you will be fine to tip it on it's side, but i would recommend since you are this far that you strip it all the way down. I found a ton of broken welds and cracks in the frame of the Hustler i just rebuilt. it's only a few more hours work to have the frame sitting out on a pair of saw horses where you can really look it over. bearings can also feel pretty good when turning an axle, but feel pretty crunchy when you have them in your hand. just my 2 cents. good luck with the rebuild!
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