STEERING
4203781 First Edition 7-25
7
Disassembly Notes
• Before disassembly, clean and remove all dirt and
grass from rear axle assembly.
• Inspect all bushings, thrust washers, and bearings for
damage or wear.
• Inspect steering cylinder for leaks or dents to the
barrel and rod.
• Inspect all ball joints for wear or torn dust seals.
Assembly Notes
• Replace any bushings, bearings, and ball joints that
are damaged or have excessive wear.
• Replace or repair steering cylinder if dented or
leaking.
• Never reuse cotter pins; use new cotter pins of
correct size.
• Install thrust washers (6) as needed to remove
excess gap from the underside of axle tube and
motor mount.
• Apply Loctite
®
242 (Blue) to steering arm bolts (16)
before installation.
• Before installing the steering cylinder assembly,
verify that the ball joint tapers and the mating tapered
surfaces in the steering arm and rear axle are free of
burrs, dirt, and debris. DO NOT apply lubricant of any
kind to these surfaces.
• Tighten castle nuts (18) to 40 lb-ft (54 N·m). Adjust
(tighten) nuts as needed to align the slots with the
hole in the rod ends.
• Before installing the tie rod assembly, verify that the
ball joint tapers and the mating tapered surfaces in
the steering arms are free of burrs, dirt, and debris.
DO NOT apply lubricant of any kind to these
surfaces.
• Verify that the tie rod clamps do not make contact
with anything when steering in either direction.
Reposition the clamps as needed.
• Tighten castle nuts (11) to 30 lb-ft (41 N·m). Adjust
(tighten) nuts as needed to align the slots with the
hole in the rod ends.
• Lubricate grease fittings with grease that meets or
exceeds NLGI Grade 2 LB specifications. Apply
grease with a manual grease gun and fill slowly until
grease begins to seep out. Do not use compressed
air gun.
Required Materials
Loctite
®
242 (Blue)