SSQA frame repair

[jcliburn]

While using my grapple last weekend, it detached from one of the QA plates and ended up twisting the tractor's QA assembly cross-tube. Details of the experience are in the Owning/Operating forum.

After looking at things closely, I believe what happened is the weight of the grapple pulled the remaining still-attached QA plate forward, resulting in permanent misalignment of the plates. However, the cross-tube itself isn't bent; it's just twisted (but not visibly deformed). The plate is *slightly* bent, but not enough that it won't work. (It's the left hand plate in the first pic below.)

A new SSQA assembly is about $650, and if my proposed repair doesn't work, I'll just buy a new one.

My plan is to cut the tube, realign the plates, then weld a 1-foot sleeve over the cut.

The tube is 2.39" OD. About the closest sleeve I can find online is a 2.5" ID piece from MetalsDepot: 1020 DOM Structural Round Steel Tube 3 OD x .250 wall x 2.50 ID.

Anyone have a preferred source for this type stuff? Do you see any downside to my repair plan? Any other advice?

Thanks,
Jay

 

[Shield Arc]

Personally I don't think you need the sleeve. That pipe is more of a spacer than anything of real structural value.

Quite a few years ago I had to do something similar to a neighbors new Jinma tractor. He only had it a month and decided to remove the front end loader. He could not get the loader to pin back up to save his life. He came and got me, right away I could tell the loader support arms, (pipe) were welded out of rotation. I cut them with a port a band, beveled each side and made a full penetration weld in the correct rotation while bolted in position. Still working fine to this day!
Well the only thing working fine on that tractor! :laughing:

 

[2458n]

I would talk to the local auto body repair shop. Someone with a little know how and a frame rack will set everying straight in less then ! hour.

 

[Shield Arc]

You could try heating a ring around the pipe, and place the tractor close to a tree or wall and use the hydraulics to rack / rotate the mounting plates.
It would be my luck that one side or the other would move back towards the tractor tho! Then I would have a bend in the pipe to go along with the rack / out of rotation.

 

[jcliburn]

Sadly, I'm torchless, so heating is a no-go for me.

I called a relatively close-by body shop (15 miles) and sent them pictures to see if they might be able to straighten it. Unfortunately I'm on business travel until Thursday night, so the soonest I'll be able get it to them is Friday -- assuming they think they can do anything with it.

Worst case: I'll cut 'er in two with a sawzall, attach to my bucket to align the pads, and weld 'er back together.

Jay

 

[jcliburn]

The d@mned tube is bent.

It's displaced about 3/4" at the center. The bend appears to be where the tube meets the QA plate -- the left hand plate as you stand in front of the tractor looking rearward.

Second pic is with the (raised) bucket attached to ensure the SSQA plates are properly aligned.

Sledge hammer hasn't helped so far.

Jay

 

[jcliburn]

What do you guys think about this: Cut through the pipe on a slight angle at the green line, rotate the cutoff tube section and grind the ends to get the best fit under no stress, then weld both cuts.

Or would it be better to make a vertical the cut at the green line, then grind the cutoff tube section at both ends at an angle to fit?

 

[Shield Arc]

With out a torch you are handy caped severely! I think I'd weld the tube back close as possible to help the proper rotation. Rent or borrow a torch, and heat the tube enough so the hydraulics of the front end loader will force the proper rotation. Renting a torch has to be cheaper than buying a new quick attachment.

 

[rjmack]

i would put a straight edge across the mounting pads on both sides, and use that as a guide.

you do want them to end up parallel, right?

far as the tube, a good bessey clamp should pull that back together.

the question is, will pulling the tube back together result in aligning the mounting pads.

you can tack a snipe to either of the pads and then use whatever leverage you can find to bend the mounting pad assemblies individually. odds are one is bent worse than the other.

if you get the pads back where they are supposed to be, shouldn't the pipe get fairly close on its own?

edit; oops, missed some of the particulars. if the loader arm to pad mounting brackets are all good, why not just cut the existing pipe off both ends and put a new, slightly heavier pipe in its place?

