Filling the ROPS with foam on BX

[nepa]

I read a great suggestion on one of my previous, unrelated posts that filling the ROPS with foam will decrease hydro whine as the ROPS acts like a tuning fork. I was told that I would have to remove the ROPS and drill holes in the bottoms to inject the foam. My question is, would it work just as well if I drilled and tapped just one hole at the top, filled the ROPS with antifreeze, and put a plug in the tapped hole? This would give a little extra weight over the rear, but might make me top-heavy and unstable?

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

I read a great suggestion on one of my previous, unrelated posts that filling the ROPS with foam will decrease hydro whine as the ROPS acts like a tuning fork. I was told that I would have to remove the ROPS and drill holes in the bottoms to inject the foam. My question is, would it work just as well if I drilled and tapped just one hole at the top, filled the ROPS with antifreeze, and put a plug in the tapped hole? This would give a little extra weight over the rear, but might make me top

Pondering, pondering.....still pondering. OK I wouldn't want to increase any weight higher myself but I use my tractors on a steep hillside and after laying one on it's side one time I'm more scared of turn overs than I use to be.
If I were going to do what your suggesting I'd drill a hole in the center of the rops just big enough to get the foam straw in it and I'd do it in the center so foam would go up and down and just see what happens. There is the soft foam in the black can (what I'd use for the purpose your mentioning) and the hard foam in the red can. Interesting to see if it helps if you do it and report back.

 

[pmsmechanic]

I'm just here to see if this works or not. I have a folding ROPS and could probably just fill it with a long "straw".

Two thoughts on this. One way to see if this works or not would be to wrap the ROPS with a blanket or something. That should acomplish the same thing. Would filling the ROPS with foam encourage internal rust?

 

[valkyrie9901]

I did the foam and worked for me. The joint is where I filled mine as it is open at that point. I used the red can from Lowes.......JB.

 

[Ivan49]

The inside of your roll bar sweats with temp change and water will build up in it if there is no weep hole. When you add the foam over time the foam soaking up this water causing rust to start inside. Mine has a small hole where the mounting plate is welded on and it got plugged once and when I unplugged it a small amount of water ran out.

 

[peterc38]

I did the foam and worked for me. The joint is where I filled mine as it is open at that point. I used the red can from Lowes.......JB.

Sweet and if you ever drive into a pond by accident you might even float

 

[valkyrie9901]

Only filled above the pivot point......Foam displaces air....should not sweat above that point.

 

[Sodo]

Only filled above the pivot point......Foam displaces air....should not sweat above that point.

Yes thats correct. The only way it can sweat is if temperature changes are drawing new, moisture laden air into the cavity and then let it's moisture loose on the cold metal. This happens again and again with day / night temperature swings, and eventually there can be water buildup.

When the cavity is filled with foam there is no air exchange at all, consequently there will be no sweating and no moisture buildup.

 

[pmsmechanic]

Ok so now the sweating question is answered. Does it make the tractor quieter to sit on? With the motor running of course!

 

[Sodo]

Hit the ROPS with a hammer (engine off ), can you make it "ring"? If it rings, then its feasible that the hydraulics could set off a resonance. If when running, you hear the same tone as when you hit it with the hammer, the ROPS may be the source of the noise.

If the ROPS doesn't ring then damping it more won't make a difference. Each tractor can be different.