n00b Question - Front Wheel Alignment - Pic Inside

[Springbok]

I have a bit of a n00b question. I'm no stranger to mechanical work and have done all kind of repairs, I'm just wondering about the front wheel alignment on my 2018 XT2, although my 2009 Craftsman tractor has the same issue: The front wheels don't want to aim the same direction. When you get one wheel pointed straight, the opposite wheel points outboard for some reason. Luckily the issue hasn't been too serious as I'm just in the forgiving soft grass but hey! I want to get this corrected.

On the Craftsman I could find no adjustment to correct this so I thought one of the tie rods must be bent...so I replaced both of the tie rods with brand new ones and this had no effect on the issue.



The only sure way I can see out of this is to remove one of the tie rods, heat it up and bend it slightly?

Now I've noticed that my much newer XT2 has the same problem. It's in the shed for the winter and I haven't had a chance to look underneath it to see if it's the same steering design. Is there an easy fix for these that I'm overlooking?

Here's a pic of my XT2 (and my old gray Craftsman poking its nose out there on the right side):

[ol'George]

Are the tie rod ends threaded onto the rods so you can adjust them like you would on your vehicles?
If so, just set the toe in about 1/8" closer in the front than in the rear using your tape measurer.

Its pretty simple to do as it is the only setting you can make.
The caster and camber is not adjustable like on a vehicle.

[evhevh]

I agree with George, but you will find some helpful information in this video as well:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zb2kxlYukw8

[ironman]

And another....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XV_z5jKj-zI

[Springbok]

Ok. Upon a further inspection this afternoon, I went out to the shed and confirmed that the tie rods on my Cub Cadet XT2 do in fact have threaded ends which allow for adjustment.

By contrast, the tie rods on my Craftsman rider sitting in the same shed, have no adjustment at all. I wonder why they would design it in such a stupid way with no recourse to align the front wheels.

Thanks for the input!

[Red Dave]

Originally Posted by Springbok

Ok. Upon a further inspection this afternoon, I went out to the shed and confirmed that the tie rods on my Cub Cadet XT2 do in fact have threaded ends which allow for adjustment.

By contrast, the tie rods on my Craftsman rider sitting in the same shed, have no adjustment at all. I wonder why they would design it in such a stupid way with no recourse to align the front wheels.

Thanks for the input!

The oldest reason in the world: MONEY! Profit Margin. Whoever made that Craftsman rider probably increased their profit per unit by a whole dollar each unit.

Serviceability, adjustability, maintainability, are all aftermarket concerns and not the manufacturers problem.