Street Pads for Backhoe

[OkieG]

Ho, ho, ho! Or in this case, Hoe, hoe, hoe! Seasons Greetings! Sorry, I just couldn't resist.

Does this look familiar?? Yup, road trash. After years of looking at this stuff along the highway, I finally stopped and threw this one in the back of my pickup for a little "recycling".

 

[OkieG]

My Backhoe attachment came prepared for clenching the dirt with the stabilizer arms, but not for resting on a paved asphalt/concrete surface.

 

[OkieG]

A little welding, drilling and glueing (I bought the pin) and viola!

Deere makes an optional (extra cost) set of street pads, but my hoe did not happen to come with them.

 

[OkieG]

Bottom side.

 

[OkieG]

Here's the finished product pinned in place. The tire rubber is glued to the steel plate with clear silicone sealer.

It seems many of the newer hoes have reversible pads as standard equipment. The street pads I made are not reversible, but are easily removeable.

 

[OkieG]

Now for an "action" shot. Ready to rumble!

OkieG

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Nice job! These are a bit safer on the hard surface, too, as the originals would have little purchase, even if you didn't care about them damaging whatever they were sitting on.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

OkieG

<font color=blue>The tire rubber is glued to the steel plate with clear silicone sealer.</font color=blue>

Great job!

I do wonder though if the silicone rubber will hold the rubber pad to the steel in the long term. I kind of doubt it in the long run. But if it doesn't hold up, looks like it would be possible to drill some holes and bold the tire tread to the metal, keeping the bolt heads recessed in the tread grooves...

Thanks for posting the pictures!

Bill in Pgh, PA

 

[OkieG]

The silicone sealer was the first thing I thought of, that I also had on hand. I wasn't sure it would even hold to either the steel or the tire rubber. The pads are over a year old and I have had to reglue a couple corners, but that's relatively minor maintanence. Bolts at the corners might help. However, one of the reasons I posted this project was to see if the TBN braintrust might have some ideas on better ways to fix the rubber to the steel.

The backhoe is stored on a concrete surface with the stabilizer arms dowm, so I leave the pads on most all the time. I get lazy and don't always take the pads off, even when working in dirt. The silicone has held up amazingly well, but I bet there are better ways to secure the rubber.

OkieG

 

[Anonymous Poster]

It may not be an easier way, but you can drill thru the rubber pads with a hollow tube, and then complete the hole with a twist drill. Then install 4 or 6 1/4" bolts, and the rubber will stay for a long time.
The easiest way to make a rubber drill is from a piece of brake tubing, and sharpen the end with a center drill. Dip the tube before starting the hole in some brake fluid, and it will cut thru the rubber very nicely.
A long drywall screw mounted in a vise is an excellent way to get the rubber plugs out of the drilling tube.