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Had my right steering arm get real loose and floppy while mowing. That steering arm is REAL sensitive and difficult to control so I see why they installed these dampers!
Found the damper #603983 is broken after 9 years of use. Raptor SD54 Mower.
They are $65 each and with the age of things I was going to replace both at the same time. I found many after market ones and for $40 a pair that's a big difference!

Anyone install after market dampers? Did they last?
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Yes I tried some just this month and they were just junk. They work extending them but had resistance returning to neutral. Since my JD supplier was having a free weekend I order the JD AM143066. Now they are longer so a new mounting hole was needed but I got on the Hustler I was working on the hole was already there just had to enlarge it some.

If it is just the glass filled plastic end that is broken you can replacement ones from McMaster-Carr. They are threaded at M6-1.00. You can opt for a metal end version.

Got the strut out and it appears to be fine and the end has pulled off? It's threaded and I see no damage to the threads male or female?

Here is the label on the strut if you want to order one.



The strut looks OK?



But since that end came off once already I have a feeling it will pop off again. But after some digging I found you can replace just the ball stud snap fitting very cheaply! Plus the after market ones do have steel threads on the female insert. This are M6 size and they come in several sizes. Paid about $14 for 5 of them. Called gas spring end fittings


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Thanks StarTech! I was posting when you were. I also read many complaints about the after market struts not lasting long so glad I am staying with the factory struts.
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Just a follow up but the replacement end is working fine with the OEM cylinder.
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