1992 Craftsman Lawn Tractor Front Wheel Alignment Issue

[Blaine B.]

Hey guys, question here about my 1992 Craftsman lawn tractor. I believe the rear tires have the potential to be the original tires, believe it or not. They are really dry, and that's not the problem. When I bought this machine in October of 2018, the seller said that the front tires were relatively new, and that was true. They are some off-brand China rubber. As you can see, one season of mowing and the left front tire is wearing excessively on the outside. Seems as though there is a camber issue (rather than a toe issue) on that one side, as the front right tire seems to be fine. I have attached some photos. Is there any way I can adjust this to reduce the wear on the tire? Since nothing is adjustable it seems as if something would have to be bent, or the bushings for the front "spindles" would have to be replaced. I believe there are two plastic bushings per side. I am not sure if they can still be sourced on a 28 year old machine, or if that's the issue at all to begin with. Thanks in advance!



Front Left


Front Right

 

[Hammermechanicman]

Set the wheels straight ahead and measurethe distance between the front sidewalls and the distance between the rear sidewalls. Should be within about 1/4" between them. Jack up the front of the tractor and check the play in the wheel bearings/bushings. If any significant play remove the front wheels and check spindles, spindle bushings, wheel bearings/bushings.

 

[Blaine B.]

Set the wheels straight ahead and measurethe distance between the front sidewalls and the distance between the rear sidewalls. Should be within about 1/4" between them. Jack up the front of the tractor and check the play in the wheel bearings/bushings. If any significant play remove the front wheels and check spindles, spindle bushings, wheel bearings/bushings.

I would have thought that if this was an alignment issue regarding toe in or out that it would be affecting both tires left and right. What do you think? It seems to me that if the draglink connecting both spindles together were bent, both wheels would have an improper toe angle, not just one.

 

[Hammermechanicman]

The steering tab on spindles get bent all the time. Looks like the tire is scrubbing which is usually toe. How much play is in the axle spindle bushings?

 

[Blaine B.]

The steering tab on spindles get bent all the time. Looks like the tire is scrubbing which is usually toe. How much play is in the axle spindle bushings?

The bushings are pretty worn, for the spindle, where it mounts onto the tractor frame. There are two bushings per side, one top and one bottom, and then the C clip keeps the spindle in place. Hard to describe but I disassembled them last year to grease them, at least one of the 4 plastic bushings was virtually non-existent. What tab bends are you referencing to in regards to the steering tab on the spindles?

 

[Hammermechanicman]

What is the model of your tractor?
The tab is the piece welded to the spindle where the steering link attaches. They can look fine but just a small amount of bending can throw toe off quite a bit. I have to bend Husqvarna spindles all the time because they bend fairly easy.
You should replace the spindle bushings then check the toe. There are a few different bushings so need you model no to look up the correct ones.

 

[Blaine B.]

The model is 917.256820.

 

[Hammermechanicman]

Part number is 532121922 for bushing

 

[Blaine B.]

Part number is 532121922 for bushing

Not bad I'll try a 4 pack!

 

[Blaine B.]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/4-NEW-REPL...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649

These are the bushings I purchased, courtesy of Hammermechanicman's part number recommendation. Actually came with 5 pieces, they sent one spare. Obviously the original bushings in my mower were worn, but overall these bushings are very thin and cheap overall. They don't do much, but I got them installed regardless.

I'm still seeing fairly equal positive camber, so perhaps that's just the way it is. I know sometimes positive camber is set because it is assumed that it will move more towards 0' when weight is applied. Perhaps that is the logic. We'll see how things go, I suppose!