New to me JD 430, 60” deck…

[dj1701]

Those are good tractors, mine has been pretty much trouble free other than normal maintenance items and replacing the pulley and shaft on the mower deck gearbox.
My only complaint is the steering is a little wonky, hard to keep going in a straight line.
Mine had a dent in the grill in the same place when I bought it.

I had one and it too did not steer well. I believe it was a bearing in the center of the axle. I never was able to find one to fix it.

 

[tacticalturnip]

The 430 is a beast, and you've made that one a beauty.

 

[BravoXray]

I had one and it too did not steer well. I believe it was a bearing in the center of the axle. I never was able to find one to fix it.

I always thought the way JD mounted the front axle was pretty piss poor. No way to get it to not move forward or back on one side once the adjuster bolts had worn a groove in the guide channel. I even put a new steering cylinder on it, and it had slop in the ball joints on both ends from the get go. Steering that thing has always been like herding cats.

 

[dieselbob69]

The only thing I didn't address with this 430 is the play where the steering cylinder connects onto the spindle. There is play inside the end link ball end, so either have to get new cylinder or cut end off and get new one put on. Not sure if welding on the end of ram would mess any seals up with the heat from welding.