Ryobi RY48ZTR100 Operation Manual - Page 25

MAINTENANCE 1 2 3 456 LEVELING THE CUTTING DECK See Figures 22 - 23. If your lawn appears unevenly cut after using the mower, the cutting deck may need adjusting. Before deciding that leveling the cutting deck is necessary, make sure tires are properly inflated to the recommended PSI when mowing. Over- or under-inflated tires can affect the appearance of the cut, and proper inflation of the tires may be all that is needed to resolve uneven cutting issues. NOTE: Always check side-to-side alignment and adjust as needed before measuring and adjusting front to back. Before beginning:  Make sure drive levers are in open position and blade engage knob is down.  Stop the motor, allow the blades to come to a complete stop, remove the start key, and set the parking brake.  Raise the height of the cutting deck to its highest position. To make side-to-side adjustment:  Position the blades so that the ends point toward the sides of the mower.  On the outside edge of each blade, measure the distance from the bottom edge of the side of the blade to the ground. If the distance between the two sides is greater than 1/8 in., a side-to-side adjustment is necessary.  On the side you wish to adjust, loosen the jam nuts as shown.  Turn the adjustment nuts clockwise to raise or counterclockwise to lower the side of the cutting deck. Each full turn of the adjustment nut will change the deck height approximately 3/16 in. NOTE: If raising the side, you will need to turn the top adjustment nut first. If lowering, turn the bottom nut first.  Measure again. Continue to adjust and measure until the difference between the distance on each side is 1/8 in. or less.  Proceed to front-to-back adjustment or retighten jam nuts to secure. To make front-to-back adjustment: NOTE: Always level the deck side to side before making a front to back adjustment.  Position the blade nearest the side discharge chute so that the ends now point toward the front and back of the mower.  Measure the distance from the tip of the blade to the ground. For best results, the front tip of the blade should be from 1/8 in. to 3/8 in. lower than the rear tip. BOTTOM EDGE JAM NUT ADJUSTMENT NUTS JAM NUT BLADE Fig. 22 Fig. 23  If front-to-back adjustment is needed, turn the adjustment nuts clockwise to raise or counterclockwise to lower the back of the cutting deck. Each full turn of the adjustment nut will change the deck height approximately 1/8 in. NOTE: Make sure to turn the adjustment nuts on both sides equally to prevent throwing the side-to-side measurement off again.  Measure again to verify the front tip is now 1/8 in. to 3/8 in. lower than the rear tip. If not, continue to adjust and measure until they are.  Without moving the adjustment nuts, retighten the jam nuts to secure the adjustment nuts in place. 25 - English