MTD garden tractor became worn and sloppy making it hard to steer So the Athens Penn man removed the steering wheel and column and converted the mower to a push/pull shaft steer system He removed the pitman shaft and gear sector as well as the steering gear from their original location and remounted them outside above the footrest “To steer I just pull or push a shaft that comes up out of the tractor’s left footrest ” says Pruyne “I installed a cup holder where the steering column used to be ” According to Pruyne the nylon bushing in the steering mechanism wore badly which allowed the pitman shaft to become sloppy where it goes through a hole in the steering bracket That affected the gear sector on the pitman shaft as well as the steering gear Eventually they became so worn they started slipping and became impossible to turn So Pruyne welded the gear sector and steering shaft gear together solid Then he cut a 1/2-in wide by 6-in long slot in the footrest and inserted the pitman arm down through the footrest with the gear sector and steering shaft mounted above it He also drilled 4 holes in the footrest to secure the steering bracket to the footrest After that it was a simple matter to re-attach the tractor’s left front steering linkage to the pitman arm below the footrest He also slid a length of pipe over the steering shaft to make it easier to reach “It works just like the original steering system except that instead of turning a steering wheel I’m pushing and pulling on a steering lever ” says Pruyne “To turn left I pull back and to turn right I push forward ” Pryne has made a similar modification to a Sears Craftsman mower with the help of son-in-law Tom Walters who operates Tom’s Truck Repair in Milan Penn Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Robert Pruyne 593 Roundtop Rd Athens Penn 18810 ph 570 888-0778; rpruyne@stny rr com
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