Mr Jackson,

Thanks again for the extra brackets. (Great Service) Very proud to have your JPS Steering Unit on my 1952 8N. For the longest time I ask many people in the area if Power Steering was possible on my 8N tractor. All possibilities would add lots of hardware which would take away from the looks of my 8N tractor.  When I came across your internet site I knew this was the product I needed on my tractor. I still remember the first time I turn the steering wheel with the JPS Steering Unit.

(Awesome) That was about ten years ago the feel is still there today.

Thanks Again,
Ray Levesque

Some people aren’t going to understand this. I’m pretty impressed with this hydro-static steering kit. Some people might not think it is such a big deal, but it really kind of is. If you’ve ever chopped up an entire tree and needed to get it out of the woods where a car wouldn’t go. If you’ve ever worked on hydraulics, if you’ve ever driven one of those early model tractors with a front loader and no power steering, you’ll understand. Turning this tractor with this much weight in the front, effortlessly with one hand was unheard of. This thing took me about 2 1/2 hours to install which is actually pretty darn good. I’m crediting that to the design and the way the kit is set up. I’ve spent much longer dealing with hydraulic setups on many other things. Overall, a seriously good kit and a great way to make those old tractors useful again. 🙂

The Jackson Power Steering unit for my Ford 8N was well worth it. It developed some steering problems that had to be dealt with, and after eying this upgrade for years, those issues were the incentive (excuse?) for me to do it. Driving the 8N with the loader was always about steering. Good tires in the front, and weight in the back helped, but with a full loader, steering became a chore. That isn’t a problem now.

I had replaced a few parts behind the dash and under the hood and had redone some of the loader hydraulics on my 8N before, so this was work I felt comfortable with. Roland emailed the pdf instructions before the kit came. Not being in the midst of a farm community, it took me a few stops to find hoses, fittings, pipe sealant, etc. that I needed to customize my installation. Every installation is going to be different.  I built the manifold that would collect the hydraulic oil, send it to the filter, and then into the reservoir. I chose to lubricate the steering gear box with StaLube engine assembly lube, which is a light grease, similar to the corn head grease that is often used, and available in auto parts stores.

When the kit came, it was pretty straight forward installing the steering and diverter valves. I connected the hoses paying close attention to where each went. The only hitch I had was when I went to attach the rear steering cylinder brackets to radius rods. These are the large fixed rods on each side that go to the front axles. The brackets did not fit around the rods. But it turns out that my tractor has oversized radius rods from a Ford 300 tractor that are a little beefier than the stock 8N. Fortunately, Roland was able to ship larger brackets which worked like a charm. I had to play around with positioning some so that the steering didn’t rub against the loader cylinders in low position. The big issue was that my loader wasn’t on straight, so once that was resolved, attaching the cylinders was easy.

Obviously steering is easier now. I was happy to play around with the steering and loader and find that they both could work at the same time. The loader may be a bit slower now in general, but in a good way. I suppose a bigger pump might be necessary in some cases, but in my case, the existing pump was probably oversized for the loader, and is now about right. Overall, I really happy with my power steering. It’s going to last for years. Roland was very helpful, and available by email and phone when I needed him.

Bob Mesenbrink

Arvada, Colorado

“Thanks for the great system and the great service!”
-John McDaniel

“Your instructions were clear and I had no problems installing the steering unit. My 8N is very easy to steer now. I am very happy with the power steering unit.”

– Bill Bell

“Your 8N kit is an excellent setup.”
– Dan Simecek

A note from Roland…..
In 1997 Daniel converted his 1951 8N to a V8. Later he added a four wheel transfer case and a Ford Bronco front drive axle. He also included a 3-speed Sherman transmission, but because of the four wheel transfer case mounted on the left, had to relocate the PTO lever to the right side of the tractor.

When Daniel asked Jackson Power Steering to build a steering unit for his 4X4 8N, we were very proud to be a part of this wonderful project. We think you’ll agree that this modification was very well thought out, and a testament to Danial’s mechanical abilities.

This is one 8N that is sure to attract lots of attention at tractor shows.

As you can see, Rad’s 8N is in for some heavy snow removal.  With a huge snow bucket mounted on a Dearborn Loader,  snow chains for the rear tires and a Jackson Power Steering unit….installed for effortless steering, Rad is  ready to have an enjoyable tractor driving experience.  Thanks to Rad for sending me this picture.

Allen Waddell’s tractor was the first 8N Funk to receive a Jackson Power Steering Unit.  As you can see, Allen is enjoying steering his 8n with Wagner loader into a pile of dirt.  Thanks to Allen for an interesting picture.