Broken torque strap

[mowerfixer]

While doing routine maintenance on my Simplicity Regent, I discovered that the torque strap between the transmission and frame was broken in half. It's a pretty beefy piece of steel and it was a little shocking to find. I was able to purchase and istall a replacement. I had not noticed any operational problems. I'm wondering what the specific funtion of the torque strap is supposed to be, what would cause it to break like that, and whether I should be concerned about any problems that it breaking might indicate. Thanks.

 

[Rivets]

This part breaking is not uncommon and I have had to replace the strap quite often. The strap is designed to keep the tranny aligned and in place for proper belt tension. To be honest with you, I don’t know why they break. It is common enough that have added checking it when doing a unit check over. Many times we have found that the bolt on the tranny is loose. When they break you will most times find that the belt will come off the pulley.