So I did have to remove the deck, I just didn't have anything on hand to work under it so tipping mostly worked.
I don't think I messed up the placement of the springs. The points where they fit are pretty obvious.
But that idler diagram seems to be exactly what I need! Looks like I should just...
Last week the lawn mower stopped moving after I stopped briefly, and I saw that the drive belt was really loose and had come off of several pulleys. It was somewhat shredded and cracked all over so I ordered a new one (John Deere M144044). After a bit of research, I managed to figure out I can...