Front wheel camber

jbrow1

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Sep 4, 2012
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I have always wondered why many of the MTD mowers have front wheels positioned with positive camber? I enjoy the inexpensive mowers I pick up here and there, and get a kick out of mowing my lawn and others (family-freebies), on the cheap. I've got a ranch king 54" I bought used that the front wheels are nearly bald on the inside due to how the wheels sit. This year I may cut the axles and re-weld them so the wheels sit straight, just so it doesn't look like a pizza cutter. I see many new mowers at the big box store that sit with the fronts cambered that way as well. I just don't understand why?
 

BlazNT

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Turning radius is smaller. The reason you find them bald is they turn around on hard surfaces instead of grass.
 

jbrow1

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Turning radius is smaller. The reason you find them bald is they turn around on hard surfaces instead of grass.
How exactly does having the top of the tire slant to the outside help a riding lawn mower have a smaller turning radius? Type in my above post too, the outside of the tires are worn. The previous owner must've ran on pavement alot, I've never seen a rider with tires worn as badly as this one.

I'm really just curious b/c I think all these different branded mowers I see at big box stores with their front wheels tipped out so much looks silly to me, and doesn't really make sense to me.
 

bertsmobile1

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The camber is 1" to 1/2"
The toe in is 1/2" to 0.
Fairly well standard on most mowers.
Steering gear is quite frail so careless handleing can easily damage them.
As previously stated it allows a tighter turning radius before the wheels foul on the mower or steering gear.
 

BlazNT

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I do not have the words to explain it. Sorry.
 
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