Cub Cadet Z-Force S Series - Manual (Page 49)

Steering
43
Introduction
The steering on the Z-Force-S mower works in two phases.
• First it will steer like any other riding mower by turning the front wheels.
• Second and more importantly, the steering linkage will control the drive output of the rear wheels through
the use of two HydroGear transmissions.
The steering gear box is connected to the front wheels by tie rods. When the steering wheel is turned, the gear
box will turn the front wheels. The gear box will also slow the drive speed of the rear wheels. The inside wheel is
slowed more than the outside wheel. When the inside front wheel reaches an angle of 90
o , the rear wheel on that side
will stop driving. Turning the wheel past that point will make the inside rear wheel go in reverse. The inside front
wheel can reach a 108
o angle with the transmission on the inside of the turn driving in reverse. The riding mower will
then make a zero radius turn.
Because the steering gear box is linked to the transmissions, the transmission adjustments and the wheel align-
ment must be done together. A transmission that is out of adjustment can make the steering look out of adjustment
just as a steering linkage that is out of adjustment will affect the transmissions.
IMPORTANT: Check the tire air pressure and wear before attempting to diagnose any problems with the steer-
ing or tracking of a Z-Force-S riding mower. If the tires are not equal across the same axles, it
will greatly affect the performance of the riding mower.
IMPORTANT: All zero turn mowers must have matching tires across the same axle (both front wheels and
both back wheels).
Wheel alignment and drive control link adjustments
The wheel alignment and transmission link adjustment are performed together on the Z-force S.
1 Remove the four screws that hold the steering col-
umn cover in place using a T-30 torx driver.
See Figure 6.1.
Figure 6.1
Screws
CHAPTER 6: STEERING