Mower Deck Leveling; Side-To-Side Leveling; Front-To-Back Leveling; Measure Blade Tips To Ground - Craftsman ZTS 7000 Operator's Manual

Figure 21. Orient Blades Side-to-Side
Figure 22. Measure Blade Tips to Ground
Mower Deck Leveling
Perform these adjustments on a flat level surface. Be
sure to check and adjust tire pressures before leveling
the mower deck.
Side-To-Side Leveling
1. With the mower installed, place the rider on a smooth,
level surface such as a concrete floor. Turn the front
wheels so they are straight.
2. Check for bent blades and replace if necessary.
3. Set the cutting height to mid position. Arrange the
outside mower blades so that they are pointing from
side-to-side (Figure 21 ).
4. Measure the distance between the outside tips of
each blade (A, Figure 22) and the ground (B). If there
is more than 1/8" (3 mm) difference between the
measurements on each side, proceed to step 5. If the
difference is 1/8" (3mm) or less, proceed to step 6.
5. Side-to-side leveling is accomplished using the
threaded rod (A, Figure 23) and trunnion (B) on the
right and left rear sides of the mower deck. Loosen
the jam nuts (C) and adjust the nuts up or down to
adjust the mower level. When complete, tighten the
jam nuts against the trunnion to lock the adjustment in
place.
Front=To=Back Leveling
6. Arrange the blades so they face front-to-back (Figure
24).
7. Measure the distance from the ground to the front tip
of the center blade and from the ground to the rear tip
of the rear blades (Figures 22 & 24). The front tip of
the front blade should be 1/8" - 1/4" (3 - 6 mm) lower
than the rear tips of the rear blades. If not, proceed
with steps 8 - 9.
8. The front hitch rods (A, Figure 25) are used to adjust
front-to-back leveling. To raise or lower the front of
the mower deck, loosen the rear jam nuts (B) on
both front hitch rods. Adjust the front jam nuts (C) on
both hitch rods to adjust the mower deck level. When
adjusted correctly, tighten the rear jam nuts to lock
the front hitch rods in place.
9. Re-check the blade measurement, then repeat steps
7 - 9 as necessary.
Figure 23. Mower Leveling - Side=to=Side
(Right side shown, left side hidden)
Figure 24. Orient Blades Front=to=Back
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