Fix the Steering Mechanism on a Riding Lawn Tractor

It is a helpless feeling to not be able to steer your riding lawn tractor. It is much better to take the time to fix your steering mechanism than to fix what you ran into because you could not steer away from it.

Steps

  1. Be safe. Before doing any work on your lawn mower, disconnect the spark plug wire and negative battery cable.
  2. Remove the mower hood and any easily removable panels leading to the steering mechanism, which will be located directly under the steering wheel. The more space you give yourself to work in, the fewer busted knuckles you will have.
  3. Check all bushings and bearings. The number one reason for steering problems is worn bushings. On Craftsman mowers, pay special attention to the bushing at the bottom of the steering wheel shaft. On MTD mowers, pay special attention to the bushings on the front axle.
  4. Check all gears for any signs of slipping.
  5. Replace any parts that show any signs of wear with new parts. Even if a part does not look very bad, it will make all your new parts wear out much sooner.
  6. Check for worn linkage. The steering wheel should have less than 1/16 a turn of "play" in it. If you need to turn the steering wheel any more than 1/16 a turn before the wheels move, replace worn ball joints or linkage.
  7. Test your repair. Turn the wheels all the way to one side, then all the way to the other side. Make sure there is no binding anywhere, and that the wheels turn just as far to the left as they do to the right.
  8. Replace all panels and the hood.
  9. Reconnect the spark plug wire and battery cable.

Tips

  • Allow plenty of time. If you don't have a lot of time, take your mower to a professional mechanic.
  • If your steering has more that a 1/4 turn....Something is wrong. It should be much tighter. If your steering wheel has that much play then your wheels also have that much play which can cause multiple problems including safety (response time) and functionality when attempting to drive in a straight line and over rough terrain (i.e. roots). So unless you mow your lawn in wavy or zig-zag lines make sure your steering wheel has less than a 1/4 turn play (which still is a lot). But there are different types of steering mechanisms and each will have its own tolerance stack up which will control the amount of play. Long story short, buy a quality tractor and you won't have problems.
  • Get out your owner's manual. It has a diagram of each part of your mower and how everything comes apart. It will be a great help to you; use it.
  • Pay close attention to how each part comes apart and put it back together exactly the same way.

Warnings

  • Be safe. Make sure the mower cannot be started while you are working on it. Disconnect the spark plug and the battery.
  • You might want to wear mechanics gloves. Steering mechanisms are in tight place and you could scrape some skin off your knuckles if you are not careful.

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