Narrow front C conversion

I am looking to swap out the WFE on my C to a narrow front. The current wide set up has a nasty left turn, like the left wheel turns way further than the right, seems to lock into the turn, and takes a lot of armstrong steering to get it back. It is bad enough i won't let my kids drive it, and we can't have that around here. I visually can watch the tie rod move further while turning and causing this, still haven't isolated why, but I feel the NF would work better with this tractor and the woods mower than the wide front. It's a basic swap no? I have never done one, trying to make a decision.

Edited by Jgranat - 08 May 2023 at 10:35am

I agree, the rear gear box has some wear but it only has a serious issue to the left. I think I found a few issues that are causing the problem.
The right spindle seems bent and the top of the right wheel leans way out in a left turn, more then the left wheel does making a right, that is for sure. The tie rod on the left goes almost over center on a hard left turn causing the lock out of the left linkage, it looks like the left pitnan arm is bent as well. Front gear box has excessive slop too that doesnt help. I think all this combined is causing the issue.

I have mowed with both narrow and wide and still believe that the narrow is the way to go, I will probably still pursue the change to a narrow front, the tractor is a dedicated lawn mower, and will outlast me. I need to be able to put my 8 year old on it though, can't with the current issues.

Correct me if I am wrong but isn't the wide front on a C the adjustable version? Is the arm and box the same as a narrow front?  Switching to a B type wide front is a different steering box as arm is in different location coming from box and I think the worm gear is opposite as well. 

diagram --- photo

I have located a narrrow front bolster for mine, it's on the way. I have done the swap both directions on a WD45, these seem the same just smaller. I will have much less invested in this than a zero turn lawn mower and the kids will actually learn more driving it around to cut the grass. I'm not spending the time to fix the WFE when a narrow is 3 times better for mowing with in the first place.

That is a valid point to consider. I am most concerned with the tractor being able to recover from a turn rather than locking into one. We have a CA with an L306 Woods and a NF we mow with now. We are adding this to the fleet to allow another option for my 3 boys to fight over who gets to drive. I haven't enough slope anywhere here to flip one but plenty of stuff to run into.

So I am gaining on the swap, the WFE is in a pile and the narrow is in place sort of. I am still playing with some shims to get my gear lash to suit me, also going to clean out the cooling systen and pressure wash a bit while everything is opened up.

I do have a question, I think I have a CA front steering box and not a C box, it has cultivator mount bosses on the front and side engine weight mounting ears, these weren't on the C were they? I'm still going to put it together, just thought it strange and I honestly hadn't given it much thought until I read Sugarmakers CA thread.