How to Replace the Ground Drive / Transaxle Belt on a Craftsman YT4500 Lawn Tractor 

We are long term missionaries in Romania and have a YT4500 craftsman, shipped it there several years ago. I really appreciate the video because my ground drive belt broke and now I know how to replace it. I saw you’re able body assistance shirt and thought I would let you know you are an encouragement to us:-)

Watched your video and had the exact same problem! Easy to follow process, success achieved! Thanks!

Replaced mine, wasnt too bad, but i did it without lifting it much, prob harder, but so far so good, mine was stretched.. Been going over everything on my briggs yt4500. For years i didnt use much and neglected it. Moved to house with 1.5 acres and now i have to have a riding mower. Pre mounted tires i bought for front and rear, found some really agressive ones for back on yellow john deer wheels, like them much better and fit was perfect. Now i dont spin in areas .

I'm about to do this same repair on my Craftsman YT4000 (the only difference seems to be that mine uses a manual lever to engage the deck pulley), and I found your video very helpful. My worn and old groundbelt even slipped off the transmission pulley in exactly the same place that yours did. It doesn't look too hard, so even I should be able to replace the groundbelt myself and save some money. Update: It worked! Thanks. Using an impact driver to remove the enginepulley made the job very easy.

This helped so much, I was stuck trying to figure out how to get it off. Thank you sir!

Very helpful good voice easy to understand and I really enjoy the roster 🐓 thank you

Thank you, very informative, well done video

Very good video. My old belt had stretched apparently and jumped off the transaxle pulley and chewed up the transaxle fan. Replacing that a different set of issues but this really was helpful with getting an orientation as to how to thread the belt. When I looked at the manual and underside sticker I wasn't certain if I was looking down with x-ray vision or up from the garage floor. Standing the mower up like you did, brought great clarity. The only issue I had was feeding the belt over the steering plate. There was a metal rod that I slipped it under instead of over. Corrected that and then everything was up and running.

Nice video, just what I was looking for. Mine is a 2006 and the drive still works but sluggish in reverse. Haven't had an opportunity to crawl under and also check all 3 pulleys. But it is louder going in reverse, no noise going forward.

Nice video. I have a YS4500 and your video was spot on

Thank you very much, very helpful!!

Excellent tutorial. Thank you.

Thank you ! For Video this whole now I can do it too 👍🏻

Thank you. Great video.

Nice work, thanks.

Excellent job thank you

Thank you !! Great video !!

Thank you great vid straight to the job.

Thank you! Godspeed!

The Rooster is helping, lol

My tractor has the belt going on both sides of the steering shaft. You have to pull 2 bolts off the bottom bushings, slide it up change belt. Maybe someone installed yours incorrectly before that why it jumped off back pulley. As it would be forced down on tailing side. Check to see if your is rubbing.

Good job

Interesting video. May have to do the same with my LTS2000. Not sure about the way you have it propped up though! Kinda looks like something I MIGHT would do. LOL!

Any videos for the variation belt?

Do you show how to test components to find short causing fuse to blow while running and how to accurately check ignition and where to set cheap multimeter.

Thank. You ,,👍🏼

How do both sides of the belt fit to the right of the steering column without touching?

I have a craftsman t1800 ..I replaced all 3 belts on it...now the gas petal is hard to press down ...any suggestions...thank you and God bless .. Ezequiel

Hey, replacing my drive belt also, thanks for the video. I was wondering if you or anyone would know why I can push my yt4500 even if the transmission is engaged just as easily as if it wasn’t? It still drives just fine, but I’ve never been able to do that with any other mower.

I have a Craftsman DYS4500 I just recently had to replace the drive belt I put it on started to check it out it moved forward and reverse then for some reason it threw the new belt off so I restalled it now it goes forward fine but won't go backwards is it possible I need to get a new drive belt belt? It seems to be tight around the pulleys.

Just brought a used one it worked. Until i got stuck them l cut it off and pushed it backwards. Now it wont start at all changed the solonide still nothing please help

Some of the belts online are 92 inch by 1/2 inch. Will those work? They say that they are replacement for 130969

Mine I had to remove the steering column is this normal?

Just an FYI, on my Crfstman Professional I just undid the chrome guard bar for the electrical cable, loop the front 1st then looped the transaxle pulley last and fit didn’t need to pull off the front pulley assembly

Im having problems with the PTO shaft spinning while I'm trying to take it off any suggestions on how to keep that from moving?

Thanks for the detailed video, I will be changing the same belt on ours soon. This will be a huge help. Ours is a hydrostatic, does the transaxle have a way to change the fluid in it?

Great Video. I wonder if the reason your belt came off and lodged is because there might be a belt retainer missing. I am not sure if yours had it at one time but many transmissions have a keeper that bolts behind the belt on the trans pulley. Yours may not, but if it comes off again, I would check diagrams for a missing keeper.

Bolt that holds the PTO on mine spins top where the fan is at , how would I loosen it ? I tried clamping the top bolt but it still won’t break loose

I having trouble where tractor goes slow up smallest incline then picks up speed on level ground . You have idea what would cause that if ground belt or something else ? Tractor is Hydro trans . Thanks Frank.

How do you replace the transmission fan on this tractor

Electric PTO?

is it a 92 and one half inch length by one half inch thick belt? i cannot find one anywhere only 92 inch length

Would this same process work for the Craftsman YS 4500? Also do I have to take the deck off in order to do it?

Did you check the flux capacitor.

Did you drain the engine oil 1st?

Why won't my Craftsman just like that one move I got a new drive belt for it

U know how to bypass the reverse kill switch while blades are on ? Gets alittle annoying wen you go in reverse n mower wants to turn off I know safety

When are you dropping the new hot merch??

I thought the mechanical part of your video was good but propping up the lawn mower that way was very risky