108 deck issues

wj-ihc · #1 06-22-2011, 12:06 PM

Hello, my father recently put a 42" cast iron end deck on our 108 so he could mow with it. He had to add an extension to the forked piece that runs up to the rod that runs across the frame because the carriage for the older deck would not reach it. Well that deck worked ok and mowed fine, but it did not seem like it would go down as far as it should. With the lift handle all the way down, the deck is still several inches off the ground, and dad like to mow a little bit shorter than that. So the other day I gathered up some pieces and installed a regular 42 inch deck. The 108 came with a carriage, and I noticed a few differences between it and the carriage I have for the 42" deck. First, the 108 carriage is curved down/bowed up more at the back where it attaches to the deck. Also, it seemed that the two fingers for the lift eyes on the front of the deck were shaped differently and slightly wider, and the rear most holes for the deck on the carriage were just a little bit farther back. Well, I stuck a carriage that was on the 42" deck up in there and the fork would not reach the rod, which concerned me. I made a bolt on extension to get past that for now and got the deck on there. The belt seems to be alright that goes from the pto to deck (old belt, not sure what length it is so it may or may not be right). But after all of this the blades are still 3" off the concrete with the deck all the way down. Any ideas on this. Should I be using the newer carriage that is longer, do I need a 44" deck? I will post some pictures.

TommyK · #2 06-22-2011, 03:16 PM

I think I can help, I have a 108 with a 38 inch deck, but my mule drive is for a 44,50 inch deck and my subframe is from an older cub, for a 38, 42, 48 deck. The subframes you have look like a 44,50 inch deck subframe (in the back) and a 38 inch deck subframe (in front). They look like the correct subframes for a 108. So you don't have a 42 inch deck subframe. So you can either get a 44 inch deck, or find the correct subframe. Also, I think you can remove the extension your father made for the forked piece. You'll have to doublecheck, but I bet the fork goes over the lift handle shaft, and not the platform support shaft. The lift handle shaft is closer to the front of the tractor. I got all my information from the Technical Library, Implements section of the website. An illustration of the 38 inch subframe is on pages 15,16 of the IH 38-44-50 Mower Deck Manual. And there's an illustration of the 44,50 inch subframe on pages 19,20 of the same Manual. Hope that helps.

wj-ihc · #3 06-22-2011, 05:06 PM

Ok, thanks for the info. In the last picture I posted, the two subframes are different in the back. Which one do you believe is for what mower? I used the one on the right/closet to the camera. The left/farther one is what was on the 108 when I got it.

TommyK · #4 06-22-2011, 07:18 PM

The one closest to the camera looks like its a 38 inch mower deck subframe. The farther one looks like a 44, 50 inch mower deck subframe. The manual has really good pics. I've been through them all, trying to figure out what I had on my cub. I couldn't see enough of your mule drive to figure out which one it is. If it's for a 38 inch deck, it will have a spring or possibly a nut on the left hand side of it. If it's for a 44,50 inch deck it will have an idler ratchet on the left hand side of it. I'd try using the 44, 50 inch subframe for your 42 inch deck, and try the 38 inch subframe for the 38 inch deck. The fork for the 38 inch subframe should go around the platform support shaft, and the fork for the 44,50 inch should go around the tractor lift shaft. http://www.onlycubcadets.net/pdf/38_...p%20Manual.pdf