Excellent job and you did everythng right, almost. I'm doing my 155c with the same deck and steering. Mine was bought by FIL 6-6-06 and 680 hrs now mowing rough farm house yard with lots of steering around stuff. I bought off line as well which also included steering rods to axle for $80. Some criticize how J.D. made this steering but that's a lot of hours, lot of years with a quick, cheap, easy fix. I take deck off every mowing to clean grass out so deck doesn't rot. Here's the sequence to handle deck stress free. Lower deck all the way. Take left lift off, right lift, right flat stock, front center then left flat stock. Remove belt. To put deck on, put belt on, put left lift on, right lift, right flat stock, front center, then push deck back to put left flat stock on. Doing it in that sequence goes very easy and you don't have to fight the deck so much. Give it a try. Great video, thanks from the farm near B.C. Mi.
Just wanted to thank you for the wonderful video. I had paralysis from analysis watching videos on how to fix the steering on my JD LA 135. I orderd the kit you recommended and did it yesterday. I need to preface by saying am a 60+ year old female. Using your video, I was able to do the job though it took me over 4 hours. I tried to used an adjustable wrench on the bolts hidden under the plate but could not get a bite with it. I had to wait till my neighbor got home from church to borrow a 15MM an a 13 MM box in wrenches. For some reason the wrenches in my set were even numbered though I had the sockets of all of them? For those who don't have a helper and can't reach the steering wheel to hold it still while removing the nut on the bushing, I have the solution. I took ratchet straps and put one on each side of the steering wheel and latched the other side to opposite posts. The other tip is that I don't have the strength you guys have, so put lubricant on all the bolts/nuts and let it sit a bit. Finally, make sure you inspect the mower belt while the deck is off. I discovered mine was almost cut into. Luckily, I had one on hand and was able to replace it. I finished in time to mow my yard before the predicted rains today. Thanks again. I hope people pay attention to that bolt that is 13 MM on top and 15MM below. Also the 17mm /15mm on the steering rods, though at least you can see those. Finally, women have a different difficulty scale- I broke 2 finger nails!!! So moderately difficult. I've never been so happy to mow my yard!
Thanks for the help! Bolts and pinion gear were much harder to remove than yours. Needed a torch to heat up the gear and a forked pry bar to remove. Much easier to work on if you pick up the front and rest it on the back, drain the gas first of course.
Very helpful video. In your repair you should be grateful everything came apart without must struggle. I spent almost an hour getting the gear off the steering wheel shaft. That was even using commercial grade “Break free” spray. Eventually I was able to wedge a pickle fork between the stem and the upper plate. Definitely bent that plate to maximum without damaging it. Also my D160 had the brake pedal shaft going across the back of that plate. So access to the rear bolt on the turn gear was a pain. Worked out better shoving the steering wheel shaft up and out of the way. Giving more room above the mount plate for your hand. Your job was 20 minutes. Mine was 1 1/2 hours
I was surprised the pinion gear came off without much struggle but it did have a little grease on the inside. I used anti seize when I reassembled so that should help if there is ever a next time. My deck seems to come off fairly easy but you do have to lift it up a bit after pulling the pins.
Thanks for this video! I noticed the play in the steering plate too… I’m going to put the old bolt back in it to help sure up the plate and remove the movement!
with that shitty steering design, a narrow sector gear cutting into a thick pinion gear, it's obviously designed to fail. I've seen smart guys who fix this by buying a second sector gear while the mower is still new and welding it to the original sector gear to give it wider contact with the pinion gear, preventing it from cutting into the pinion gear so soon.
That whole plate the steering sector mounts to can be removed with 4 self tapping bolts. Makes it way easier than trying to f around with a wrench, and probably dont need to remove the deck if you do it that way.
@@theguyofalltrades I'll try to let you know how it goes, luckily I got a parts tractor to swap parts over, I'm glad I found a video on it because I was about to crush the thing with the goddamn skidsteer 😡. LOL
@@theguyofalltrades didn't go like I thought, the pain in the ass hydro pedals make it damn near impossible, but I was able to get the thing down far enough so getting a wrench on those lock nuts was way easier, less swearing and cutting your hands to fuck
I've read in other TH-cam video comments that the replacement parts for this repair that are available from Amazon and other online sources are not as durable as the OEM part from John Deere and wear out very quickly. Is yours still doing well? The parts are substantially more costly buy from John Deere.
The plate seems to be pretty stout compared to the original. I think the gear on the aftermarket is what fails. Mine is still going good. Definitely a little play but not skipping like it was. The JD name brand replacement was quite expensive. Remember to compare the number of teeth on the original and the mourning pattern otherwise it may not match up
Thought I saw a grove on the steering shaft near the top. Looks like your bushing in that area wore out and is possibly missing at approximately 10.52. This will make the steering wheel wobble more than it should, Good post,
Have you ever heard of the pinion gear being seized up? I am trying to change my drive belt, and the pinion gear will not budge LOL. Hopefully some heat and PB blaster will help.
