The steering drag link on my 2003 Craftsman LT1000 (model 917.272680) came apart (while mowing!) and wouldn't stay connected. The drag link has two captive ball joints and after much use and wear, one side would no longer stay on the ball joint.

I could have just purchased a new one for ~$25 USD but decided to try and repair it with an old washer. (And a welder - ha). The Craftsman part number for a new drag link (for a 917.272680 mower) is 175121. They can easily be found on Amazon and eBay.

So far the repair is holding up and if it, or the other ball joints, breaks again, I know how to fix them!

Chapters:
00:00 The Issue
00:30 Or... an alternate approach?
01:19 One possibility...
01:55 Our solution - a washer!
02:44 Removing the drag link
07:05 Modifying the washer
12:50 Attaching the washer to the drag link
16:42 Welding (poorly)
24:06 Re-installation