ZD326 - Can’t drive straight to save my ‘cash-n-prizes’

[Drinka40]

Hey All on OTT.

I have a slightly used ZD326 0-Turn mower (@2600 hrs on the clock), which I dearly love after cutting grass with a 1983 John Deere 318 Lawn Tractor, for the best part of 20 yrs (It was fun, but once you go ZT, you don’t go back).

The sticks on this thing got a lot of play, and I replaced the stabilizers on each side hoping that would help but it did nothing. Would be good to drive this thing in a straight line, but not sure how to accomplish or where to start looking. All Fluids are full and fresh. Could this be linkage, worn / needing adjusting, or worse like high hours on the hydraulic steering motors / modules?

I was going to dive into it this coming weekend, but though to get some advise on this first. I have worked on a lot of machines before, just never a ZT Kubota. So looking for some pointers as to where to start.

Thanks,
Steve

 

[mickeyd]

On my ZT it states to adjust the linkage for loose steering.

 

[rentthis]

Since it's a relatively high hour machine, the best thing you can own is a workshop manual. It should give you all the adjustments.

 

[rentthis]

There is a free EU version of the workshop manual in Kubotabooks.com. I don't know what EU means but I'm sure it's going to be the same machine.

 

[lugbolt]

Look at your linkages. They have ball joints and rod ends. Those wear. When they do, you are constantly correcting, hard to keep a line. You've replaced the dampners already? Both of them as a pair? Good. Those wear too.

Lastly, if the linkages are tight and the dampeners are tight/new, only thing left is the control arms themselves. For this issue you'll have to dig deep into the machine, take the fenders off (both sides), then wiggle the arms fore and aft, and see what's loose. Could be a lot of things as the arms have a few parts that can wear, but once you find/fix them, it will drive like new again. Did a ZG227 today, 3450 hours on it, arms and links and dampeners. Like a brand new mower again and it looks the part too. Guy takes good care of it, and uses it often (independent one-man lawn service).