Anyone know the purpose of this part?

[darren 49]

It's the bar on the bottom RH side of the SD decks (seen here on the left hand side of the photo)

My deck is missing this longtitudinal rod and given that I can't weld, I'm wondering about the value of reconstructing it. I guess it's to provide some bracing between the front and rear of the deck shell?

Many thanks!

[Kelly 1,033]

That is the old style deck and with out that support bar the deck will bend back easy if you hit anything, I have had a few with out it and the decks were twisted bad and one hit the blade on that side.

[Hydro 131]

Kelly I have an 86/87 deck according to the model number 05-48MS05. It does not have that bar and the bar is not shown on the parts diagram. Is it a heavier deck or will it be subject to the same type of bending too. I know it does not have the bar around the outside like my newer model deck.

[darren 49]

Thanks Kelly, that's well worth knowing

I think mine is an early deck too; it's a 5-1210; 1973 vintage.

http://www.partstree.com/parts/dispdiagram.php?src=r&ilFN=D%3A%5CEMPARTweb_52%5CCatalog+Data%5CEMP_IMG%5CTO%5CImages%5C803881%5Cimage%5C38810001.TIF&ilSC=10&ilIV=0&ilBR=0&ilIF=G&ilRE=8&ilSH=0&ilEG=0&ilRO=0&ilSC=13

The deck seems fine at the moment, so I definitely don't want to risk damaging it. I'll get a bracket fab'd up.

I notice this model also doesn't have a permanently fixes anti-scalp wheel on the front of that side. Instead it uses one that bolts on to the attachable side chute;

I don't have that side chute (I plan on using a Powerflow bagger with it anyway), so I think it might be worth bolting one on to the front of the deck itself to avoid ploughing the front of the deck on that side into the turf. I have some donor brackets that I cut out of a scrapped deck.