Eight Reasons Zero Turn is Weak on One Side

When one side of your zero turn seems weaker than the other, the most likely causes are a low tire pressure, faulty steering dampers, a brake that is stuck, air that is trapped in the hydraulic system, or an imbalanced load.

It’s possible that you need to replace the oil and filter in your hydraulic system, but the problem might also be something more severe and expensive, such a problem with the transmission pump or the wheel motor.

Reasons a Zero Turn is Weak on One Side

1. Insufficient Air in the Tires

When attempting to find out what the problem is, checking the tire pressures is a good place to start looking for clues. The lawn mower may pull to one side if the tire pressure is too low, which may create the false impression that one side of the mower is slightly less powerful than the other. This is because the low tire pressure may cause the mower to draw to one side.

It is essential that the tire pressure on both sides of the car be same. If the pressure in your tires is too low, not only will it impair your mobility, but the cut you obtain from your mower will also be lopsided.

2. Bad Steering Dampers

The steering dampers are small gas shocks that are connected to each steering lever. Their purpose is to assist in maintaining smooth control while the levers are being used.

If a damper in your zero-turn mower breaks, you can notice a jerky movement while you are driving it. When you pull the steering lever forward, the side of the mower that has the faulty damper could seem weak and not as responsive as the other sides.

Find the damper and check sure it is installed correctly before proceeding. If any of the hardware looks to be loose, tighten it. If the damper is broken, you should replace it.

3. Brake Hung Up / Wheel Not Freely Moving

It is conceivable that one of the braking components on your mower is broken, which would result in a wheel that is unable to move freely. This issue would be caused by the brake. Whether or not this is the case is going to be determined by the kind of braking mechanism that is used by your mower.

Raise the rear of the mower off the ground using the jack supports, and make sure it stays in position very securely. This is the strategy that yields the most accurate results when trying to determine whether or not the wheel is meeting with resistance.

After that, the bypass levers should be used to disconnect the gearbox, and the wheels should be permitted to go in any direction without restriction. To determine the level of resistance that each wheel has, turn it. Either make the required repairs or remove the things that are causing the resistance from the system.

4.Monitoring and Adapting to Changes in Needs

If your mower keeps pushing to one side, it may give the impression that one side is more dominating than the other. It’s conceivable that one of the tires is traveling at a faster pace compared to the other, but it’s not certain.

You will need to make some adjustments to the speed adjustment bolt so that you may change the rate at which the tire is spinning in order to have this problem fixed. After the problem has been fixed, this will guarantee that the movement of both tires is consistent with one another. For further information, please see the operator’s manual of your zero-turn mower. This is because there may be certain zero-turn mowers that are somewhat different from one another.

5 Low, Bad, or Old Hydraulic Oil

It is crucial to make certain that you are using fresh hydraulic oil and that you change the oil and filters in your transmission system on a regular basis in order to maintain the optimum level of performance that it has historically been capable of achieving.

It is conceivable that the quantity of lubrication given by old oil or a low oil level will be inadequate. Because of this, one side of the hydraulic system will seem less forceful than the other side.

It is important to double check that the amount of hydraulic oil in the overflow tanks is at the FULL COLD level. You should keep adding additional oil until it reaches the level you want it to be at. When you notice that the oil level in your car is becoming low, one of the most essential things you can do is check for leaks.

If the manufacturer’s recommended service interval for your hydraulic system has passed, you should replace both the oil and the oil filter. The manufacturer may also suggest that you change the oil periodically.

Take notice that certain zero-turn mowers that are priced at the entry-level will contain non-serviceable transmissions that are also known as sealed transmissions. These transmissions cannot be opened up for maintenance. It is not possible to replace the transmission fluid in these specific types of gearboxes at any time. Please get in contact with the dealership closest to you if you need assistance with these gearboxes.

6. Accumulation of Air in the Hydrostatic Transmission System

After the hydraulic fluid has been changed out, you will need to bleed the system in order to expel any air that may still be trapped within. Only one side of your mower will be able to work if there is air in the system, and it will seem as if it is losing power on one side.

The operator of the great majority of zero-turn mowers may remove excess air from the system by positioning the mower so that it is lying flat on a level surface.

Wheel chocks should be used to hold the front wheels of the mower so that it cannot go forward. This will prevent the mower from moving ahead. Raise the rear drive tires off the ground and spin them in both the forward and backward directions until the wheel speed returns to normal and you no longer hear an excessively high level of noise.

By checking the operator’s manual for your model, you will have the ability to get detailed instructions on how to remove air from the hydraulic system of your machine.

7. Malfunctioning Wheel or Pump Motor

The hydrostatic transmission of a zero turn mower is really two independent systems, one for each side of the mower. These systems each have their own pump and wheel motor. Because of this, it is possible for each wheel to function independently from the others.

Because it is possible for one of the wheels to travel ahead while the other wheel is allowed to move backward, it is feasible to turn at a radius of zero.

The best course of action is to replace the pump or the wheel motor as soon as any of these components starts to leak. The cost to replace this component is likely to be significant.

Some people may suggest buying a pump rebuild kit, but in my experience, this solution could be effective for a short period of time, but in the end, the pump will probably have to be replaced.

8. The load is not distributed evenly

If you pull a trailer behind your zero-turn mower, mount a grass catcher on it, or connect any other thing to it, it may pull to one side, giving the appearance that one side of the mower is less sturdy than the other.

Check to see that the load’s weight is distributed evenly over the mower.