Belt Problem, John Deere D170 54 inch deck

   / Belt Problem, John Deere D170 54 inch deck #1  

bear15

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Jun 23, 2018
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Tractor
John Deere D170 with 54 inch deck
We have a John Deere D170 with 54 inch deck and 234 hours on it. When the grass is taller/thicker the belt comes off and needs to be put back on which is a pain. Does anyone know if there is a way to adjust the belt tension or a fix to this problem?

The spring looks great, pulleys look fine (no wobble), I do not notice any issues. I put a new OEM belt on and I have the same problem.

Any help appreciated.
 
   / Belt Problem, John Deere D170 54 inch deck #2  
:welcome: to TBN

There is an issue there, so only advice would be to keep looking.
Sorry can't be of more help, as you seem to have checked on the obvious.

Someone will surely be along who will have more ideas.

Anything major happen that you can think of when this first started?
 
   / Belt Problem, John Deere D170 54 inch deck
  • Thread Starter
#3  
No, not that I can think of.
 
   / Belt Problem, John Deere D170 54 inch deck #5  
:welcome: to TBN

There is an issue there, so only advice would be to keep looking.
Sorry can't be of more help, as you seem to have checked on the obvious.

Someone will surely be along who will have more ideas.

Anything major happen that you can think of when this first started?

So are you saying that up until now, you have not had this belt issue and it just started this year?

Richard
 
   / Belt Problem, John Deere D170 54 inch deck #6  
Are either of the three deck spindles hot to the touch when the belt is thrown?
 
   / Belt Problem, John Deere D170 54 inch deck #7  
Which of the pulleys does the belt seem to come off? Perchance is the deck pitched greatly forward?
 
   / Belt Problem, John Deere D170 54 inch deck
  • Thread Starter
#8  
   / Belt Problem, John Deere D170 54 inch deck
  • Thread Starter
#9  
It is always off the center pulley when the belt comes off. Regarding the pitch, the deck appears to be level with the ground.


Which of the pulleys does the belt seem to come off? Perchance is the deck pitched greatly forward?
 
   / Belt Problem, John Deere D170 54 inch deck #10  
We have a John Deere D170 with 54 inch deck and 234 hours on it. When the grass is taller/thicker the belt comes off and needs to be put back on which is a pain. Does anyone know if there is a way to adjust the belt tension or a fix to this problem?
The spring looks great, pulleys look fine (no wobble), I do not notice any issues. I put a new OEM belt on and I have the same problem.
Any help appreciated.

On a JD front mower idler pulley I had no wobble from pulley to its shaft but wobble of the shaft relative to the plane of the belt owing to the "buckling" or "oil-canning" of the stamped, sheet metal deck itself. The heavier load of tall, thick grass may be causing your deck to buckle. I welded some stiffening flat stock to the underside of the deck, and that solved the problem.
 
 
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