Steering shaft support bearing

[thepinktaco]

Some good info for the FAQ...

Putting a 60 p/s box into my FJ and I knew I needed a support bearing for the steering shaft. I know you can order them from some companies but I really was looking to get one sooner. A quick simple search on Google found a common bearing that is the same size.


John Deere Part number AM127304, front wheel bearing.

The John Deere place in town had 10 in stock, it was $8. I found this is the same bearing for a ton of lawn mowers, Cub Cadet, Toro, ect.

 

[Bad Mojo]

Thats good information. Thanks for letting us know.

 

[hellbent40]

right on.. i was just starting my power steering conversion...
and was wondering what i was going to do about the steering shaft..
this helps out alot..
thanks man

good info

 

[mattcamp]

damn good find,I wish I had known about that before, I struggled to get the right one.

 

[Shes Mad]

I picked up a bearing from a lawn mower--10 bucks at O'Reilly"s. Prime Line part number 7-04133. It's a pretty standard lawn mower sealed bearing. Its really nice because it will slide over the shaft, with the 20 thousandths sanding, and into the column tube. It has a flange on the outside that rests on the end of the tube.

 

[thepinktaco]

Its probably the same bearing.

Cross reference chart:

Replaces (OEM): ARIENS 05408900
ARIENS 05416200
BUNTON P0209
BUNTON PL0941
CASE C12110
CUB CADET 384881-R93
CUB CADET 384881-R94
CUB CADET IH384891-R94
GRAVELY 011193
GRAVELY 036778
GRAVELY 037823
GRAVELY 05408900
JOHN DEERE AM118315
JOHN DEERE AM127304
JOHN DEERE AM35443
MTD 741-0141
MTD 941-0141
MTD IH-384881-R94
SNAPPER 7028722
TORO 110513
TORO 251-210

 

[MtnClimber]

Is that the 40 column that is pictured? I don't have a bearing on mine. If this part fits my column then I'm off to tractor supply.....

 

[chicago]

That is great stuff!
Those are spendy from the vendors here, which is where I got mine from. I wish I had known that before hand.

 

[cruiserloser]

Just a word of caution. I am not sure what the requirements are to keep the shaft centered on 60 series power steering mod, so I cant comment there, but I would be careful about putting a bearing into the bottom of the stock steering tube. As all of you know, the steering shaft is one of those rare connection points between the body and the frame (via the steering box). As such, there are two "rigid" connection points. One is at the rag joint and the other is up at the bearing that is housed within the ignition switch assembly. This is by design, the foam "bushing" that is placed in the end of the steering tube allows for lateral movement that occurs when the tube and the frame. The rag joint also is a semi-rigid surface and can absorb some of this movement.

Here is the rub: when you put that bushing in the bottom of the tube, any movement is directed straight down (into the steering box) or up through the steering tube and into the ignition assembly....something will eventually have to give.

Food for thought. Whether it was US DOT mandated or reengineered by choice, there is a reason that the 81-84 shafts are ALL collapsible.

 

[thepinktaco]

The reason for a collapsible shaft is if you are in a front end accident the shaft will collapse instead of spearing the driver.


The minimal body flex will be absorbed by the slip shaft part of my steering shaft. Im probably not going to be using a rag joint.

 

[FJ40Jim]

Loser is correct in pointing out that it is possible (common, even) to put together a steering column w/ no flex or slip, which is hard on components.

Pink is doing it right by using the bottom half of the FJ60 steering shaft with the factory slip yoke. That allows plenty of travel as the body and frame flex.

 

[NoeyR]

I'm in the planning stage of this conversion. For my '81, do I use this bearing on my shaft/firewall or am I needing a different column/shaft altogether?

 

[lefty b]

NoeyR, looking on SOR I see that the steering column tubes are the same from '72 - 7/80, but are listed as a different part from 8/80 - 84. You might need to pull the column apart and measure the parts to see what dimension things are. I was glad I did because I was able to service the bearing at the top of the column at that time, and it made the steering turn nice and smooth. And it wasn't really that big of a job.

The specs on the bearing in the post are:

.751" Center bore

1.38" Outside dia.

The steering shaft in my '76 had to have been 19mm (.748"), because a 3/4" hole through a delrin plastic "bushing" that was turned down on a lathe to fit the inside of the steering tube was my solution at the time.



I haven't had any problems with my install, but I might have to pick one of these bearings up. I don't know how they are holding them in the end of the tube, but I would find a 3/4" collar with a set screw to do the job.

Good luck with your install.

 

[NoeyR]

Thanks for that info lefty!