982 mule drive belt rubbing, can't figure out why.
 

I just got my deck back together last week and I already trashed the belt. I usually go through one a year.......I maybe mow 10 times a year.....honestly. I have never really thought much about it but I'm really trying to get this tractor back to like new mechanically so I need to figure out what's wrong.
It has always rubbed because the hanger fork piece is worn bad.....what could be causing this? The deck has the wheel kit on it and they are set at the highest position.
Any help is appreciated. Thanks

Here are some different pictures I took last night. I also adjusted the hangers up as far as I could but it only helped a little bit. The first picture highlights where the rubbing is, it is worn about 1/8" into the bar.

What is the Belt Part Number..???

I am using a Gates High Power II B90 belt, circumference of 93". Do you think a CC belt would solve this problem?

I'm not using the CC belt because at $60 a pop I'd go broke replacing them as much as I do. I have read a lot on here about how the CC belts are great but I can't see how it would make any difference when it come to interference. It's a straight shot from the mule idlers to the deck pulley.

Something on your mule brackets doesn't look right to me.:bigthink:
I will look at mine tonight. I can't put my finger on it at the moment.

Okay, I might have an idea..........I've been thinking about this damn thing non stop since I posted. I think my front hangers are way too low.

I know from reading on this site that the main differences on the SGT decks are the larger center pulley and the longer front hangers. I just recently bought a really nice CC labeled 50c for future use cause it has almost no rust at all and it has the newer style bearings in it. I noticed that the front hangers are a lot taller than the ones on my deck......but it didn't pop in my head until right now.

If I raise those hangers up higher that should allow the mower adapter to stay higher...........correct? The mower adapter should be higher by nearly the same amount as I adjust the hanger up......except for the slop where the mower adapter lift arm insert into the hangers.


Somebody chime in and let me know what you think. I know my hangers are almost as low as they can go, and the deck I bought off of a super are probably .75" higher.......high enough for me to notice from looking it over.

My belt was rubbing on the cross brace of the mower hanger. The back of my hanger were it rides on shaft between frame rails had the hanger wore about an inch in a c shape letting the front of the hanger drop down too far. I welded them back so they were both flat again not c shaped and that picked the front up enough that the belt no longer rubs the cross brace.

I can't help you....... You didn't post any pics that lets us see how the belt is routed or where it is rubbing. :bigthink:

updated pictures above.

Well for starters the mule drive is wrong, you have one for a deck with the pulley in the center. If you look at this pic you'll notice that the pulleys are angled to guide the belt toward the deck drive pulley

I wonder if a PO thought they were bent and straightened the mule pulley mount brackets???.........I am fairly sure this is the original mower adaptor. The deck looks like it lines up correctly front to back so it must be from a super I would guess, wouldn't the deck be moved way ahead more? I would guess angling the adjusting pulley would move the belt to the side a little bit and help a little, I can try that tonight.

Thanks for noticing that Sam.

the center [pivoting] section of the frame is installed upside down the bar that has the forked end on it goes on the right side of the tractor ,you should see where the round bar under your tractor is worn

It's on correctly. Look at the pics in post #1.

I bent(over bent) the pulleys back so they angle towards the center deck pulley and it did not help, might have made the interference a little worse.

I took the entire mule drive and subframe off. This baby is worn a lot, the pins that lock the mule on and the "clevis" part of the subframe are worn the worst.

I did notice one thing though that is hard to tell from the pictures. The two main subframe bars are bowed so that the rear of them is moved to the right maybe .375"......it's quite noticeable when looking at it. Also, the rear hole in the left bar that the spring loaded deck pin goes into is .375" lower than the right side. I could see that making a big difference in my interference.

I can't see any reason they should be that far off when the entire unit is laying flat on the ground, and it makes sense that it got tweaked since the whole thing is bowed to the right.

Any ideas?

That thing is pretty "tweaked". I'd try straightening it out and see what that does. :bigthink:

I took the whole deal in to work and straightened out what I could......it didn't help a bit. I can't figure this thing out, I'm driving myself crazy.......I'm an engineer and this is my kind of problem to solve.

There is just no way with the parts I have that the belt can't interfere......unless I have something installed really wrong. Either I have to lower the mule drive pulleys to lower the belt path or I have to raise the deck hangers way up so the belt passes under it further. If I raise the hangers I will probably lose any lift I have....which isn't much at all.

I am just stumped on this. I'm going to need to step back and just take a different look at it.

IIRC, the Mule Drive Pulley are 4" diameter. It doesn't look like the ones pictured are 4".

I wouldn't have admitted that.......



The problem is the ass end of the sub-frame is bent too far to the right. I don't know how straight you got it, but if it still hits it's not enough. Either straighten the thing, or find another. FWIW, it's the same subframe as any GT.

Look here:
The bar on the right side should be straight. The one with the arrow on it.

Attachment 55015


Yours is bent here:

Attachment 55016

I am confused. Seems we are looking at two different 50C decks. One is painted yellow and one is painted white. Which deck is the one being used...???? :Huh:

The yellow deck is one John posted for reference; the white one is the one the OP has that needs to be straightened :beerchug:

Thanks.....

The Mule Drive Pulleys don't look right. They appear to be smaller in diameter than the OEM 4" factory pulleys. With that in mind, then the belt would ride "higher" and rub against the bracing of the mule drive.

The pulley's are 4"OD, the pulley on the adjusting side of the mule is a factory CC part I replaced back a few years, the other is a McMaster 6234K46 .....it's nylon but seems to work fine with no deflecting or anything, and it's on the other side so that isn't affecting the belt path where most of the problem is.

