Hello! I just purchased a 580E 1970 Case Backhoe. The Power Steering Cylinders are both leaking rather quickly. I am new to Heavy Duty equipment as we purchased this for our farm. My question is... Can these just be taken off and replaced with new ones without any special equipment? or are they like car struts that need special equipment to compress them? Thank you in advance!
Welcome to HEF @TressaGordon Firstly, 580E & 1970 are not a possibility. If you do have a 580E it will more likely be circa 1985 onwards The answer to your question is yes, they can be removed without special equipment, unless you call a big hammer or tie rod end remover special equipment. They will remain in position during removal - no pressure will be present. PS - they can be resealed for a fraction of the cost of replacement if the rods are not scored or bent.
Thank you so much for the reply. Yes you are correct, I meant to say 1990 not 1970 (this makes a big difference) I do not have a Tie Rod End remover, do you have a suggestion on the best common place to get one and what size?
To be more precise I use a "ball joint separator" that looks like this - Google is your friend
Any auto parts store will have them in stock. Tractor Supply too. Commonly called "pickle fork”.
Thanks so much! This helps so much!
My favorite way to remove ball-joints (if the nut is on the underside) is to remove the nut and put a hydraulic jack on the stem. Then just hit the outside of the hole it is in with a 2 lb. hammer. They always pop loose on the first or second hit. The problem with using pickle forks is that they damage the rubber dust boots.
@Tinkerer I have been in the auto industry since 1985. I rarely if ever have seen anyone use a pickle fork. Your method is what everyone does. Loaded or not the tapered joint will pop loose if you hit the knuckle, not the tie rod or ball joint with a decent sized hammer. You make sure to swing it like you are mad at it.