M wide front

The M I picked up a few months ago has an after market wide front on it. I had the loader up yesterday and noticed that the pittman arms are not symmetric - one slopes up from the axle, the other down (see photos). I don't think this is way it's supposed to be is it? Neither looks like it's been bent though. If this is not normal does anyone know whose WF this is so I can try to locate parts?
Thanks

It appears that someone has put a right hand steering arm on the left hand side, and had to turn it upside down to make it work. I do not recognize the steering arms, but they appear to be from an earlier IH wide front. The Schwartz, Speeco, and Norden aftermarket wide fronts do not use steering arms of that style.

looks like a schwartz. with two left hand spindle arms. I think they should be bent up and in on both to get the ackerman angle correct

Thats a IH front end and both steering arms should be the same. Front is probably from a farmall 560 going by the short knees and the spacers added between the bolster and piviot support. Spacers probably added so the 560 wide front rear stay ball support would work on the tractor. Only bend the arms should have is a drop down bend.

That's an original wide front off of a later model tractor. Perhaps a 400 or 560 maybe?

Someone just replace one of the arms with the wrong part. They should both be the same.

Allan

So from what you're saying the arms should look more like the left one (facing tractor) on my M that's sloping down. This tractor is much harder to turn to the left than the right. Would the difference in arms explain that or is something else going on?

(quoted from post at 11:03:57 09/16/10) So from what you're saying the arms should look more like the left one (facing tractor) on my M that's sloping down. This tractor is much harder to turn to the left than the right. Would the difference in arms explain that or is something else going on?

Click to expand...

The left side, or the right side, is determined when you are sitting in the drivers seat, or facing the tractor from behind it, so if you are standing in front of the tractor and looking at it, the right side then becomes the left side, and the left side becomes the right side, and then it gets confusing. To make a long story short, one of the steering arms being wrong wouldn't make it hard to turn in one direction, but not the other, but it sure could effect the steering over-all, and it won't get any better until the left hand steering arm is replaced with the correct one, and yes, that tractor does have a left hand steering arm and a right hand steering arm, and the two will not interchange.

(quoted from post at 12:36:40 09/16/10)

(quoted from post at 11:03:57 09/16/10) So from what you're saying the arms should look more like the left one (facing tractor) on my M that's sloping down. This tractor is much harder to turn to the left than the right. Would the difference in arms explain that or is something else going on?

Click to expand...

The left side, or the right side, is determined when you are sitting in the drivers seat, or facing the tractor from behind it, so if you are standing in front of the tractor and looking at it, the right side then becomes the left side, and the left side becomes the right side, and then it gets confusing. To make a long story short, one of the steering arms being wrong wouldn't make it hard to turn in one direction, but not the other, but it sure could effect the steering over-all, and it won't get any better until the left hand steering arm is replaced with the correct one, and yes, that tractor does have a left hand steering arm and a right hand steering arm, and the two will not interchange.

Click to expand...

Codave, What kind of steering arm is on the steering shaft, the left side tie rod looks like it has way to much angle from steering shaft arm to the spindle steering arm. Or maybe the tie rod is installed wrong.
Have to disagree with Rusty, the left and right spindle shaft steering arms are the same with the same part # on that wide front, 358971R1.
The spindles are different left and right. If no aftermarket parts installed you may be able to find IH numbers on the wide front parts, on the bottom side of steering arms, on the frame support, near bottom of spindles. Spindles numbers will probably identify what tractors the wide front was used on. Probably if you look at caseIH parts online a 560 or 460 wide front will have most parts like yours. The knees or the part the spindles come up through looks to short in the picture to be from a SMTA, 400 or 450. Picture of actual steering arms.

Thanks to you and Rusty for educating me about
right/left and the correct names for various
steering parts. I'll look tomorrow for part numbers
in the places you describe and report back. Dave

Okay, it looks like this is a front end from a
460. The left and right knuckle assemblies
(spindle) have P/N 370367R1 which identifies them
as from a 460 adjustable front axle. And you're
right the steering arms are the same on both sides
(also same steering arms as on 560). The tie rod
angle you mentioned I can't explain. That tie rod
is installed the same as the one on the right -
the difference is just the up slope of the arm on
the right side and the down slope on the left (but
the left arm appears to be the correct one). I'll
have to find the correct arm for the right side I
guess. I'll check with Case first and then see if
I can find a used one if the part is no longer
available.