Autosteer for articulated 4WD tractors: what fits and how it steers
An articulated tractor steers by bending in the middle, so the receiver on the cab swings one way while the hitch swings the other. Tractor autosteer that ignores that will hop three or four inches off the line and hunt back. FJD kits have an articulated mode for exactly this, and we have put them on Versatiles from the 1980s, Steigers, Deere 8760s and 9000-series tractors, and Big Buds. Here is what fits and how it goes on.
Ask about your 4WD Call or Text (580) 394-0089Why an articulated tractor is its own setup
- It bends instead of turning its wheels. The front half with the cab and receiver swings one way, the back half with the hitch swings the other. The receiver moves even when the tractor as a whole has not changed heading yet.
- Standard settings over-correct. The system sees the receiver move and steers against it, the tractor bends back, the receiver moves the other way. That is the three-to-four-inch hop farmers describe on a 4WD that was set up like a row-crop tractor.
- Articulated mode handles it. You set the vehicle type to articulated, enter the distance from the receiver to the hinge and from the hinge to the axles, and the software steers the hinge instead of chasing the receiver. The wheel angle sensor at the hinge tells it exactly how far the tractor is bent.
- The implement is a long way back. A 60-foot air drill or a 50-foot field cultivator on a long hitch swings on the pin. Damping and look-ahead values are set for it so the drill, not just the tractor, runs the line.
Articulated tractors we put kits on
| Brand | Models | What we install |
|---|---|---|
| Versatile | 835, 855, 876, 895, 936, 946, 976, 1156, 2375 Classic, 4WD 435 to 575 | AT2 motor kit in articulated mode. Factory CAN valve on some newer units takes the AS2; the AH2 goes on units with a factory valve and no CAN. |
| Steiger and Case IH 4WD | Panther, Cougar, 9100 to 9390, STX, Steiger 350 to 620 | AT2 motor kit, or AS2 or AH2 on units with the factory guidance option. Valve type decides which. |
| John Deere 4WD | 8560, 8760, 8870, 8960, 8970, 9100 to 9620, 9R and 9RX | AT2 motor kit in articulated mode; AH2 on units with the factory valve over the rear axle. Deere does not steer over CAN. |
| Big Bud, Ford FW, Allis 4W, New Holland 9000 series | Any model with power steering and a battery | AT2 motor kit; send a column photo for the bracket. |
What goes on the tractor
- The motorized steering wheel on the column, with the bracket and spline adapter matched to your cab.
- The receiver on the cab roof.
- The wheel angle sensor at the hinge, mounted flat, cable toward the engine, then calibrated.
- The display where you want it, and a fused 12-volt lead to the battery.
Which FJD kit
Most old 4WDs get the electric motor kit: AT2 Lite for steering only, AT2 or AT2 Max if the same system runs ISOBUS implement control on the air drill. A 4WD with a factory CAN valve takes the AS2; a factory valve without CAN takes the AH2. Not sure which you have? See Is my tractor steer-ready.
A Versatile 946 on the FJD kit
Older articulated tractor, electric motor kit, straight pass.
RTK on a 4WD
The payoff is the drill: a 60-foot air seeder with an inch of overlap instead of a foot, and the same tracks next year for the sprayer. GEODNET network RTK follows you to the rented ground with no base to haul. RTK vs WAAS for farming has the plain-language version; the 8760 in that video is running on free WAAS for tillage.
- Make, model and year
- A photo of the steering wheel and column from the seat
- A photo of the hinge area and of any valve block with electrical plugs
- Widest implement you pull
- Your farm location so we check RTK coverage
Common questions
Does an articulated tractor need a wheel angle sensor?
For the best result, yes, mounted at the hinge rather than on a wheel, with the cable facing the engine. The sensor tells the system how far the tractor is bent. Some run without it in articulated mode; the ones doing terrace work and seeding with wide air drills run better with it.
Which 4WDs have you put kits on?
Versatile 835, 876, 936, 946, 976, 1156 and the 2375 Classic; Steiger Panther and Cougar and the Case IH 9100 through 9300 and Steiger series; John Deere 8760, 8870, 9300, 9220 and 9230; Big Bud. Two 946s and an 8760 are in our videos.
My Steiger or Versatile is steer-ready from the factory. Which kit?
If it has a factory CAN valve the AS2 plugs in with the wheel left stock. If it has a factory valve without CAN, the AH2 plugs into that valve. We have found that the newer Steigers' valves are not temperature compensated, so they steer differently cold than warm, and the setup accounts for that. A photo of the valve settles which kit.
Can a hydraulic kit go on an old 4WD?
Yes. Any tractor with power steering can have a steering valve added, and the big 4WDs have the pump capacity for it. The AH2 is the route when the farmer wants the steering wheel untouched. Most old 4WDs get the motor kit because it is simpler and it moves to another tractor.
What about a Deere 9220 or 9230?
Both run. The 9230 has run on the AH2 hydraulic kit lock to lock once the angle sensor was set right. For the 9220 the motor kit is the better choice today because there is no articulated CAN controller for it yet.
How accurate is it pulling a 60-foot air drill?
The same one inch at the receiver. The drill behind an articulated tractor swings on the hitch, so the settings lead the line a little and damp the correction. With the angle sensor at the hinge and the dimensions entered right, the drill runs the same track pass after pass.
Why does my 4WD hop off the line a few inches?
That is the classic articulated symptom: the receiver swings as the tractor bends, and the system corrects for a move that was not a real one. Articulated mode, the angle sensor at the hinge and a few damping values fix it. We have the recipe and we set it with you on the phone.
More on auto steer
Autosteer for Tractors · Is my tractor steer-ready? · Older tractors · Articulated 4WDs · Combines · Sprayers · Swathers · RTK vs WAAS · What RTK costs to run · FJD AT2 vs Wheelman · FJD AT2 · AT2 Max · AS2 steer-ready · AH2 hydraulic · GEODNET RTK · John Deere · Case IH · New Holland · Kubota · Massey Ferguson · Reviews
Published 10/13/2026 by Deep Sand Tech, Lone Wolf, Oklahoma. Written from our own installs and support calls, not from a brochure.