steering wheel play

How can I fix excessive play in the steering box of a 1952 Super AV? I understand there is no way to adjust it.

Not being funny, new parts. Gears, bearings, bushings, whatever.

Tom;

check the arm on the bottom of the steering box.
It's probably loose.

Vern

I just recently went through my Super A steering box. The thing that most helped me was installing a new key on the shaft and sector. I broached the sector key way and had the shaft key slot enlarged to the next size key up.

Tom: If there is no end to end movement on steering shaft, I wouldn't be too conerned about those bearings.

A very high percentage of the problem with these lies in the Woodruff keys in the vertical shaft of the gear box. If bad enough those keys can give 1.5 turns free travel on steering wheel. They can be fixed, usually takes oversize keys and recutting the keyways as Greg stated. The one inside the box keying half gear to shaft usually creates the biggest problem. I have ground an oversize key to fit the shaft, welded it to the shaft then ground the key so gear was a press fit on shaft. That one has been going 25 years and is still probably the tightest steering SA around. I wouldn't hesitate to weld another one. If you go to the expence of cutting keyways, best you'll get is 2,000 hours of service and it will be loose again. At least that was the best one could hope for when these tractors were new.

The key for the steering control arm is relatively easy as the shaft is tapered at that point.

The steering box is a poor design, most of them leaked gear oil before they were 5 years old. I always put a grease zerk in the drain or fill to level port, pump them full of grease. I takes about 3+ tubes of grease initially. After that I give it about 6 pumps of grease every time I grease the front end. The gear box has to be full of grease for this to work. that insures any new grease must go to bearings and gears. It keeps condensation out. They steer well even at -30F.