OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions On Ride On Mowers Questions on Greenfield Ride On Mower Frames Greenfield 12-32 - Steering

Hi, I posted some of this on the Introductions area, which is not the right place, though Grumpy was kind enough to offer advice. My next step is to see if I've become familiar enough with the way his forum operates to post with pictures.
I'm used to figuring out things for myself, and NEVER paying a tradesman for something I can do. I am however pleased to accept the advice of those who know better.
My old Greenfield is a second or third hand beast which I bought because I'm moving onto 1 1/2 acres of bush. The steering is very sloppy and it seems to all relate to the tie rod ends, so I'll try the local dealer for those. There is a pivot point on a triangular plate which is also very sloppy which looks like it is tightened from below, but looks like it runs through a tube, which I suspect is very worn.
(I tried the photo upload, but no indication it worked)
I also would like to get a full set of belts and replace the ones currently fitted. That looks like it will be full of challenges, but I plan to start removing bits until I can see them, then take photos, before they break.
My questions....how do you access the belts?
How easy are the tie rod ends to access?
How is that pivot on the steering constructed?
To give a proper indication of the unit, I'll try to put photos up.





The pivot point (which I'm sure you all know by it's correct name) is the bolt head, which is welded to the plate, directly below the throttle cable

Rick, let's see if we can begin by both understanding what the parts are called and which ones you have issues with.



I've attached a pretty woeful scan of the page from the illustrated parts list, showing the steering parts with part names and numbers. I hope you can read them better than I can.

Thanks again Grumpy. There's a bit of a challenge in reading that, but it gives me hope that the only thing it needs there are bushes. I reckon I'll try to get every one on that page and see how much difference it makes...it's bound to be better, and definitely no worse. If still not good enough I'll start on the tie rod ends, etc. I've shimmed the part numbered 51, which looks like it might be part of a kit ( very hard to read) and wouldn't mind getting that as well.
Are these parts available from "outdoorking" or just the belts and blades that are on the web page?

Rick, as I understand it, if you want something that is not listed you should contact the online store and they'll tell you whether they can supply it. There are way too many parts to create an overall list, so extra bits get added whenever somebody inquires about them. I think the main question will be whether Greenfield still supplies that item to dealers.

When you've done the simple stuff (replacing the worn out parts) if it is still not up to scratch, post some pictures and tell us what is going on. Hopefully we will be able to help.

Life, as somebody once said, was never meant to be easy. I went to the local dealer and bought every part that could wear out in the steering linkages. Came home and set to work...No part was quite the same as on my mower, and the only part that appeared as if I might be able to install it was the triangular steering linkage and the long bush underneath it. The linkage wouldn't lift high enough without removing the motor, which I didn't want to do, and the nut on the top of the bush was of such a size that I didn't have the correct open ended spanner.
As I'm currently living in a caravan in the backyard of my sister an brother in law, I don't have all my tools, so I just tightened everything up, and decided to wait until my house is built. The question now, is do I try to change the belts to get rid of the squealing, or wait till I have a garage and a concrete pad to work on. Maybe I'll just take the seat off, and kick the hell out of the belt tensioner.

If you are concerned about the wheel-drive slipping, it's best to diagnose the problem before you commit to replacing the belts. Pushing the belt tensioner is the first step, and inspecting the belt, and the drive pulley on the engine's Power Take Off shaft is the second step. If the belt has been bottoming in the pulley, it will be visible on the pulley: the metal at the bottom of the pulley will be shiny. If it has been slipping due to bottoming, the bottom of the belt will be shiny, and there may be heat cracks along the length of the belt. If the sides of the belt are shiny, but the bottom isn't, it is likely to be a tensioner problem. However remember that tensioner problems usually result in poor forward drive, but good reverse drive.

It is also possible to have squealing sounds due to the forward clutch being glazed. This happens when people run the machine slowly with the engine running full speed.

Thanks again Grumpy. I have read a few posts concerning the same issues, and had decided that in the short term t was worth adjusting the belt tensioner. I have an unfortunate habit of being a bit flip, hence "adjust" comes across as "kick the hell out of". Too many years in the Navy I guess. You have answered my question though, I was really wondering whether in the interest of a more complete overhaul it would be worth replacing the belts, using the current configuration as a template, before trying to figure out which way a broken one is supposed to go. I will just adjust fr the present and see what difference it makes.

It is a matter of getting to the solution with the least time or cost, depending on how your mind works. Being retired, I like to minimise the cost rather than the time spent. A professional repairer does it the other way around. The important thing, in my opinion, is to end up understanding what had been happening. A project that ends up with "Well, it's stopped playing up" is an unsatisfactory project to me, for two reasons. One, it will probably come back. Two, when it does I still won't know what it is or how to fix it properly. So, I'd rather solve the problem once, and fix it permanently. That is a typical hobbyist's approach, of course. Many repairers probably don't care what it was or whether it comes back, as long as the job is out the door working, and they've been paid.

On the steering issue, I own that model greenfield also and my way to fix its steering issues where to make sure there was no "major" play in anything. Fix all the majors. next you will find that you wil have a tiny bit of play in everything and altogether you still have horrible steering lock and mobility. Instead of repairing all those minor issues I extend the steering arm that points towards your foot rest. I add 3/4 to 1 inch to its length, this effectively increases its steering range but due to all the little bits of slack it really just gathers up all the slack and then lets you get all the way to full lock again. steering effort will increase slightly. But also because less steering wheel input = more travel at the steering components you travel through the steering slack in less steering wheel degrees giving the impression its less.



My steering is slightly different because I don't have the triangle shape but it all works the same