# Steering Control



## john_alaska (May 7, 2012)

My Honda HSS928A is an awesome machine, The right steering control does not work as well as the left. Are there adjustments ??


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

1. Check the track tension & alignment (see page 17 in the owners manual).
2. Adjust the trigger cable tension to match the one that is working correctly. Note that the triggers should always be pulled fully or released. See owners manual page 9.
3. Block up the crawler carriage so the crawlers are off the ground & verify that each crawler completely stops when the trigger is pulled fully.


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## cwolcott (Feb 26, 2018)

I had same issue with my hss928ATD but with left turns. Just got back from dealer after having them check it out. They did adjust the cable as it was not same as the right. But when I tested it there still seems to be a difference where turning right is very easy and turning left requires me to force it by pushing the machine. I'm now going to try the track tension adjustments Tabora noted and see if that may be it. I'm a total novice on the Honda transmission on these. I understand they're sealed and never need fluid replacement. But is it possible the fluid is low on right? I'm not even sure if they are separate chambers.


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

cwolcott said:


> I understand they're sealed and never need fluid replacement. But is it possible the fluid is low on right? I'm not even sure if they are separate chambers.


The steering triggers simply actuate the "shift arms" on the Hydro-Gear Transaxle. Here's a link to the Hydro-Gear manual: https://www.hydro-gear.com/3aac736b6b_sites/hydro-gear.com/files/BLN-0034_P2.pdf


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## cwolcott (Feb 26, 2018)

Thanks Tabora. I'll check the track tension and alignment this weekend. If that does not resolve I'll check the fluid level in the transmission. Right after I first took delivery 2 yrs ago I had the unit tilted back resting its handles on the floor with bucket in the air. I left it that way for a couple hours and when I came back noticed a little bit of fluid on the garage floor right behind the box where the transmission is located. That's what is making me wonder if the transmission may just be low on fluid now.


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## ST1100A (Feb 7, 2015)

The shift arms just work "Shift Dogs" that engage and disengage the gears. They are a very simple design, nothing technical.
Actually when the transmission was built by Honda, they were built hundreds of times better than Hydro-Gear.
Hydro-Gear builds cheap inexpensive components for the O.P.E. world and their technical/support staff are not very intelligent. I worked with plenty of them, and they were not to bright at all, most of them seem to be lost in space somewhere. I went to a bunch of their training seminars, and we didn't learn anything about them, their technical instructors were clueless at best. We actually taught them more than what they knew about their product.
The service book that is available does not show anything technical at all, the repair manual is a waste, it doesn't show any detail at all about how the shifting mechanism operated for the side to side turning.
The shift dog design they use is a very poor design that does not hold up for long and isn't designed for heavy usage. They will wear the "Dove-Tails" used for engagement off the gears and will jump out under pressure, just like shifting a motorcycle transmission without disengaging the clutch, then they jump out of gear when under pressure.
Not to scare anybody away from them, but I would take the older Honda non steering transmission over the new steerable one, they were built much better/stronger and were serviceable.


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## cwolcott (Feb 26, 2018)

Now that we've finally started to receive snow worthy of a snowblower here in SE WI, I've been able to put some mileage on my machine. After checking and rechecking all kinds of adjustments and having the local service shop check it out too, here's what turned out to be the reason my machine was turning just fine to the right but struggled to turn to the left. I had the bucket height adjuster set too low. I was always pulling the thumb lever, lifting the rear handles and the releasing the thumb lever. What I realize now is I should not be running the machine all the time in this low position. Tonight I set the machine on a flat surface, activated the thumb lever and then let the bucket drop to its natural positon, not forcing it up or down, then released the thumb lever. It was night and day. The machine instantly was turning left and right, fast or slow speeds, forward and reverse without issue. Boy do I feel dumb.

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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

cwolcott said:


> ...The machine instantly was turning left and right, fast or slow speeds, forward and reverse without issue...


 Hi Cliff,
Since it's so easy to do, I actually raise the auger housing pretty much every time I do a turn and then drop it back down again with my left thumb while my right hand is rotating the chute. Even EASIER to turn that way!


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## cwolcott (Feb 26, 2018)

tabora said:


> Hi Cliff,
> Since it's so easy to do, I actually raise the auger housing pretty much every time I do a turn and then drop it back down again with my left thumb while my right hand is rotating the chute. Even EASIER to turn that way!


Great suggestion. Especially when the surface otherwise let's you scrape really clean.

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