Patrick Tipton Posted March 8 Share Posted March 8 The correct adjustment of the Weasel's steering system seems to be a bit of a mystery. I have driven Weasels with fingertip steering and then you see so many machines with broken or reinforced steering levers because it takes so much pressure to make them turn. The big question is why. The steering system is pretty Rube Goldberg and most of the levers/cross shafts etc. are running steel against steel with no bushings and probably very little lubrication. The early steering levers had no means of lubrication - so they received whatever (probably a light coat of oil given their intended use) and that was that. The final drive is a pretty simple "wet clutch" style differential with brake bands to drive more power to one track or the other - interestingly made by Clark Equipment - who also made the airborne dozer. There are only three adjustments - the large "wing" nuts that allow the operator to tighten the bands and then two set screws on each band that are used to help place the brake band in the correct position around the brake drum. I have been playing around with my M29 and the steering a lot. I have read and reread the manuals and followed the instructions closely to some success. My M29 will turn to the right with very little pressure. It does not like turning to the left. I am developing my theories, but the goal of this this thread to to collect best practices and write an article that will be pinned so we can guarantee fingertip control of our machines. Please share your experience. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aktrapperbrad Posted March 9 Share Posted March 9 My T24 is one of those that takes both arms to pull to turn.☹️ It does track straight though. I just got it out of hibernation and out of the 4ft of snow it was parked in, so hope to play with adjusting the steering before I run it more. I am hoping that I just need to tighten the bands. The levers seem to move fine it's just mushy at the rear and takes a lot of pressure to get the brake to engage. Brad 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OZM29C Posted March 9 Share Posted March 9 18 hours ago, Patrick Tipton said: The correct adjustment of the Weasel's steering system seems to be a bit of a mystery. I have driven Weasels with fingertip steering and then you see so many machines with broken or reinforced steering levers because it takes so much pressure to make them turn. The big question is why. The steering system is pretty Rube Goldberg and most of the levers/cross shafts etc. are running steel against steel with no bushings and probably very little lubrication. The early steering levers had no means of lubrication - so they received whatever (probably a light coat of oil given their intended use) and that was that. The final drive is a pretty simple "wet clutch" style differential with brake bands to drive more power to one track or the other - interestingly made by Clark Equipment - who also made the airborne dozer. There are only three adjustments - the large "wing" nuts that allow the operator to tighten the bands and then two set screws on each band that are used to help place the brake band in the correct position around the brake drum. I have been playing around with my M29 and the steering a lot. I have read and reread the manuals and followed the instructions closely to some success. My M29 will turn to the right with very little pressure. It does not like turning to the left. I am developing my theories, but the goal of this this thread to to collect best practices and write an article that will be pinned so we can guarantee fingertip control of our machines. Please share your experience. @Patrick TiptonFurther to your learned comments I’d like to add some more thoughts on this subject. I think it’s paramount that the correct grade of oil is used in the final drive. In my case I use this particular oil. https://classicoilsshop.co.uk/castrol-classic-xl30 My final drive steers well and that’s with the flotation gear fitted. Another consideration is the condition of the brake bands and their associated brake drums. I would consider it mandatory to do a full internal inspection of the final drive before putting it into use. A lot can happen in 75 years. The final drive has to be in optimum condition to ensure accurate adjustment of the said assemblies. Another observation to consider is the type of surface that a weasel is being asked to steer/turn on. Mown grass is very difficult to turn on, a weasel will labour considerably when turning on grass however loose gravel, sealed roads or sand (can’t offer any advice on snow though) offers very responsive steering. Correct Track tension is important as are the steering linkage adjustments. Last but not least driving/ steering technique is important. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Tipton Posted March 15 Author Share Posted March 15 Thanks @OZM29C. I had mine out yesterday in the snow. I still don't have it right, but the steering is improving. I was getting nice skidding turns although the pressures are still too high. I am going to do more experimenting this weekend and will report back. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pips_Blaauw Posted March 17 Share Posted March 17 During the first times of driving our Weasel i did not take the time to lubricate the various steering linkages. When i got acces to everything i took the time to lubricate them using simple SAE 30 motor oil as stated in the manual. Waiting for the oil to penetrate the entire joint is key. This made a very big difference to the feel of the sticks, it did not do a whole lot to the steering though. Still, a good idea to keep these parts wel lubricated. According to the manual this needs to be done every 250 miles... A few points that i noticed until now: While reversing and turning at the same time, the steering performance was greatly reduced. Shifting down before a turn, (thus having torque available during turning) seems to be very important for our Weasel. (Which is why i only have experience with driving in low range.) Steering is very dependant on road surface. Will report back once we get the chance to tune the differential! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse Browning Posted Sunday at 02:58 AM Share Posted Sunday at 02:58 AM Keeping all the steering linkage well oiled makes a huge difference in the amount of effort required to steer. The type of driving surface makes a huge difference also. The machine was designed to drive on the top of snow where it comes alive like a graceful wild animal. Hard surfaces and grass not so good. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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