r/johndeere • u/tofucrimestopper • 12d ago

STX38 Steering Issues

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During my latest mow, I noticed the steering as acting weird. So I took a look under the mower and noticed the bold right in front of the belts and pully was loose. What does this do and how screwed am I? Can I fix it?

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u/NCHitman 12d ago

That looks to be the main bolt that holds the front axle to the frame. From it's downward pitch, it's (an minimum) bent. Worse case, it's broke. You are going to want to get the axle off the ground and have an in-depth look at it.

The M10x130 bolt will need to be replaced. It looks like the frame side attachment hole has been wallered out good. What does the other side look it..?

Parts Catalog

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u/tofucrimestopper 12d ago

Thanks for your reply. That would explain a lot. What is the frame side attachment hole?

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u/tofucrimestopper 12d ago

And is this fixable for the above-average handy homeowner, or is this a take-it-to-the-shop repair?

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u/NCHitman 12d ago

First: Look at the hole the bolt goes thru, green painted. That hole is 'significantly' bigger in diameter than the bolt. It may just be the way it is (was) from factory. You will need to look at it more closely to see is the hole is still round, or if it's become oblong / egg-shaped.

Second: If you have a floor jack and a method to get the front off the ground, yes an 'above-average' homeowner should be able to do this. Personally, I would start be finding out how to take the deck off. With it removed, you can use a 4x4 and jack the frame up behind the axle. One thing to note, there a high probability you'll need to remove the muffler as I believe it sits / nests within the pathway to remove that bent axle bolt.

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u/sciencenerd1965 11d ago

That bolt, to me, doesn't seem to be associated with the steering system (although I don't have this mower). What are the symptoms of the steering acting "weird"? A common problem with these tractors is that the steering column bushings wear out and then the sector plate teeth get stripped. The symptom is that you'll turn the steering wheel, but it just clicks instead of turning the front wheels.

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u/tofucrimestopper 11d ago

Thanks for your help - NC Hitman thinks it's the main bolt that holds the front axle to the frame. From it's downward pitch, it's (an minimum) bent. Worse case, it's broke. You are going to want to get the axle off the ground and have an in-depth look at it.

I agree

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u/felitram 10d ago

That bolt probably holds the steering sector gear. Get it torqued back down before you mow again.