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I have Sears LT1000 lawn tractor 917.275371 from 2005. Today while mowing the left deck spindle broke, no problem as I have replacements. However the left spring #131335 also broke. I had a used mower spring that seemed about the right size and strength (might be #10-15543), put that on with the new spindle and continued mowing.

So question is: how important is it to use the exact replacement springs for the left deck spring #131335 and right deck spring #169022?? Or are these two springs essentially interchangeable?? Or could I use something similar in size and strength from a hardware store? Thanks.

Well let's see do you want the blades to stop quickly when you disengage the deck? IF so the two 131335 (superseded to 532179748) are very important safety wise. Also the 169022 (supersede to 532169022) which the deck engagement idler pull off spring is important to disengage the deck belt; also for safety reasons.

You could alway leave them off and have the blades constant turning while the engine is running but may not want that if you riding over your favorite garden hose or your accident back over the neighbor kid when you could stop the deck quickly otherwise.

The actual strength of the springs are not important .
All they have to do is to stop the pulley turning
The right is by far the most important as it is what causes the slack to migrate to the engine pulley and stop the belt burning .
I have some older mowers without any blade brake , don't know when they became a legal requirement.
A lot of older electric clutches free wheeled when dissengaged and no one bothered much with a brake
IF you needed the blades to stop you dropped the deck lower.
I would imagine it would have been a case of bare hands shoved into a discharge chute that caused to brakes to be come Law.
I am yet to come across an MTD with the fixed pads that run on the top of the deck where both pulleys actually contact the brake pads properly
You just ned to make sure the spring does not rub on the belt cause I have done several belt replacements caused by rubbing on the brake springs.

I actually save one customers fingers as he went to lift the deck while someone else wa unloading the mower when I saw the blades turning because the blade brakes had been disable by another shop. It shock the customer when I grabbed his hands until he saw why I did it.

I do have two springs installed currently, but think that the spring on the left side is actually a spring for the right side. I'll order correct left hand spring and a spare, as I'm far away from a local mower parts house. Thanks..

Cusser both LH and RH brake springs are the same spring. The 169022 spring you referred to is the moveable (engagement) deck idler spring.

Brake springs looks like this


And the idler spring looks like this

Btw the Rotary 10-15543 is the idler spring.

Thanks. I looked again at the (crummy) parts diagram on the PDF of the manual, and I see that now. I'll buy two of the brake springs.

Brake springs 131335 (147 on diagram, ends are perpendicular)

Idler spring 169022 (148 on diagram, ends are parallel, point in same direction)