Bent my mower deck badly

[spidermonkey]

You’re right mwk, you won’t ever get it back the exact same, but normally if it’s bent/pushed in, it’s around the outer edge skirt. All the “alignment” type items are on top of the deck, meaning pulleys/belts/bearings and tensioners. So the outer perimeter skirting not being bent back the exact same, won’t affect the alignment of those important items. The only thing it might affect is the way it slings cut grass out the side. If the top surface is bent/untrue, that is going to be a little trickier. But still can be accomplished. Can’t recall if OP said, I just figured if he ran up over and hung it on a tree root, it was the skirting portion of the deck. And also, a complete new deck even without spindle assemblies/etc is EXPENSIVE!! Good Luck OP!

[tpack]

https://discussions.texasbowhunter.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1111834&stc=1&d=1670338828

[MacDaddy67]

You’re right mwk, you won’t ever get it back the exact same, but normally if it’s bent/pushed in, it’s around the outer edge skirt. All the “alignment” type items are on top of the deck, meaning pulleys/belts/bearings and tensioners. So the outer perimeter skirting not being bent back the exact same, won’t affect the alignment of those important items. The only thing it might affect is the way it slings cut grass out the side. If the top surface is bent/untrue, that is going to be a little trickier. But still can be accomplished. Can’t recall if OP said, I just figured if he ran up over and hung it on a tree root, it was the skirting portion of the deck. And also, a complete new deck even without spindle assemblies/etc is EXPENSIVE!! Good Luck OP!

It is mostly the skirting, but it hit HARD....I was so ****** I didnt look that closely at it.....but it shifted and the blades are hitting the sides now.....

I have done it before and just hammered and bent it back a little...this one will require dropping the deck I imagine....it hit so hard it killed the engine

[Philip-TX]

If it killed the engine, check the blades (bent), and spindles (Bearings, if mounting is still square/solid, bend shafts, etc).

Good Luck

[SaltwaterSlick]

If it's "yellow", just go buy a new deck... chances are that stamped out deck is bent to the point the spindles are no longer running true... IF it's "green", you can probably use a torch and straighten it with a hammer/pry bars, etc.

[Big Lee]

Always surprises me the post I see here.

[TexaRican]

I didn't even see this thread when I posted my search for a mower deck in the classifieds this morning. Yesterday was a bad day for green screen mowers!

[MacDaddy67]

Always surprises me the post I see here.

Why is that?

[MacDaddy67]

If it's "yellow", just go buy a new deck... chances are that stamped out deck is bent to the point the spindles are no longer running true... IF it's "green", you can probably use a torch and straighten it with a hammer/pry bars, etc.

its the yellow stamped deck.....

[SaltwaterSlick]

its the yellow stamped deck.....

Most all those big box store John Deere's are manufactured by MTD (Murray)... Find an old one/used one that is the same size/cut, and it likely would fit. Clean 'er up a little and a rattle can of yeller, and she's good as new!

[Gerald G]

I could be wrong, and it sounds like several of you have successfully done this, but I would be worried about bending the mower deck back yourself. You're never going to get it totally back to straight and level. I would think that even if you get it bent back to where the blades aren't hitting each other if you don't get it back to perfectly straight (and you won't) you are still going to have potential problems with premature belt wear or throwing belts and excessive vibration which will eventually vibrate apart the whole mower. I would bite the bullet and just buy a new deck, or if that's too expensive take the deck to a metal shop and have them repair it. I would think that would be way better than whacking the deck with a sledge hammer and eyeballing it to fix it.

Don’t take this wrong, but some of us are smarter and more mechanically able than you!

[SaltwaterSlick]

Don’t take this wrong, but some of us are smarter and more mechanically able than you!

WORD!!

[Rubberdown]

It’s a mower deck. Beat that thing until it works. And then put some new blades on it if they are messed up.

[Lost10mm]

.

[MacDaddy67]

....

Got the main deck back close to original, but the inner metal support and the mulching kit is still giving me trouble....heat, hydraulic jack and a 15# sledge is helping.....might have to take the mulching kit off and shape them separately...

Brookside said it was buggered pretty good but nowhere near the worst he has seen.....said one came in that it looked like the guy was mowing over steel pipes with it....had to cut it out and install a new one