How "heavy" should the steering wheel feel when the loader bucket is full? I'm used to modern agricultural tractors with cushy cabs and electronic steering, so just not sure what's normal for a machine of this age. Is it normal to hear hydraulic noise while steering? It's not as loud but is a sound similar to running the bucket against a stop and changes tone / volume when the steering is actually maxed out. The sound when maxed out was expected but I sort of thought it would be quieter steering. Even the forklifts I've run that have a hydraulic wheel (vs electric over hydraulic) are quieter. Old tractor and I need to get used to it or should I dig into troubleshooting the steering system?? Details: I've got a 1980 Case 580C that needs a fair amount of mechanical work before I tackle some site work to build a new shop / barn. I wanted to get some input here as I plan out all the work I need to do before digging, so you'll probably see other threads on different topics. Regarding the steering, I replaced the steering cylinders since they were both leaking like sieves and the ball joints were about to let go (turns out whole new assemblies were cheaper than cylinder rebuild kits and replacement ball joints!) The pump is full of fluid. When I bought the hoe, it had power steering fluid in it. I've switched to hydraulic oil as called out in the manual. I did notice that the right hand king pin has some slight slop in it (only noticed when the wheels were in the air where I could tug up and down on them). The other kingpin is tight. Both front wheels are at 35 psi. When the bucket is full or carrying a load, the steering feels difficult to turn and, if it's a really heavy load (like loader can't lift it but the bucket can roll it up enough to drive), the wheels basically can't turn at all when in well compacted soil / gravel. Granted, it's a lot of weight on the front axle, but I sort of expected better.
That's not normal, steering should be easy as any other p/s system, mine is no different than my pickup's steering. If it's making a bunch of noise when trying to turn even with a full bucket need to troubleshoot system. There's actually a filter element inside the pump housing, may want to start there to see if it's clogged with crap from the old smoked cylinders.
Put at least 45LB of air in the tires I keep 65 in mine when carrying heave loads. And be moving when you steer.
Did you get the hoses back on the cylinders correctly ? Here is link to the parts and it shows correct orientation. CASE Construction | Schematic, Manuals, Specifications and Diagrams for steering hydraulic circuit, valve to cylinders | MyCNH US Store Find schematics, manuals, specifications and diagrams for STEERING HYDRAULIC CIRCUIT, VALVE TO CYLINDERS. Find genuine OEM parts for your needs. www.mycnhstore.com
Thanks fellas! Pretty sure the hoses are correct. Everything works smooth and easy when the front axle is in the air but I'll double check. Sounds like next step is probably pulling the pump to check the filter. Or is it worth doing a pressure test first? If so - anyone know what type of fitting is needed? The tires have a max load rating @ 35 PSI, although I've actually been running them at 40. Even then, they look pretty squashy so I'm not surprised @Billrog that you run yours up to 65 lbs.
Don't think you need to pull entire pump just the reservoir housing which inclludes the dipstick. Looks like just a nut and washer. make sure to mark orientation of housing on the pump so your dipstick still reads correctly when you put it back together. Never done mine but looks pretty straight forward. Filter # from parts manual A42242.
I have 14 ply front tires rated for 85#