Michael Crandall

I am a Husqvarna dealer in the central Florida area and have seen this problem a few times.  I would not call it common, I see it maybe one in every 100 tractors I sell.  I see it mostly in tractors being used by bigger people and normally mowing a lot of ground with slopes where it is transferring there weight from side to side.  The problem stems from the bracket being built into the frame instead of being a separate part. 

Husqvarna knows of the problem, and anyone who has the problem that is still under warranty, Husqvarna will cover the repair.  I have had Husqvarna cover the repair out of warranty a few times.  Husqvarna has issued a service bulletin for this problem, but the big problem being a lot of dealers are not checking for service bulletins when doing repairs.

There are two different kits to fix the problem depending on whether you have a vertical or slopped draw bar.  The way to tell is to look where your trailer hitch is, if the frame is straight up and down you have the vertical, if it goes up at an angle it is the slopped.  These kits are designed for mowers whose model number starts with 960410xxx or 960510xxx.  Your dealer can verify with Husqvarna tech support also.

Vertical Draw Bar - Service Bulletin #B1100078 - Kit #532437498

Slopped Draw Bar - Service Bulletin #B1100077 - Kit #532437497