I did straighten the frame out quite a bit, it is not perfectly flat but is within .060" for sure.

I swear I would need to move the pulleys down 1" to have close to zero interference, it is that far off.....the darn thing still might rub.

I will try to take some more pictures that can show the entire belt path (from mule to deck pulley), the angle is so far off I can't see it ever being correct with what I have. The deck looks to be in the proper location when attached, it's not hugging the rear tires......it's about right in the middle of the wheel base. If the deck were forward more it would give more clearance but It looks to be right to me I guess.

I appreciate all the help guys, if there is anything you see that might be wrong just say it......you won't offend me a bit.

Looks to me like the front of the deck is lower than the back. Is that an optical illusion? If this was the case, lifting the front deck hangers could give you the clearance you need. Maybe move the front deck wheels down a hole, or move the back wheels up a hole. Just looks like the front is almost on the ground where the rear is not.

If he raises the front up, that will make his problem worse......

Do you own another GT? Go pull another subframe and put on it and see if it's right. If so, then the frame is bent. I still think that's the issue.:bigthink:

Yeah I was thinking the subframe coming up in the front would give some clearance. But only the front of the deck would come up, making the belt contact it even more. But I swear in this pic it looks like the front is way lower. Is it just me?

The deck was actually tilted so the back was higher.....the front wheels are in the lowest holes and I moved the rears to the second hole up from the bottom. It brought the rear down so it was closer to level.......ideally you want the front to be nosed up a little correct? I matched the set-up of the 50C deck I recently bought for future use, and that's when I changed the height of the front hangers too......mine were all the way down.....I changed them to all the way up to match that new deck.

I do not own another cub nor do I know anybody with one new enough.

The problem is the 703-0146 which is the "center" left frame, the part with the clevis end that inserts over the rod. If that were pitched up in front more it would solve the problem, that's why I adjusted the front lift hooks higher. It didn't do much and the center lift frame still drops down lower and allows the deck frame to float even with the deck on the ground.

I will take a bunch more pictures this afternoon, once again I really appreciate all the help.

On the yellow deck pics being posted as reference by J-Mech and Sam Mac..........the middle hole is not used.
The link goes one hole further back with an empty hole in between.
The operators manual seems to show the middle hole not occupied as well.


Then, is the pickle fork on the cross shaft?
Almost looks like it is gone?

I noticed that too Double07, but I have a super out in the shop that is set up like his 982, and there's no issues with it. I agree with what your saying, but I think it's ok. :bigthink:

I've searched google images and looked at a bunch of 982s, I haven't found one mounted to a tractor that is using the rear hole. I am willing to try anything though. I don't think moving it will change any geometry though, nothing pivots there....just lifts.

My problem is shown exactly in the pictures, with the deck on the ground..........it's amazing how far off it is. I will definitely take a bunch more pictures today and post them this evening. Thanks guys

What about the pickle fork, is it on the cross shaft?

It is on there......it doesn't catch much though. While I had it here at work I welded up the wear spot so it is nice and flat on the inside again.

Yea, I am seeing 482's, 582's 782's using the rear most hole but not the 982's.

This manual page confirms this.

That is a good page, I thought I looked through the manual but didn't see anything that clear. Thanks for the help guys.......I hope when I take more pictures today you'll come up with something to get this thing right.

Can you post the link to that manual?

Here are some updated pictures. I am just stumped.........WTF. There is another thread with a 982 with the same exact interference as mine but the OP never updated the thread........I wonder if he ever figured it out.

Take the deck off and the subframe and assemble it on the floor, then take a pic. Just like the one Sam Mac posted. Same angle and everything. Please.....

Your pictures are fine, but can't see a damn thing. I don't think it's the tractor. I think it's the subframe so just as well take it off. Only other possibility is the frame on the tractor is bent. (Which I HIGHLY doubt.)

I have been busy the last couple days and haven't had the chance to remove the deck and such........but I did get a chance to look at the geometry again and I think I figured out what I can do to make it work. The thing I noticed today was that with the lift all the way down the rear deck wheels are just barely off the ground, they are mounted in the second hole from the bottom. I unbolted the front lifting eyes and I pulled the rear spring pins so the deck was just laying on the ground. I then raised the lift up maybe half inch and kind of held the deck back to see what the belt path looks like, it should get like a quarter inch of clearance ( I probably have a quarter inch of interference). How I see it as long as I keep the front lifting eyes as low as possible and raise the rear spring pin mounts I shouldn't lose much lifting height at all and I will gain the needed belt clearance because raising the rear spring pins changes the angle of everything attached to the mule....except the deck and belt.

This isn't fixing the problem, but it is making it operate correctly until I do figure out what exactly is going on with it. I am going to make the spacers tomorrow at work and I'll post some pictures once I get them installed.

If this works and I have the belt clearance I need than I'll be happy, and maybe it will help someone else who might run into the same problem.

Instead of making parts to mask a problem, why don't you pull the deck off first and post a pic, like I suggested. Then maybe you can just fix it and be done. That kinda makes sense doesn't it? It takes all of 15 min to take the deck and mule drive off, and I think that's a generous amount of time. :bigeyes:

It's easy to do when I have help but since I tore my hamstring (and both groin) I can hardly put on my shoe without major pain....bending and kneeling is unbearable. I sound like an old man but I swear it's the worst injury I have had, I wish I would have broke my leg instead.

If my foot looks this bad imagine what my leg looks like.

I don't own a Super so I don't know for sure, but I don't think those decks were ever meant to run that close to the ground, If the deck were raised to a normal operating height I'd bet that the belt won't rub.