# LTX 1040 mower deck height



## jrreinhart (9 mo ago)

My Cub Cadet LTX 1040 seems to be cutting at an unusually high height. If I go below 8 on my settings it is way too short. During the fast growing season this requires cutting multiple times in a week. I would appreciate any and all advice as to what I need to do. Feel free to dumb down your responses as much as possible. I want to try this fix on my own and I am not a professional repair person.
Thanks in advance for the help.


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## BigT (Sep 15, 2014)

Howdy jrreinhart, welcome to the forum.

This topic has been addressed here before. See attached.









LTX 1040 mower deck height


I have had issues with the mower deck height from day-one. If my tires go down just 2 or 3 pounds, the mower deck seems to scalp the grass. I mow at the highest level and the deck adjustment screw under the muffler is all the up. I also have the mower deck dolly wheels set at the lowest point...




www.tractorforum.com


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## pogobill (Jan 31, 2012)

Welcome to the forum. BigT has pointed you in the right direction. If you need more help, there are videos on line similar to the one I have attached.
Make sure the deck is as high as it will go in the highest setting, without binding the deck, then start leveling as per instructions,
Let us know how you make out, and we can answer any other questions you may have.


cub cadet ltx 1040 deck height adjustment - Google Search


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## Bob Driver (Nov 1, 2017)

I'm gonna assume you are familiar with how to use the deck adjusting points on both the front and back..... New machines are generally shipped without the deck attached and they are installed at the point of sale. Big box store, or Dealership, that's usually not done by a highly skilled mechanic. It's most often the guy with nothing to do at the moment and knows how to operate a crescent wrench, so most decks are NOT set up correctly from the time the machine is new.....

The recommended cutting height for the best cut is 3". To quickly achieve that dimension, put your deck height lever in the center notch(3" notch if it's marked). You use stacked 2x4's as a "feeler gauges" to set the deck height. Two 2x4's stacked on top of each other equals 3". Place stacked 2x4 blocks at the four corners of the deck and rest the deck lip on them. Regardless of where the deck height is set at the moment(it's probably set wrong), adjust the deck until you can just slide the 2x4's back and forth under the deck like feeler gauges. With the your deck height lever in a known notch, this will set it as your 3" normal mowing slot. Now take the front blocks out until they just slightly clear the deck and adjust the front of the deck to run a 1/4" lower. This gives you the best cut, because you actually cut with the tip of the blades.

Now the deck is set level side-to-side, has the recommended 1/4" rake front-to-back, and is at a 3" cut in a known deck height notch. Adjust your anti-scalp rollers up or down to run about 1" above the grass, they aren't supposed to touch the ground.

Now, *DON'T STEP ON THE DECK* as you mount the machine and you should be good for a long time


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## YooperJim (6 mo ago)

My deck pull cables engage at different times. The right one engages first and then the left one engages after moving the lever further. The left side of the deck is one inch lower than the right side. This happened all of a sudden after 10 years of use. The cables are the same length and they both are the length of a new cable. The holes they are installed in have not changed in 10 years since new. I could go ahead and adjust the deck height but why all of a sudden after ten years did this occur?


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## Bob Driver (Nov 1, 2017)

YooperJim said:


> My deck pull cables engage at different times. The right one engages first and then the left one engages after moving the lever further. The left side of the deck is one inch lower than the right side. This happened all of a sudden after 10 years of use. The cables are the same length and they both are the length of a new cable. The holes they are installed in have not changed in 10 years since new. I could go ahead and adjust the deck height but why all of a sudden after ten years did this occur?


*"but why all of a sudden after ten years did this occur "*

90% of the time when a deck gets out of side-to-side adjustment, it's on the left side..... 90% of the time when a deck is out of side-to side adjustment on the left, it's because somebody stepped on the deck to mount the mower. That's why the OEMs put decals/stickers on their decks that says "DO NOT STEP ON DECK"....

There is a "Fixed" deck height design (metal arms, bales, and adjustment clamping points) and a "Floating" deck height design (suspended by chains... think zero turn). Fixed deck heights are easy to get out of side-to side adjustment if you step on the deck to mount the mower, they weren't designed for a 200+ LBS man to put that kind of pressure on the adjustment clamping points. A 300+ LBS NFL lineman can step on a zero turn deck, suspended on chains, and it won't even know he's there.....


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