DOES THIS LOOK RIGHT TO YOU? MMM bent?

[Avery11]

Morning,

Last night I noticed that one of my MMM gauge wheels is far lower than the other 3. Getting down at ground level, it looks as if it is bent. The cut seems even but I would like the same clearance all around when the deck is up.

Does my deck look bent or is this normal? Any recommendations for a fix before I get the hammer?

Thank you.

 

[mapper]

Front edge of the deck is definitely bent in, it also looks like the deck may need to be leveled after the front is straightened.

 

[leonz]

Sadly,

your going to find that all the linkages used to raise and
lower your MMM(I hate those things) are shot, warped,
wracked, twisted, etc.

All that weight that is your MMM is the cause of the wracking,
twisting, warping, stretching of the linkages that raise and lower it.
Heavy MMM doe this as a matter of the design. Its just one more reason
to own a flail mower.

 

[k0ua]

Oh yeah, that front is bent about 15 degrees... note the shaft the anti-scalp wheel is attached to is no longer vertical.

 

[Avery11]

So we all agree its bent. Take it off and hammer it or stick a bar in the wheel bushing and try to bend it?

 

[coldsteelva]

Time for a BFH. If you could fabricate a support brace for the lower portion of the discharge (like a skid shoe) that might reduce the chances of crushing the leading edge and chute when you nail a stump or rock.

 

[oldballs]

My amateur guess is that "something is wrong". The leading edge of the deck does look bent. But I'd think that you would recall having hit something pretty hard to actually bend the deck itself. My B2620 deck (like yours) has had the front left scalp wheel mounting bracket break the weld and/or bend the bracket a couple times, but never actually bend the deck leading edge on either side.

It looks like you were mowing pretty low and could really have rammed something. But I'm wondering what the deck look like (all around) when it is lowered to the cutting position.....the scalp wheels being approx 1/2 inch above the cutting height.

Good luck with your repair.

 

[Xfaxman]

This is my deck straightening tool.

Just put it on the deck, next to the wheel and pull up.

 

[k0ua]

This is my deck straightening tool.

Just put it next to the wheel and pull up.

View attachment 467922

Agreed, that is the method I use to straighten bent sheet metal also. Much better control, without hammering.

 

[rswyan]

So we all agree its bent. Take it off and hammer it or stick a bar in the wheel bushing and try to bend it?

Neither one is likely to touch it.

My vote would be to get a hydraulic porta-power - or take it to some place that has one - ... or mebbe even a bottle jack ... and straight it with hydraulic power.