How to Change the Blades on a Club Cadet Z44

Raise the deck height on the mower to its highest setting. Turn the mower off, and remove the key from the ignition. Open the engine hood and pull the two spark plug boots off either side of the engine. You must disconnect the spark plugs to make this job safe.

Raise the front end of the Z44 with a jack. Place jack stands beneath the subframe of the mower, just rearward from the front wheels. Chock the rear wheels on the mower from behind.

Insert a 1 1/8-inch wrench on the pulley side of the blade bolt. Place a 1 1/8-inch socket with a ratchet on the hex nut. Turn the hex nut counterclockwise to remove it from the face of the blade. Remove the mower blade, and make a mental note of which way the cutting edge on the blade is facing.

Install the new mower blade by hand, and hand tighten the hex nut onto the blade. Tighten the hex nut snug, with the wrench on the pulley side of the blade and the ratchet and socket on the the hex nut. Torque the hex nut to between 100 and 120 foot-pounds of torque with a 1/2-inch-drive torque wrench and socket.

Repeat Steps 2 through 4 to remove and replace all three blades on the Z force 44. Raise the mower off of jack stands, then lower the mower slowly to the ground.