Mark B.
Welcome to the IH cub cadet fourm, you will like it here, lots of intresting things to learn, lots of tips to pick up on how to keep your IH cub cadet running and sometimes tips on other things.
Scroll up to the top of the page to the faq's to get an answer to the age of your 125, and information on how to abtain a manual.
Try doing a searching useing the search feature at top of page to find an answer to the steering problem.
This is the best answer I can give as I myself do not know the correct answers to your questions and it is more than likely the same answer you will get form others here also.
Don't let this type of answer get to you, its not ment to be a snide answer, just the best, honest answer I can come up with this late at night.