"Armor" for belly & pwr steering cyl of a BX2230?

[btolle]

\"Armor\" for belly & pwr steering cyl of a BX2230?

Before I posted this I searched on "armor", "protection", and some other terms in the forum but couldn't find anything.

My new BX2230 is sitting in the dealers shop waiting for the bar tires to arrive (hopefully tomorrow). Bought the FEL with it.

I have a couple of concerns. I use it in the woods a lot and often limbs and sticks get poked up underneath the bottom and other places. Has anyone put a bellypan or other "armor" to prevent the limbs from hitting the trans fluid filter and hydrostatic trans fan? Any suggestions?

The other area of concern is the power steering unit in front of the axle. I occasionally run into a short stump with my old B7100HST and since it doesn't have power steering it isn't a problem, the axle is strong enough to take the "hit". The BX2230 has shafts on each side that come out of the PS cylinder that I am afraid will get bent if they get hit. I am trying to figure out how to mount a piece of angle iron on channel iron in front of the shafts to protect them. If anyone has done something like this I would appreciate some help (and pictures would be a real bonus).

I am going to add some expanded screen to the grille guard to keep the limbs out of the grille so I think I have that one figured out. My plan is to cut the expanded metal to the shape of the guard, drill holes for 1/4" X 1/2" bolts and bolt the metal to the guard. I don't think the holes will be deep enough to really affect the strength of the guard since I will drill less than 1/2" deep and use a bottom tap.

Thanks in advance for any ideas, suggestions, and/or pictures you BX owners have. (Anyone who lives in Deep East Texas is welcome to come over and supervise in person!)

Bill Tolle /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[SCB]

Re: \"Armor\" for belly & pwr steering cyl of a BX2230?

I think you will have better luck on your search using the term skidplate. I remember a few threads with pictures of the skidplates that some have put together

 

[SCB]

Re: \"Armor\" for belly & pwr steering cyl of a BX2230?

Here is one link. skidplate

 

[btolle]

Re: \"Armor\" for belly & pwr steering cyl of a BX2230?

Thank you. I don't know why I didn't try skidplate or skid plate, especially since I own 2 jeeps that have 4 skidplates under each of them. Duh!

Bill Tolle

 

[milkman]

Re: \"Armor\" for belly & pwr steering cyl of a BX2230?

Here's one I use when in the woods, not really a skidplate, but it stops sticks and twigs, don't know about a boulder. The front brackets hook over the mounting brackets for the MMM lift arms, and the rear is attached with the mower mount pins. I can mount it with the mower arms down and then lift and lock with the mower height adjustment in the TOP position. I'm still trying to come up with something to protect the boots on the steering cyl. out front.