TC10284 109 #1 Posted August 5, 2017 Hello, I just put a 60" mower on my 520H that originally had a 48" and quickly found that the front wheels rub the deck. Can you guys tell me what parts I need to convert my straight front axle to swept? Is it just the swept axle like this or do I need other stuff as well? **Note ebay link was deleted by moderators per the rules. Here's some pics of the model number of the tractor (under the seat) and a printed manual I found (on here) that matched up with the mower deck. I will be repainting the hood and some other parts soon, once I figure out about the axle. Lastly, what length of belt do I need that goes from the PTO to the main pulley of the deck? The one I have is a bit too long - 102" and I've ran the tensioner out as far as it will go. Thanks! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stevebo-(Moderator) 8,034 #2 Posted August 5, 2017 Welcome. We had to delete the link to ebay auction per the rules. To answer your question to convert you will need the complete set up including steering shaft, steering block, rod to the front end, front wheels and tires etc. They typcially sell for about $400-$500 for a complete set up. If you do a search here you should be able to find several threads on the conversion. Good luck. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TC10284 109 #3 Posted August 5, 2017 42 minutes ago, stevebo said: Welcome. We had to delete the link to ebay auction per the rules. To answer your question to convert you will need the complete set up including steering shaft, steering block, rod to the front end, front wheels and tires etc. They typcially sell for about $400-$500 for a complete set up. If you do a search here you should be able to find several threads on the conversion. Good luck. Thanks for the info. I'm having some difficulty finding relevant info when I search the forum for "axle conversion", "520 conversion", and "swept axle conversion". I've also not had much luck with those terms on Google. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
benji756 341 #4 Posted August 5, 2017 May be worth it to find a later model 520 that already has the parts you need Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gwest_ca-(File Mod) 10,478 #5 Posted August 5, 2017 The first 60" deck for the 520 uses a 103" drive belt. The last 60" deck uses the same belts You do have the belt in the inner and larger diameter groove in the pto bell? Also notice the mower drive belt is 1/2" wide and the spindle belt is 5/8" wide. Garry Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cleat 4,936 #6 Posted August 5, 2017 11 hours ago, TC10284 said: Lastly, what length of belt do I need that goes from the PTO to the main pulley of the deck? The one I have is a bit too long - 102" and I've ran the tensioner out as far as it will go. Are you using the proper spring loaded mule drive ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TC10284 109 #7 Posted August 5, 2017 2 hours ago, gwest_ca said: The first 60" deck for the 520 uses a 103" drive belt. The last 60" deck uses the same belts You do have the belt in the inner and larger diameter groove in the pto bell? Also notice the mower drive belt is 1/2" wide and the spindle belt is 5/8" wide. Garry I noticed that after I took the pics, but that's when I noticed after I swapped it to the lower, that it was too long. Are you saying I have the mower drive belt (1/2") in place of the spindle belt (5/8")? It's not being used yet, so it's not going to get messed up until we can fix it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TC10284 109 #8 Posted August 5, 2017 6 hours ago, benji756 said: May be worth it to find a later model 520 that already has the parts you need Can you tell if my model originally had the 60" deck as an option, or is it too old? It originally had a 48" on it. Hate to change it over if the year model didn't have that as an option. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gwest_ca-(File Mod) 10,478 #9 Posted August 5, 2017 If you click on one of those links the belt numbers and dimensions of the belts are on the page that opens. Big difference in the belt lengths so doubt you could make that mistake. Good point on using the correct front belt idler assembly. The 60" deck uses a different one than the rest of the decks for the 520-Series. The 520-H did not use the 60" deck in 1988-89 because they did not have the swept-forward axle. The 520-HC at the same time did because it had the front axle. Look at the D&A file for both models from here. A is the attachment list. Garry Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TC10284 109 #10 Posted August 5, 2017 Garry, Thanks for sharing that. So if I were to find one with a swept forward front axle, is it able to handle the 60" deck without major parts swapping? Like PTO, idler assembly, etc. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gwest_ca-(File Mod) 10,478 #11 Posted August 5, 2017 It should work but the mower front idler assembly is considered to be part of the 60" mower deck so you need that also. Just like the idler assembly you have for the 48" deck is also part of that deck as well as the 36", 37" and 42" decks. These all share the same front idler Garry Share this post Link to post Share on other sites