Yeah they do seize from time to time. You can try a pry bar against the back of it but watch your knuckles. Sometimes they will pop off with no warning when prying. I got lucky on this one. Some grease or anti seize when reassembling will help if you have to do it again in the future
Thanks - good to know - the one on my D160 wore out at about 120 hours - not a good design. You don't show the real painful part of putting the deck back on, though. I avoid taking that deck off as much as I can because it is so ridiculously difficult to get everything to line up and not have enormous tension in one place or another when putting it back on. In that respect, I really miss my Simplicity deck. It was literally flip a lever, pull the belt, and it's off - then just as simple to put back on - and it slid out from under the mower and back in much easier, too. Very poor design on the D160 deck in comparison. If it didn't have a deck-wash on it that works pretty good, I might be looking for another mower because it clogs so easily. I've never used a deck that was as bad as this on wet - or even damp - grass.
I think I was at close to 120hrs when it failed also. This replacement is about a year old with no issues. Overall I like the tractor but there are definitely improvements that could be made by JD
@theguyofalltrades I like.your.way best..You're able to.get.to the nuts to take the tie rods easier. Access.is KEY. Engineers arent.forgiving to.mechanics.
I have a Toro LX420 that the pinion and sector gear teeth are fine. It's the steering shaft bushings that wore out and allowed the shaft/pinion to shift away from the sector. GRRRRR. LOL.
Most of them are OilLight ™ bushings. Sintered Bronze impregnated with oil. If you take your old one and heat it you may see the oil come out. If you are handy, cut a section with the teeth off the Sector and weld it to the new one.@@francissimmons6234
I think $30. It’s still working perfectly since the video first came out. Just make sure you match the teeth and mount with the picture. I think they have 2 or 3 different styles
Is your engine a 24hp? If so, is the engine cover black or green? Just trying to figure out what year my engine is as there are no tags. I know that the 24 hp went from 2011-2014. I would appreciate your help. Thanks
@@theguyofalltrades yeah Im not the 1 getting the piece, my mom and cousin are while they are out. Had to tell them was an x304 so hopefully they get the right part. The worker they were talking to looked it up for them and they said they have the piece now.
You left out removal of the bottom plate. 5:30 Then you don't have to try to find the bolts. Four bolts, and it is loose, making the two big bolts off and on easier, as well as the drag rods. Man, people will die trying to do it as you show in your video.
Pinion Gear to Shaft or Sector gear? There are 2 different Pinion Gears I believe. Splines differ. If you can drill the semi closed end of your old one and its' teeth are worn on one end just invert it.
I did it! Thanks, I didn’t have any metric wrenches but I managed to make a crescent wrench work! Now I can celebrate the end of my procrastination!
Lol awesome
Excellent job and you did everythng right, almost. I'm doing my 155c with the same deck and steering. Mine was bought by FIL 6-6-06 and 680 hrs now mowing rough farm house yard with lots of steering around stuff. I bought off line as well which also included steering rods to axle for $80. Some criticize how J.D. made this steering but that's a lot of hours, lot of years with a quick, cheap, easy fix. I take deck off every mowing to clean grass out so deck doesn't rot. Here's the sequence to handle deck stress free. Lower deck all the way. Take left lift off, right lift, right flat stock, front center then left flat stock. Remove belt. To put deck on, put belt on, put left lift on, right lift, right flat stock, front center, then push deck back to put left flat stock on. Doing it in that sequence goes very easy and you don't have to fight the deck so much. Give it a try. Great video, thanks from the farm near B.C. Mi.
I will be sure to try that way next time. Thanks for watching!
Thank you so much for this tutorial! And especially for listing the tools I will need…probably saved me a few days figuring that out! Hahaha! Peace.
Welcome!
Just wanted to thank you for the wonderful video. I had paralysis from analysis watching videos on how to fix the steering on my JD LA 135. I orderd the kit you recommended and did it yesterday. I need to preface by saying am a 60+ year old female. Using your video, I was able to do the job though it took me over 4 hours. I tried to used an adjustable wrench on the bolts hidden under the plate but could not get a bite with it. I had to wait till my neighbor got home from church to borrow a 15MM an a 13 MM box in wrenches. For some reason the wrenches in my set were even numbered though I had the sockets of all of them? For those who don't have a helper and can't reach the steering wheel to hold it still while removing the nut on the bushing, I have the solution. I took ratchet straps and put one on each side of the steering wheel and latched the other side to opposite posts. The other tip is that I don't have the strength you guys have, so put lubricant on all the bolts/nuts and let it sit a bit. Finally, make sure you inspect the mower belt while the deck is off. I discovered mine was almost cut into. Luckily, I had one on hand and was able to replace it. I finished in time to mow my yard before the predicted rains today. Thanks again. I hope people pay attention to that bolt that is 13 MM on top and 15MM below. Also the 17mm /15mm on the steering rods, though at least you can see those. Finally, women have a different difficulty scale- I broke 2 finger nails!!! So moderately difficult. I've never been so happy to mow my yard!
