Although not the vintage of you're tractor but I had our 8870 do that on me some years back and I believe I had engaged the lock and then it didn't want to release and finally after engaging/disengaging or trying to anyway it decided to release. What the problem turned out to be and I changed the part as per a mechanics suggestion, was the valve block assembly for that circuit and on the 8870 it was located inside of the frame rail. So you can take the experience I had with an older tractor as a possible culprit, the valve control block.
It was enough years ago now that I can't swear by it but I believe the light was going out on the dash to indicate the lock was off but steering it told a totally different story !.