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TC33D tilt steering adjustable strut fix

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earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 3853 Home Office in Flat Rock, Michigan
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2006-08-13          133256

My TC33D's tilt steering was going all the way forward and not locking backward. Called around and dealers want over $100 for the adjustable strut/gas spring. There is a plastic cap or "hat" over the top end of the strut. It's suppose to keep water water out of the sensitive plunger that runs down the center of the strut. It doesn't. The plunger releases a valve in the piston which provides the locking function (found this out by looking at online catalogs/engineering drawings by gas spring manfacturers).

NOTE: I have read some posts where the strut itself failed whereby the steering column falls backward since it lost its gas charge. Mine still had a charge since it moved all the way forward under pressure.

About three weeks ago I sprayed some WD-40 on it. No good. Still wouldn't lock. Decided this morning to tackle it. Sprayed some Liquid Wrench penetrating oil in the top end and in the roll pin that holds the release lever which activates the plunger. I figured if I removed the lever I could also remove the small spring and pull the plunger out, or at least unseize it. In the process of trying to remove the lever pin (read: hammering the crap out of it), I noticed that the release lever moved barely a fraction of an inch more upward---and voila! It works now!

And who said you shouldn't use a hammer as a wrench.


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TC33D tilt steering adjustable strut fix

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Peters
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 3034 Northern AL
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster  View my Photos  Pics

2006-08-13          133258

It sounds like the same struts as used in an office chair. Naturally you can buy the whole chair for $50.
Now how do you keep it from freezing again? ....

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TC33D tilt steering adjustable strut fix

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earthwrks
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 3853 Home Office in Flat Rock, Michigan
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster  View my Photos  Pics

2006-08-13          133259

Yup it's the same type. To prevent freezing I loaded it up with Liquid Wrench, reinstalled the "hat" cover, and sprayed everything again. It took three yars to get to tis point without lube so we'll see how long it takes this time with lube. Also, I think that not using the tilt function regularly contributed to it siezing too. ....

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TC33D tilt steering adjustable strut fix

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kthompson
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 5275 South Carolina
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2006-08-14          133271

ew,

And who said you shouldn't use a hammer as a wrench.

Tim, the tool man. Show number 31.


Same worked on stuck remote hyd valve. Decided it was not working, so..

There was a theme in heavy equipment company I worked for, if it don't fit, get a bigger hammer. Boy did they have some big hammers. No, I am not joking. They did use lead head and other types to prevent maring. ....

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