Glad to help!
Excellent video. Just what I needed to watch. I have the same problem and now I can fix it. Thank you for an awesome video.
You’re very welcome. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the help! Bolts and pinion gear were much harder to remove than yours. Needed a torch to heat up the gear and a forked pry bar to remove. Much easier to work on if you pick up the front and rest it on the back, drain the gas first of course.
Welcome. I definitely got lucky with removing the pinion on this one
Thank you for your video. You did a great job of showing us how to replace the steering sector & pinion gear. ❤
Thanks for watching!
Excellent video! I just completed my first ever mower repair, thanks to you!
Awesome! Thanks for watching
And SAVED $$$ DIY !!!😊
Very helpful video. In your repair you should be grateful everything came apart without must struggle.
I spent almost an hour getting the gear off the steering wheel shaft. That was even using commercial grade “Break free” spray. Eventually I was able to wedge a pickle fork between the stem and the upper plate. Definitely bent that plate to maximum without damaging it.
Also my D160 had the brake pedal shaft going across the back of that plate. So access to the rear bolt on the turn gear was a pain. Worked out better shoving the steering wheel shaft up and out of the way. Giving more room above the mount plate for your hand.
Your job was 20 minutes. Mine was 1 1/2 hours
I was surprised the pinion gear came off without much struggle but it did have a little grease on the inside. I used anti seize when I reassembled so that should help if there is ever a next time. My deck seems to come off fairly easy but you do have to lift it up a bit after pulling the pins.
Thanks for this video! I noticed the play in the steering plate too… I’m going to put the old bolt back in it to help sure up the plate and remove the movement!
Welcome! Yeah it’s not OEM replacement so that’s most likely the issue. It’s still going strong after a year though with no issues.
with that shitty steering design, a narrow sector gear cutting into a thick pinion gear, it's obviously designed to fail. I've seen smart guys who fix this by buying a second sector gear while the mower is still new and welding it to the original sector gear to give it wider contact with the pinion gear, preventing it from cutting into the pinion gear so soon.
Great my friend thanks a lot
Very welcome. Thanks for watching
Thanks dude.
Very welcome
That whole plate the steering sector mounts to can be removed with 4 self tapping bolts. Makes it way easier than trying to f around with a wrench, and probably dont need to remove the deck if you do it that way.
Good to know!
@@theguyofalltrades I'll try to let you know how it goes, luckily I got a parts tractor to swap parts over, I'm glad I found a video on it because I was about to crush the thing with the goddamn skidsteer 😡. LOL
Haha good luck
@@theguyofalltrades didn't go like I thought, the pain in the ass hydro pedals make it damn near impossible, but I was able to get the thing down far enough so getting a wrench on those lock nuts was way easier, less swearing and cutting your hands to fuck
I've read in other TH-cam video comments that the replacement parts for this repair that are available from Amazon and other online sources are not as durable as the OEM part from John Deere and wear out very quickly. Is yours still doing well? The parts are substantially more costly buy from John Deere.
The plate seems to be pretty stout compared to the original. I think the gear on the aftermarket is what fails. Mine is still going good. Definitely a little play but not skipping like it was. The JD name brand replacement was quite expensive. Remember to compare the number of teeth on the original and the mourning pattern otherwise it may not match up
I’ve had problems ordering parts for my LT133 from Amazon. They end up never fitting. Better off just going OEM
Thought I saw a grove on the steering shaft near the top. Looks like your bushing in that area wore out and is possibly missing at approximately 10.52. This will make the steering wheel wobble more than it should, Good post,
Thanks! I replaced too and bottom bushing
MAN! you been doing burnouts with those front tires?!
Haha they are pretty old. New shoes going on next year
Have you ever heard of the pinion gear being seized up? I am trying to change my drive belt, and the pinion gear will not budge LOL. Hopefully some heat and PB blaster will help.
Yeah they do seize from time to time. You can try a pry bar against the back of it but watch your knuckles. Sometimes they will pop off with no warning when prying. I got lucky on this one. Some grease or anti seize when reassembling will help if you have to do it again in the future
Thank you!!!!
Welcome!
