M9540 Belly Skid Plate/Brush Guard

[ovrszd]

My new tractor has spent the first three months of it's life in the brush. I consider myself cautious about getting brush under the tractor but it still happens. One time my grapple wouldn't grip. I found the connection to the solenoid on the valve had came undone from brush. The recent cold spell brought me into the shop for a few days. I was rolling around under the tractor on a creeper making sure everything was intact when I saw this.

Those are the transmission/hydraulic filters. Kinda freaked me out so I decided to build a skid plate. There are several drilled and threaded holes on the bottom of the transmission and rear axle assembly to use for bracketry. I built a basic angle iron frame using six of those. Then skinned it with 1/8" sheet metal. Then I used expanded metal to make a side shield that would allow me to see the transmission controls, hydraulic valves and transmission filters. Also thought it would make it easier to clean out if needed. The side shield is held in place with four 5/16" bolts coming up from the bottom. I welded the nuts to the shield brackets so a second wrench isn't needed to install or remove. Here's the skid and side shield uninstalled.

I tried to take "like" pictures without the skid installed and then with it installed. I'll post them in pairs to illustrate what's accomplished with the plate.

First two pictures are taken toward the back of the tractor from under the front axle.

These two are taken toward the front of the tractor from under the rear axle.

These two are showing the right sider undercarriage where all the hydraulics and filters are.

Here are pics taken from the right side of the tractor toward the filters.

To service the filters or adjust the shifting linkages the side shield is removed by taking out the four 5/16" bolts.

These two show how the plate is bolted to the tractor. In the first picture the four orange colored bolts and the one bigger silver bolt hold from underneath. The second pic show a bolt just behind the filters going into the axle housing.

I also put two bolts thru the factory hydraulic shield thru my skid plate to tie all that together and give the factory shield more strength. They are the two 5/16" bolts farthest from the camera.

All in all I think I've protected everything pretty well. Not going to say it can't be infiltrated but I'd say my chances of damage are a LOT less. Here's a couple more random pics for clarity.

Here's a couple from a bit more distance to show what it looks like installed.

 

[CCOUGHRAN1]

Yesterday I was just at my local Kubota dealer inquiring about this exact modification. I was hoping that Kubota has something they offered as an accessory. I was told of a couple mowing contractors that build their own skid plates.

I am very impressed with how your modification looks. Might have to copy it an build my own...

 

[ovrszd]

Yesterday I was just at my local Kubota dealer inquiring about this exact modification. I was hoping that Kubota has something they offered as an accessory. I was told of a couple mowing contractors that build their own skid plates.

I am very impressed with how your modification looks. Might have to copy it an build my own...

Thank you for the compliment. Copy away, that's why I posted it. You might even see things you could do to improve it. If so the only price is that you post them. :thumbsup:

 

[RFB]

Very nice work sir!

 

[DT86]

Very nice.

 

[TripleR]

Very, nice, I am surprised no one is marketing something like that, I would sure buy one.

 

[DT86]

Very, nice, I am surprised no one is marketing something like that, I's sure buy one.

Me too.

 

[creekbend]

Innovative. Well done.:thumbsup:

 

[dbaer78]

Very sharp work. I plan on welding up something very similar for my mx5100 this winter when the weather gets to nasty for log skidding.

 

[Rustyiron]

Very nice! This is on my "winter list" to do. I plan on guarding the oil pan as well and incorporate a grill and side panel protection as well. Would you be able to save me some leg work and tell me what size(s) bolts go into those transmission holes in a 9540? It looks like there are 2 sizes, I assume metric. Working in the woods is hard on equipment! Thanks, and very nice work!

 

[bandit67]

Nice job! :thumbsup:

 

[E/S]

Very nice !

Watch the nuts on the 3rd function loader solenoids, they can get loose and fall off.
Also check the hard line running under the engine for the loader, poor guard.
Did you bend the fuel tank skid plate yet ?

E/S

 

[mvwicker]

Great pictures of a nice build!

 

[Ken45101]

Good job.

It seems that the newer tractors (M5040, M9540) have a lot more hanging underneath and are much more vulnerable than the older tractors (M4700 in my experience.) It's a shame that Kubota has left them so unprotected.

I hit the remnants of a stump while bushhogging with the M9540 and messed up some of the hydraulics.

The current M series definitely is not a rough terrain type of tractor. If I had done half of what I did with the M4700, I would have destroyed the newer tractors.

Ken

 

[eglaude]

Nice work my friend. Same thing happened to my L3400. I don't have the tools to make something like that but that would be a great something that Kubota should design into their tractors. I realize that they are not tanks, but it's amazing how vulnerable these hydraulic filters are to damage.
Great looking tractor too!

 

[NativeSon]

A Masterful piece of design and fabrication.

Charlie

 

[ovrszd]

Very nice! This is on my "winter list" to do. I plan on guarding the oil pan as well and incorporate a grill and side panel protection as well. Would you be able to save me some leg work and tell me what size(s) bolts go into those transmission holes in a 9540? It looks like there are 2 sizes, I assume metric. Working in the woods is hard on equipment! Thanks, and very nice work!

Thanks to everyone for the compliments.

Bolt sizes, the four orange colored bolts are 14mm x 1.50 thread pitch x 1 1/4 long. Bigger two are 16mm x 1.50 thread pitch x 1 1/4 long. Where the larger silver bolt comes up from the bottom there was a tab bolted there from the factory holding a return spring that fastened to the PTO engagement lever. The one in the rear axle housing just had a plastic plug in it.

I looked at the oil pan but didn't bother with it. The pan is formed from very thick metal and would be extremely hard to dent. I think you'd have to be on a rock to dent it.

As for the grill, I built this guard, modifying the factory one. It doesn't have any dents in it yet but sure has a lot of paint skinned off. When piling brush with the grapple the grill is always in the pile. I've dented one of the steering protector boxes already.

First pic is the factory guard, the rest are what I ended up with.

 

[ovrszd]

Very, nice, I am surprised no one is marketing something like that, I's sure buy one.

Yeah, I thought of you and DT86 both when I was building this one. I know you both work your tractors in brush.

 

[ovrszd]

I'm a Jeep guy. Everyone and their Brother is marketing add-on equipment for Jeeps. Doesn't seem like it's that way in the tractor world. I'd think the tractor manufacturers could offer add-ons such as grill guards, skid plates, etc.

 

[ovrszd]

Very nice !

Watch the nuts on the 3rd function loader solenoids, they can get loose and fall off.
Also check the hard line running under the engine for the loader, poor guard.
Did you bend the fuel tank skid plate yet ?

E/S

I haven't had any problems with the third function nuts. I was shocked the first time I rolled under this tractor and looked at the exposed hydraulics. The first few days in the brush I lost several clips, springs, etc.

I haven't bent the tank skid yet but it's got some scrapes and dings. I'm concerned that the front corner of the plastic tank, near the step, isn't protected at all.