1998 mtd yard machine garden tractor

I have a 1998 mtd yard machine estate series garden tractor with the varidrive system. It also has the 7 speed automatic shifter on the left fender. I am in need of new tires and thinking about setting them up in size. The only issue I can I will run into is the 7 speed shifter in the fender. Would it be an issue to cut this shifter arm off?

If you cut it off, you won't be able to shift let alone hold it into gear. The notches on the fender pick the pulley ratio on the varidrive. The fender is part of the varidrive setup. I suggest to learn the system first and how to maintain it before modifying it. Need to learn how to adjust the clutch, if you learn that then you could use a MAP torch to bend the shifter rod around the new set of tires which means you will need to know how to readjust the clutch to get it working again.