Straighten mowing deck??? Any ideas?

[ajcombs]

Has anyone had any luck straightening a mowing deck? See the wrinkle on the left? Not sure yet if it will make a difference on how it performs! Oh and yea it needs new rollers on front!

[hydrocub]

I use a torch , hammer , dollies and elbow grease ......just takes some time

[superduty5.9]

Don't forget the BFH!

[hilltop]

Heat it and beat it. -That's easiest.

If you've never done anything like this before go talk to a body shop to see if they can help or give advice.

If you do have a go on your own and can't generate big-heat, you can do it cold. I straightened my 42" deck cold on my anvil but you can make a somewhat serviceable shaping block by using a 4x4 very tightly clamped to the inside of the deck underneath the wrinkle (with ends deeply notched to receive the clamps). Use a medium sized hammer (2-3lb). Start at the center of the wrinkle and work your way towards the ends. You'll have to move the block as you progress

It won't be easy, it's a LOT of work - strip off everything thats removable from the deck and have someone else there to work with you holding and moving the deck and to share in the hammering (it's called using a striker in the blacksmith world)

EDIT:
Oops - I just looked at your pic a lot closer - it looks like the wrinkle goes all the way across to above the plate the front roller is attached to - is that correct?
If so, is that plate removable? You're not going to get real far without a lot of direct heat if it isn't.

Good luck!

[TEET]

The 50" deck on my 1211 looked much like that when I got it. All it took was a big crescent wrench and a small sledge to have it straight. I didn't heat it up, just a little muscle bending it out with the wrench and a pipe on the handle for leverage, and it looks like new.

Jeff (teet)

[truckntran]

Get a realllllly large pipe wrench where the jaws are almost as deep as the deck is high... And use it to take a bite of the front edge, starting at both ends and bringing it up a little at a time. If the jaws start to booger up the upper edge, use a piece of 1/4 plate steel to spread the load a little. Accompany with some gentle tapping on the ridge along the top with a hammer over a flat piece of steel, or even a mallet or deadblow hammer, th eidea is to bend th edeck slowly and coak it back into shape, not to smash it into shape. Work your way from each end in to the middle, it may take a few tries at it but you will see the dent get smaller each trip.

Basically what you are doing is old school bodywork, when you are done roughing it in you may need a little hammer and dolly work to get it perfect.