 

[dstig1]

edit; oops, missed some of the particulars. if the loader arm to pad mounting brackets are all good, why not just cut the existing pipe off both ends and put a new, slightly heavier pipe in its place?

When I had my Farmi winch fixed, that is what they did. The main backbone was bent and they discussed bending it back, but in the end thought it was better to cut off the bent section, fab up a new one and weld it on. That may be your best solution - cut out the tube and all its weld completely and get a new tube welded in. Doesn't sound like fun...but bending that thing back to straight could be all but impossible.

 

[jcliburn]

Yeah rjmack, the pads are good, but the crosstube was slightly bent right where it connects to one of the pads, resulting in the offset you see in the pictures of post #6. Your proposed solution would work.

The tube was also twisted, and making the cut in the middle (see post #6) allowed me to eliminate the twist by simply curling the freed pad, but of course I was then left with the offset due to the bend.

I made a second cut as I proposed in post #7, which left me with about an 18" section of removed tube. I then beveled all the severed tube ends in preparation for welding.

I attached the bucket to make sure the pads were properly aligned and left it attached while I fit the severed tube section back in place. I had to grind a little here and a little there off both ends of the tube section in order to get a decent fit without placing tension on anything.

Finally, I "welded" the tube back in place. I use quotes because I've never welded pipe before, and it looks truly wretched, but it's solid. The crosstube now has a noticeable bend in it at the weld joints, but the pads are lined up right throughout the full dump and curl range.

I'm ashamed to post pictures of it because it looks like something from Ma & Pa Kettle. Maybe later after a six pack my inhibitions will be lowered and I'll show you what it looks like.

Jay

 

[blueriver]

Jay ... Don't be ashamed of any welding, be proud you had the get up and go get her done attitude. A good saying ... "it may not be so pretty for nice, but she is solid"

Glad you got it back together

 

[rjmack]

Finally, I "welded" the tube back in place. I use quotes because I've never welded pipe before, and it looks truly wretched, but it's solid.

no offense intended, but if it looks wretched... it probably is.

you might try going downhill overtop of whatever you have in place to try smooth it out a bit. there are plenty of details to debate, but in some circumstances it really is easier to weld downhill than up.

and you end up with just as good a job

just remember to generally run more heat downhill than uphill. :thumbsup:

 

[jcliburn]

Haven't quite had the six pack yet, but working on it. :drink:

I went back and did a little grinding and ran another bead that didn't cause me to weep. It should be fine.

Now that it's been primed and painted, it ain't half bad, aside from the crooked crosstube. Plates are square and I've tested my bucket and grapple for fit.

Here's how it turned out before painting. 7018 1/8" at 125 amps on the Everlast PA160. (MAN, am I glad I bought that thing last summer!)

 

[Shield Arc]

Finally, I "welded" the tube back in place. I use quotes because I've never welded pipe before, and it looks truly wretched

That's why they have grinders!

 

[Shield Arc]

I may have welded a little more pipe than you have, but on that small of diameter of pipe I would have used 3/32-inch 7018, at 75 to 80-amps.

 

[Shield Arc]

If you had a torch you could fix that bow in the tube. Heat a oval underneath the tube where I drew the arrow. Heat to almost a cherry red, than take a wet rag and place it on the red oval.
DO NOT HEAT ON TOP, NO MATTER WHAT ANYBODY SAYS! :laughing:

 

[rjmack]

you nailed it on one axis anyway, and the welds don't look to 'muscular'...

should be good:thumbsup:

i was lucky when i got the first damage to my machine. small dent in a hard to notice spot.

 

[jcliburn]

I may have welded a little more pipe than you have, but on that small of diameter of pipe I would have used 3/32-inch 7018, at 75 to 80-amps.

Heh, if you've welded ANY pipe, you've welded more of it than I have. :laughing:

I went with 1/8" rod because the tube looked to be 3/8" wall. May've been 1/4" though; I didn't measure, just eyeballed. I thought about using 3/32" rod, but I wanted to be sure I got good penetration.

 

[NH-Rob]

Looks like a good farm repair to me. not always pretty but works just the same.
Rob