Massey Ferguson 135 Steering Problems: Why She Wanders and How to Fix It

May 19, 2026

Last Tuesday I was pulling into the co-op with a trailer of seed corn behind the pickup when I spotted old Dale Hendricks wrestling his Massey Ferguson 135 down the gravel road like he was trying to steer a canoe through rapids. That tractor was wandering left, then right, then left again — Dale's arms going like a slot machine. I flagged him down and said, "Dale, how long's she been steering like that?" He shrugged and said, "Couple years, maybe." Couple years.

If you've got Massey Ferguson 135 steering problems, I want you to know two things: you're not alone, and you don't have to white-knuckle it down every township road in the county. The MF 135 is one of the greatest utility tractors ever built — there's a reason they're still working farms sixty years later — but that steering system has a few well-known weak spots. Let's walk through them.

Understanding the MF 135 Steering System

Before you start throwing parts at the problem, it helps to understand what you're dealing with. The Massey Ferguson 135 uses a manual recirculating ball steering gear — no power steering from the factory on most models, though a lot of folks have added aftermarket power steering over the years. The system runs from your steering wheel down through a steering column, into a steering gearbox, then out through a pitman arm, drag link, and tie rods to the front spindles.

Every single one of those connections is a potential source of Massey Ferguson 135 steering problems. And after fifty-plus years of bouncing over Iowa cornfields, chances are more than one of them is worn out.

The Usual Suspects: Where MF 135 Steering Goes Wrong

1. Worn Tie Rod Ends

This is the number one culprit, and it's the first thing I check. Get under the front end — safely, on jack stands, not just a floor jack, I don't care how tough you think you are — and grab each tie rod end. Try to wiggle it up and down and side to side. If there's any play at all, that's your problem. Or at least part of your problem.

On the 135, the tie rod ends are a standard taper fit. They're not expensive, and they're not hard to replace. You'll need a pickle fork or a tie rod puller, a couple of wrenches, and about an hour. Make sure you count the turns when you remove the old ones so your toe-in stays close. You'll still want to eyeball the alignment after, but counting turns gets you in the ballpark.

2. Loose or Worn Steering Gear

The steering gearbox on the MF 135 has an adjustment for play. There's a screw on top of the gearbox with a locknut — your Massey Ferguson 135 service manual will show you exactly where it is and the procedure for adjusting it. You want to tighten it just enough to take up the slack without binding. Go too far and you'll have a steering wheel that doesn't want to return to center. Go too little and you're still wandering.

If adjusting the gearbox doesn't take up the play, the gear itself may be worn out. I've rebuilt a few of these over the years, and I'll be honest — sometimes it's easier to find a good used one at a swap meet than it is to track down a rebuild kit. But they're out there.

3. Worn King Pins and Bushings

This is the one people forget about. The king pins are what your front wheels pivot on when you turn. On the 135, they ride in bronze bushings, and after decades of use, those bushings wear oval. When that happens, your front wheels don't just turn left and right — they wobble in and out, too. That gives you a vague, sloppy feel that no amount of tie rod replacement will fix.

Checking king pins is simple: jack up the front end and grab the top and bottom of the tire. Rock it in and out. If it moves, your king pin bushings are shot. Replacing them requires pressing out the old bushings and pressing in new ones — you'll want a shop press or at least a good C-clamp setup. Ream the new bushings to fit, grease everything up, and suddenly that front end feels like a different tractor.

4. Worn Front Wheel Bearings

While you've got the front end jacked up, spin each wheel and check for roughness or play in the wheel bearings. The MF 135 uses tapered roller bearings up front, and they need to be cleaned, inspected, and repacked with grease periodically. If they're pitted or the races are scored, replace them. A set of front wheel bearings for a 135 will run you maybe twenty bucks. No excuse not to.

Massey Ferguson 135 Steering Problems: The Power Steering Variable

Now, if your 135 has had a power steering kit added — and a lot of them have — you've got a whole other set of possibilities. Check your power steering fluid level first. Then look for leaks at the cylinder, the hoses, and the pump. A power steering system that's low on fluid will give you intermittent hard spots and wandering that'll drive you absolutely crazy trying to diagnose if you don't check the simple stuff first.

I had a neighbor bring his 135 over last fall swearing the steering gear was shot. Turned out a power steering hose had a pinhole leak right where it rubbed on the frame. Five-dollar hose clamp and a Saturday morning, and he was back in business.

Sam's Step-by-Step Diagnostic Order

Here's how I approach Massey Ferguson 135 steering problems in the shop. Work from the simple and cheap stuff toward the complicated and expensive stuff:

Check tire pressure — I know, I know. But uneven tire pressure causes wandering, and I've seen grown men spend $300 on parts before checking a $2 thing. Don't be that guy.
Inspect tie rod ends — Wiggle test, replace if loose.
Check the drag link ends — Same wiggle test, same solution.
Adjust the steering gearbox — Follow the procedure in your service manual.
Check king pins and bushings — Rock the tire in and out at top and bottom.
Inspect front wheel bearings — Spin, feel for roughness, check play.
If power steering equipped — Check fluid, hoses, cylinder, and pump.
Inspect the steering column — Look for worn U-joints or loose splines.

Get the Right Manual Before You Start

I say this every time because it's true every time: before you start pulling apart the front end of a tractor that's older than most of your coworkers, get yourself the service manual for your specific MF 135. It'll have the torque specs for the tie rod castle nuts, the adjustment procedure for the steering gear, the correct king pin bushing reaming dimensions — all the stuff you need to do the job right instead of doing it twice.

Dale finally brought his 135 over to the shop last weekend. Turned out he needed tie rod ends on both sides, a steering gear adjustment, and one king pin bushing. Total parts cost was under a hundred bucks, and we had it done in an afternoon with enough time left over for a cold one. He drove it home straight as an arrow down that same gravel road.

Your 135 deserves to steer like the day it rolled off the line in Coventry. Get under there, figure out what's worn, and fix it right. She'll thank you for it.

— Sam