Front end issue

Hello all,

I have a Husqvarna YTH20K46 that is about 5 years old. I foolishly loaned it out to a friend and when I went to use it yesterday, I noticed that when driving it on a smooth area it wandered and shimmied back and forth. I got it in the garage and noticed that when the steering wheel is positioned straight ahead, the front wheels are bowed outward, the right one more so than the left (I would say about 10 degrees or more). I contacted up my "friend" and asked him what the hell happened. He said he only issue he had was once while he was turning right he hit a small rut, and it lifted the rear wheels off the ground a bit as it hit the rut. He said he was going "a little quick" at the time it happened.....................

Sooooo. I obviously have some front end parts that are bent. I plan on pulling the front axle off and checking it and both front spindles. I may just go ahead and replace the spindles to be safe, but my question is the front axle. Outside of laying it on a flat surface and looking at it, is there any way to check to see if it is bent? The axle is about $100 and I don't want to replace it unless I have to.

Lastly, any other things I should check?

Pretty pissed right now, but want to get the tractor fixed.

Glenn

From what you said is wrong I would think it would be only part numbers 4,5 and 61,62 on this page.
Lawn Mower Parts, Small Engine Parts & Much More! | PartsTree.com - Briggs, MTD, Toro, Cub Cadet, Husqvarna, Troy-bilt...
The only way to know if the axle is straight is to take it off and lay on flat surface.

Hi Chuck,

Thanks for the response. I agree with what you say regarding the parts that need to be replaced, and I appreciate the confirmation that laying the axle on a flat surface is the best way to check it. I'll be getting started on taking it apart today and go from there. Thanks again.

Glenn

psaboic said:

Hi Chuck,

Thanks for the response. I agree with what you say regarding the parts that need to be replaced, and I appreciate the confirmation that laying the axle on a flat surface is the best way to check it. I'll be getting started on taking it apart today and go from there. Thanks again.

Glenn

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I hope your friend offers to pay for the replacement parts. I learned my lesson about loaning a mower out. Loaned mine to a close friend and he brought it back with paint scratched on the engine guard, missing the deck height adjustment decal, and missing the deck height adjustment pin. He stuck a bolt in it and said that fits. I asked him to pick up another pin and decal for me at the dealer, but he never did. Had to go get them myself.

I'm not going to hold my breath...............:frown: if you know what I mean

psaboic said:

I'm not going to hold my breath...............:frown: if you know what I mean

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Unfortunately I know exactly what you mean. Had I damaged someone else's property I would do whatever I had to to return it to its original state. Doesn't seem like many people follow that code anymore.

I have seen this issue on both of my YT Husqvarna machines. As impressed as I am with the tight turning radius of these things, there are circumtances where Speed + Sharp Turn + Slope + Avg body weight of an adult male honestly is likely to stretch the limits of this front end.

One of my units was pretty new and the dealer repaired it under warranty, lucky me. The other is a used unit I am fixing up for use or resale, and I just came across the issue on that one last Saturday. If you continue to operate, you will see very premature wear on the front tire treads, as I well know.

On the spindle (parts 4 and 5 from the diagram) there is a pretty flat plate that flexes pretty easily. I jacked up the front of end of my machine, turned the steering wheel straight, and fitted a nearly closed adjustable wrench on the flat plate and flexed each side incrementally until each wheel seemed straight and true. That is good enough for me, but may not see it last. Replacing the draglink and spindle assemblies may become necessary

psaboic said:

Hi Chuck,

Thanks for the response. I agree with what you say regarding the parts that need to be replaced, and I appreciate the confirmation that laying the axle on a flat surface is the best way to check it. I'll be getting started on taking it apart today and go from there. Thanks again.

Glenn

Click to expand...

Here is a link to another thread on here about that issue, complete with some fix up pictures:

http://www.lawnmowerforum.com/small-engine-mower-repair/20645-husqvarna-2346xls-front-wheel-alignment-issue.html

Keep us posted on how well it goes.

My recent experience, husqvarna 2146XLS front end misalignment. I use this little tractor for some pretty rough tasks. Hauling 1,000#'s plus (you can find
trailers rated for this), snow plowing, navigating through very rough wooded terrain. After a time, the front wheels will get knocked out of alignment driving
over rocks, logs, etc. Typically the front wheels will bow outwards. The front end is NOT adjustable from manufacturer. Wish I'd have know that when I bought it!
Having said that, you can bend the brackets to re-align the front wheels. It takes some muscle to to this, and a means of holding the whole tractor in place, but it
does work. I adjust mine with a slight toe in, seems to hold position longer for me.

If you have a tap/die set, you can cut off the ball joint, thread the end of the rod and install threaded ball joints...and then you are adjustable after that. Or, go
the the manufacturer and pay about $100 (after shipping, etc) to get parts that should have been on the tractor from the start.

Best of luck!
Matt