gtolovedaddy
New member
my mower deck keeps throwing belts on my cub cadet lt 1050 any clues,? I put a new spindle on ,new blades and a center spindle and a new belt. the belt comes off with in maybe 5 minutes of mowing.
mower deck problems throwing belt on lt 1050
- Thread starter gtolovedaddy
- Start date
cuppla things - only use an OEM belt or direct equivalent... gotta be kevlar mtl, correct length/cross-section. Also chk deck leveling front to back per your manual (s/b around 1/4 low in front?)... Also chk deck drive belt idler mechanism located on deck (spring loaded) for free swiveling/no dragging so that constant tension on belt is maintained while operating.... Keep engine RPM at max while running deck.
post back with more detail if still problems...
post back with more detail if still problems...
AxleHub
Elite Member
One other thing to look for that happened to me . . One of the pulleys was hard plastic but the shoulder of the pulley wore/broke off (a perfect circle). But unless you looked close you couldn't see the shoulder was gone . . But the belt sure knew it. . lol.
GBHRPS
Bronze Member
gtolovedaddy,
Been there, done that. My used Z Force 48 did this with regularity when I first got the unit. As you, I checked everything there was to check and gave up in frustration.
Several days later I drilled the deck and mounted a long bolt (long enough to be secured on both sides of the deck with a lock washer and nut) that would be positioned right next to the offending pulley (say an 1/8th inch from the belt) so it couldn't come off. The bolt head would be just above the belt and pulley so only the round shaft of the bolt would be next to the back of the belt.
In my case, I also required another such bolt on the spring assisted swing arm pulley that takes up the belt slack. I didn't require a hole in that case, as I was able to use the square hole reserved for the 3/8 inch drive tang of a breaker bar when relieving the tension to remove the deck drive belt.
This is the same kind of setup you'll see on cheap lawn tractors that have a lever that you throw to tighten the belt that drives the deck. These bolts keep the belt from falling off the pulley when the lever is thrown the opposite way. The added slack would allow the belt to fall off if the bolts weren't positioned next to the pulley to prevent it. This may work for you, as I've not had the belt fly off once in the 3 years I've used the mower since the repair. Good Luck!
Been there, done that. My used Z Force 48 did this with regularity when I first got the unit. As you, I checked everything there was to check and gave up in frustration.
Several days later I drilled the deck and mounted a long bolt (long enough to be secured on both sides of the deck with a lock washer and nut) that would be positioned right next to the offending pulley (say an 1/8th inch from the belt) so it couldn't come off. The bolt head would be just above the belt and pulley so only the round shaft of the bolt would be next to the back of the belt.
In my case, I also required another such bolt on the spring assisted swing arm pulley that takes up the belt slack. I didn't require a hole in that case, as I was able to use the square hole reserved for the 3/8 inch drive tang of a breaker bar when relieving the tension to remove the deck drive belt.
This is the same kind of setup you'll see on cheap lawn tractors that have a lever that you throw to tighten the belt that drives the deck. These bolts keep the belt from falling off the pulley when the lever is thrown the opposite way. The added slack would allow the belt to fall off if the bolts weren't positioned next to the pulley to prevent it. This may work for you, as I've not had the belt fly off once in the 3 years I've used the mower since the repair. Good Luck!
AxleHub
Elite Member
Sounds like an interesting cure. My fix was less stylish . . I just bought a replacement pulley wheel for $12 and it worked fine since.