Hustler Fastrak - broken alignment/stabilizer arm, how do I remove it?

[timsch]

There are two triangular arms that mount on the front of the deck and come forward to attach to the underside of the front of the frame. One of mine broke at the narrowest point. I tried to remove it to weld it back together, but cannot figure out how it is detached at the rear.

This pic shows the broken part that is still attached at the rear. The other piece has been removed and is not shown. The circled hole is where the other piece attaches to.



There is a plate on the side of the broken one that is held by one bolt. I thought that the plate may have been attached to a shaft that goes through the end of the piece. I pulled off the plate and hit the "shaft" with a hammer but it did not budge at all.. The two deck plates that hold the thing in place won't move. I can only see this thing being removed if that is indeed a shaft that can be punched out.



The one on the other side is intact, and the plate is welded to the shaft. The broken side shows that it was welded at one point too. I'm having a hard time seeing how the deck can raise/lower if that end plate is welded to the shaft. Seems that the shaft would have to rotate for this.

So, can someone let me know how these are supposed to work, and how it's supposed to come off. I have a service manual, but it doesn't have anything on this.

Thanks

 

[StarTech]

The broken pin has driven out the opposite of the insertion. It is inside a hollow tube which rotates around the shaft but rust is preventing you from getting it out easily. Drive it from the inside to the outside as the welds will prevent driving it the other way.

BTW those are some lousy ball joints as the make up several pieces that like to break or strip out..but are tack welded in place. Use McMasters-Carr 60645K36 as replacements ends.

 

[timsch]

The pin is stuck tight inside the tube. i soaked it 24 hours in a tub of diesel and then the 20 ton shop press wouldn't budge it. Heated it with a torch & still no go.

Looks like I'll be leaving it as is and just have it captured between the two deck mounting tabs to rotate in those holes. Shouldn't bore the holes out too quickly.

 

[StarTech]

Or cut it out.

 

[timsch]

Or cut it out.

Cut what out?

 

[StarTech]

OH it something you trying to avoid at all costs. It is cutting off the deck pin ends and replacing the whole deck pin and rod assy. I know it is hard to part with a C note but sometimes it is necessary to prevent further damages.

You need die grinder an several cutoff disks. And someone with good cutting torch skills can remove it with damage the deck itself.

 

[timsch]

I left out in my 2nd post that I already got it out by hammering over just enough one of the two deck tabs holding the assembly in place to slip it out - didn't take much. That's how I got it soaking in diesel and then to a shop press. I'll just put it back in place and hammer the tab back straight. The rod will rotate in the tabs rather than the pin around the rod. SHould be fine and not waller out the holes too much, particularly if I keep them lubed.

 

[StarTech]

And diesel fuel will not soak pass anything that is wet. Diesel fuel is a fuel oil and oil don't like water so they don't get along with each other.

 

[clubairth]

When faced with things like this I use Evaporust. WAY better than Diesel.
But glad to hear you got it working. It was a success and that's what counts.
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[timsch]

I have a gallon of Evaporust, but I thought it was mainly for surface rust removal.

I used diesel just because I have a bucket of the stuff I use for cleaning parts so it was easy to soak. I'm surprised how stuck it is. My shop press rarely gets beat. I didn't think rust would stop it. Then again, it's likely more full of dust and dirt that has compacted than rust. It was stuck enough that it broke the weld between the pin and side plate, and that wouldn't have been too easy to do.

Either way, I have an out and don't think I'll be fighting it.