Removing Tie Rods on BX1880

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Kubota BX23D Parts Diagrams

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www.messicks.com

(I don't know how to open messick's illustration to paste it here)

My tractor is a BX23D MLB The part of concern for me is part #60 in this illustration where the tie rod fastens to the steering cyclinder.

I can understand the problem in the OP with tightening (or loosening) the steering cylinder rods to the tie rods. It would take a "thin" wrench for the tie rod end plus I don't have a wrench large enough to grasp the flat spots on the steering cylinder to hold it while either the nut is being tightened or the rod is turned to tighten. The largest wrench I have is a 25mm. So, one side of my steering shows several threads because it's not tight. I'd like to correct that but how? I have vise grips that I could use on the cylinder which, because of short handles, are harder to hold while trying to tighten the nut on the tie rod end. I could probably do it if I had a skinny wrench. (Nothing skinny around here...not horses, dogs or chickens. )Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Tractor Gal

The BX23D had a poorly designed set of ends, new ones have flats to grab it.
Use 2 pipe wrenches one on each side and turn, don't worry about the cylinder, it will spin.
grab it wheere the purple points not the threaded ends.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

This is exactly how to do it. Smack that knuckle with a BFH and it will pop free.

I'm not a tractor expert, but I have been doing automotive/trucks for 30+ years, and I have never used a pickle fork that I can recall.

IMHO pickle forks are for .......well....giant pickles I guess?



This homemade BFH has literally popped "thousands" of those joints apart. Its a 10lbs sledge I mounted on a hammer handle decades ago.......

BUT if you F'ing miss......your going to be visiting the ER with a crushed/split wide open finger/thumb.....Ask me how I know.....

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Hit the knuckle with a big hammer right at the tie rod taper. That'll pop it free.

Some how I jacked up that post.....This is what I meant to post as correct......

 

[Runs With Scissors]

I'm not a tractor expert, but I have been doing automotive/trucks for 30+ years, and I have never used a pickle fork that I can recall.

I am going to "walk that statement back" .

The only time I have actually used a "pickle fork" was the day I learned "why not" to use one.

I was attending MoTech (a local automotive school) way back in the 90's.

Well obviously part of the curriculum was to actually work on cars.

So one day, me and another guy checked a "pickle fork" out of the tool room and went at this trucks tie rods. We had a hell of time getting either one to separate, we must have making all kinds of racket and swearing and such.

Well we must have looked like "2 monkeys trying to F a football", cause Mr. A@@hole (the instructor I ended up punching out and nearly going to jail with) came over and politely said "WTF are you two retards doing?......step aside..."

With that "ever present" cigarette hanging from his lips, he grabbed a BFH and with a swing that would have made Babe Ruth jealous, hit that steering knuckle and and I'll be damned if that tie rod end didn't just drop out "like Butter".

Then said..."That's how its done if you ever want to make any money in this business"

God I hated that guy..........It's the only thing I learned from that a$$hole.

 

[D2Cat]

So one day, me and another guy checked a "pickle fork" out of the tool room and went at this trucks tie rods. We had a hell of time getting either one to separate, we must have making all kinds of racket and swearing and such.

Can you confirm that statement (the one in red) is the truth?

 

[Tractor Gal]

The BX23D had a poorly designed set of ends, new ones have flats to grab it.
Use 2 pipe wrenches one on each side and turn, don't worry about the cylinder, it will spin.
grab it wheere the purple points not the threaded ends.

View attachment 144077

I believe a picture will help explain. Everything is assembled on the tractor. The issue is that the cylinder rod is not fully screwed in to the part where you have drawn the purple line. If I turn part #60, you're right...the cylinder rod turns, too. I need the cylinder to be screwed into part #60 all the way.

But, as I say, a picture always helps explain. I'll take one tomorrow as it's dark now.

Thank you.

Tractor Gal

 

[Henro]

I believe a picture will help explain. Everything is assembled on the tractor. The issue is that the cylinder rod is not fully screwed in to the part where you have drawn the purple line. If I turn part #60, you're right...the cylinder rod turns, too. I need the cylinder to be screwed into part #60 all the way.

But, as I say, a picture always helps explain. I'll take one tomorrow as it's dark now.

Thank you.

Tractor Gal

While I don't fully understand the situation, and I will go through it in the spring, when I change my steering cylinder on my BX, I get the impression the OP's question has nothing to do with the steering cylinder, and everything to do with the ball ends that point down 90 degrees from the cylinder rod axis.

Maybe the thread has taken a turn that I missed?

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

I believe a picture will help explain. Everything is assembled on the tractor. The issue is that the cylinder rod is not fully screwed in to the part where you have drawn the purple line. If I turn part #60, you're right...the cylinder rod turns, too. I need the cylinder to be screwed into part #60 all the way.