I pick up the front using my tractor loader, then I can stand up (more or less). That’s a geriatric hack!
I bet that makes it easier to get to lol
Thanks - good to know - the one on my D160 wore out at about 120 hours - not a good design. You don't show the real painful part of putting the deck back on, though. I avoid taking that deck off as much as I can because it is so ridiculously difficult to get everything to line up and not have enormous tension in one place or another when putting it back on. In that respect, I really miss my Simplicity deck. It was literally flip a lever, pull the belt, and it's off - then just as simple to put back on - and it slid out from under the mower and back in much easier, too. Very poor design on the D160 deck in comparison. If it didn't have a deck-wash on it that works pretty good, I might be looking for another mower because it clogs so easily. I've never used a deck that was as bad as this on wet - or even damp - grass.
I think I was at close to 120hrs when it failed also. This replacement is about a year old with no issues. Overall I like the tractor but there are definitely improvements that could be made by JD
The white plastic bushing on the bottom fell off did you put it back under the flat beer plate you replaced !!?.
Yup. It doesn’t hold very well. At least the replacement one.
Should we grease the pinion gear?
Wouldn’t hurt for sure
I think if you do it will cause it to slip more causing it to wear out faster. but that's just what I've heard
why fight the connecting rods, do yourself a favor , disconnect them before removing the sector.
There’s always a next time lol
@theguyofalltrades I like.your.way best..You're able to.get.to the nuts to take the tie rods easier. Access.is KEY. Engineers arent.forgiving to.mechanics.
I have a Toro LX420 that the pinion and sector gear teeth are fine. It's the steering shaft bushings that wore out and allowed the shaft/pinion to shift away from the sector. GRRRRR. LOL.
@@Hugh_Manitee Thanks! They never consider disassembly when building lol
@@Hugh_Manitee Those should be fairly simple to change. I've never worked on a Toro mower before, only snowblowers. Good luck!
Guy of all trades, eh? lets put that to the test! Pluming?
Check out my everything plumbing video playlist 👍🏻
Check your plumbing video? On you tube? Is that even legal? Shame on you! Just kidding, Well do! Thanks@@theguyofalltrades
@@joeydepalmer4457 I thought you were asking for plumbing videos lol
All joking aside, Ya I do need plumbing info. It maybe better if I just called you
(someone like you) in.@@theguyofalltrades
Sector is too loose. I always use a Bronze OilLite bushing on the bottom of the shaft.
That’s a great idea. Probably why the original failed. Too much play
Where do you get the oil lite bushing?
Most of them are OilLight ™ bushings. Sintered Bronze impregnated with oil. If you take your old one and heat it you may see the oil come out. If you are handy, cut a section with the teeth off the Sector and weld it to the new one.@@francissimmons6234
How much was the kit for the John Deere mower ?
I think $30. It’s still working perfectly since the video first came out. Just make sure you match the teeth and mount with the picture. I think they have 2 or 3 different styles
@@theguyofalltrades will do thank you for the information
Is your engine a 24hp? If so, is the engine cover black or green? Just trying to figure out what year my engine is as there are no tags. I know that the 24 hp went from 2011-2014. I would appreciate your help. Thanks
It’s 24HP with a black cover
The tag is under the fender back left tire
Thanks very much!
Welcome
You skip too many parts. I just did minds, and your steps are enough to get you in a bind.
Needs a new left front tire
Sure does lol
Yeah happened to me today while trying to mow the back 40 😅 I was like why the fuck is the wheel spinning but not turning. It wasnt catching
Just make sure to get the correct replacement. Count the teeth on the plate because there are two different models at least
@@theguyofalltrades yeah Im not the 1 getting the piece, my mom and cousin are while they are out. Had to tell them was an x304 so hopefully they get the right part. The worker they were talking to looked it up for them and they said they have the piece now.
You could nix the music. Just a thought…
This is one of my first series of videos. Audio levels are much more friendly in the newer videos.
@@theguyofalltrades It was a great video. Very instructive. Definitely helped me with fixing my steering. Thank you.
Thanks! Welcome and glad it helped
You left out removal of the bottom plate. 5:30 Then you don't have to try to find the bolts. Four bolts, and it is loose, making the two big bolts off and on easier, as well as the drag rods. Man, people will die trying to do it as you show in your video.
Yes indeed,the way to go! plus taking out the slack ,wobble etc with shims as well.
Multiple ways to skin a cat. Some are harder lol
My new gear doesn't fit
Which model tractor? There’s two different style plates
Count the number of teeth on the original and compare to the new one
Pinion Gear to Shaft or Sector gear?
There are 2 different Pinion Gears I believe. Splines differ. If you can drill the semi closed end of your old one and its' teeth are worn on one end just invert it.
Thanks for sharing
Welcome