2520 Deck Lock-up Kit (Bent)

[PCABE5]

I purchased the deck lock-up kit with the tractor and yesterday I went out to check the tractor, i.e. clean the deck, grease, visual inspection. Well I looked and was wondering why the deck seemed to be crooked. Almost 1 inch on the deck height gauge. Looking at things everything is in-place and tight so I looked at the lock-up kit and low and behold the left rear was bent-in making it very close to the 3pt arm. I used my crow bar and straightened it back in place.

Now I use mine to set deck height so it carries weight all the time but it should be no different than having the deck locked-up all the time. I will get with my dealer on Monday and let them know. I just thought I would share this with the folks that have this kit to check it every now and then. Might have been just some bad steel as the otherside did not bend. Or it could be the two bolt design verse three.

 

[bz1]

How about a picture?

 

[PCABE5]

Thought of that ......after I bent it back. Sorry. Here is a picture of the left bracket that bent inwards. I bolted a 3/8" bar against the plate after I bent it back to give it some more strenght.

 

[bz1]

This is weird, that doesn't look anything like the lockup kit they tried to sell me for my 2008 JD2520. The reason I asked for pics is because the one they sold me looked as if there was nothing that could get bent. It was just some clevis pieces and an adjustable lenght of chain that tied into a hole in the fender frame at the top and into the lift linkage bellcrank at the bottom. There was nothing to bend. I wonder if your device is just a new design or if the tractor changed and the old design doesn't work anymore? Or maybe the kit is different because you have a 72" deck instead of my 62" deck? I'm getting a 2011 2520 this week and I hope I don't need the kind of kit you have installed. It doesn't look like a good design. See the other thread about lockup kits and you can see a pic of how I do mine without the JD kit.