But, as I say, a picture always helps explain. I'll take one tomorrow as it's dark now.

Thank you.

Tractor Gal

That why you need 2 pipe wrenches one on each part (60) at the same time and that will tighten the one that is not bottomed out into the cylinder.

 

[Russell King]

Back to the tie rod end removal subject…
Would this type of tool work (along with the hammering technique)?

I saw a guy using it on a Nissan Frontier front strut replacement video the other day. (He was making more room to get at the top three nuts to get a sawzall into that area.)

 

[Russell King]

I believe a picture will help explain. Everything is assembled on the tractor. The issue is that the cylinder rod is not fully screwed in to the part where you have drawn the purple line. If I turn part #60, you're right...the cylinder rod turns, too. I need the cylinder to be screwed into part #60 all the way.

But, as I say, a picture always helps explain. I'll take one tomorrow as it's dark now.

Thank you.

Tractor Gal

Think of trying to screw two couplings onto a pipe nipple. You can start both on by hand but eventually you need to get it tighter with two pipe wrenches (or channel lock pliers). If you hold the pipe you will tighten one coupling. But if you put both tools on the couplings and turn both tools one coupling will tighten up until it is as tight as the other one (rotates both the tight coupling and pipe will rotate together). Eventually you will be tightening the loose coupling and eventually both couplings get tight onto the nipple.

Just use both threaded parts as the object to have the wrench on and let the tube turn when it wants to. Eventually a shoulder will contract the tube (on the tight side) and then that side will stop the tube from turning and the other loose side will start to get tight into the tube.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Back to the tie rod end removal subject…
Would this type of tool work (along with the hammering technique)?
View attachment 144166
I saw a guy using it on a Nissan Frontier front strut replacement video the other day. (He was making more room to get at the top three nuts to get a sawzall into that area.)

Not really a good tool for tie rods because there is nothing for the bottom hook to grab.

 

[Tractor Gal]

I understand the use of 2 pipe wrenches but it would seem that a pipe wrench would gouge into the steering cylinder rod. Here's a picture of the problem with the "flats" visible but, again, a wrench is too thick to fit on the flat on the cylinder rod. The other flat would easily work with a pipe wrench.

TG

 

[Henro]

I understand the use of 2 pipe wrenches but it would seem that a pipe wrench would gouge into the steering cylinder rod. Here's a picture of the problem with the "flats" visible but, again, a wrench is too thick to fit on the flat on the cylinder rod. The other flat would easily work with a pipe wrench.

View attachment 144278

TG

I think the Wolfman may have been talking about using two pipe wrenches when removing part 80 from part 60… but I’ll let somebody that knows give a definitive answer.

 

[Russell King]

I understand the use of 2 pipe wrenches but it would seem that a pipe wrench would gouge into the steering cylinder rod. Here's a picture of the problem with the "flats" visible but, again, a wrench is too thick to fit on the flat on the cylinder rod. The other flat would easily work with a pipe wrench.

View attachment 144278

TG

I was thinking @North Idaho Wolfman meant to hold the outer case but I now see the problem more clearly.

I would get a good rubber strap wrench and see if that works to hold the ram to tighter up the #60.
example

https://www.amazon.com/Toolwiz-Upgrade-2pcs-Adjustable-Reinforced-Mechanics/dp/B07G5Q4MNZ?th=1

You might want to take the part completely out and measure the length and hole depth to make sure it will screw down to the shoulder. I don’t know that it matters that it is tight to the shoulder or not.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

I understand the use of 2 pipe wrenches but it would seem that a pipe wrench would gouge into the steering cylinder rod. Here's a picture of the problem with the "flats" visible but, again, a wrench is too thick to fit on the flat on the cylinder rod. The other flat would easily work with a pipe wrench.

View attachment 144278

TG

Put one pipe wrench on this part and the other pipe wrench on the same part on the the other side and turn them the opposite directions.
This will tighten it right up without touching the cylinder.

 

[Tractor Gal]

Put one pipe wrench on this part and the other pipe wrench on the same part on the the other side and turn them the opposite directions.
This will tighten it right up without touching the cylinder.

View attachment 144280

OK...now I understand. Is this why you get paid the big bucks? Thanks. I'll give it a go.

TG

 

[William1]

I.... have a few quality but cheap wrenches that I use for dealing with lock nuts and things like this. I simply took the wrenches to a grinder and made them a little thinner to fit. 12, 13, 14, 15, 16,17mm Old SK tools.
I have bicycle cone wrenches as well but they are extremely thin. Good steel, but not good enough for this job. Though if I had several of the correct size, they could be stacked to make a 'laminated' wrench.