1735m - bending sway arms - why?

[pattycake]

While hooking up my brush hog, I noticed that the right sway arm was bent... big time. I had previously gotten stuck and figured I must have bent if while trying to use the bucket to back myself out of a mud hole. With a little heat, I straightened it out. The left sway bar was fine before trying to attach the brush hog.



I was having a hard time attaching the brush hog (using Pat's Quick Connect) and after struggling with it, I noticed that the left sway bar had also bent. I also had a difficult time trying to spread the 3 pt wide enough to line up with the brush hog - I could not widen it an inch to line it up with the brush hog but...if I dropped the 3pt all the way down, I could widen it as much as I wanted.... all the way to the tires. But as soon as I started raising the 3pt, they started coming together and became impossible to widen. The only way to widen the 3pt was to lower it all the way to the bottom.

Question:
1. What am I doing wrong to bend the sway bars and
2. Why can I not widen the 3pt as soon as I raise it so I can line up the brush hog?

Finally, notice the loop on this "bracket" - the loop is upside down on the other side. Which should it be?

 

[ptsg]

The loop should be stretched and not pushed against the axle. I think that's what's causing your issues.

On that tractor, the stabilizers work like the turnbuckle style. But instead of a thread to adjust, you just play with the pins on the correct holes.

 

[Roadworthy]

Your sway arms could be bending because they're too loose. They are intended to pull the implement on each side to prevent sway. If the pull on one arm is too loose you'll be relying on push from the other to keep your implement in alignment. They lack the strength to push and therefore bend.

 

[RickB]

Your sway arms could be bending because they're too loose. They are intended to pull the implement on each side to prevent sway. If the pull on one arm is too loose you'll be relying on push from the other to keep your implement in alignment. They lack the strength to push and therefore bend.

This. Stabilizers have little strength in compression relative to the loads they can incur. Keep them adjusted so the side in extension gets tight before or at the same position the opposite side gets tight in compression.

 

[cdaigle430]

They have their strength on the stretch side not compression-to easy to bend. They keep your implement from swaying side to side by pulling within themselves. When i first got my box blade-was also the first implement-I ended up bending the box blade frame because the sway bars were to loose.

 

[pattycake]

The loop should be stretched and not pushed against the axle. I think that's what's causing your issues.

On that tractor, the stabilizers work like the turnbuckle style. But instead of a thread to adjust, you just play with the pins on the correct holes.

That's pretty much what the MF dealer in Livingston Texas just told me - the buckles should not be up or down but instead, horizontal. So in essence, the bars are too long causing them to bend. Kinda makes sense to me....

According to the dealer, the part number is 7067640m91 - Does anyone know where I can buy two of these "inserts". Or, can I use a different design that's a bit more readily available?

 

[DMW]

That's pretty much what the MF dealer in Livingston Texas just told me - the buckles should not be up or down but instead, horizontal. So in essence, the bars are too long causing them to bend. Kinda makes sense to me....

According to the dealer, the part number is 7067640m91 - Does anyone know where I can buy two of these "inserts". Or, can I use a different design that's a bit more readily available?

Wouldn't it be easier to cut an inch or 2 off the exiting insert?

 

[JWR]

Why cut anything? Just tighten your sway bars on both sides (after you get the bent one straightened of course.) What "inserts" are you talking about?

 

[DMW]

If the stabilizers are adjusted too long, this may affect the geometry when raising the 3pt. If you disconnect the inserts when hooking up, it will allow the arms the full width of movement. After mounting the attachment, adjust the stabilizers by lining up the holes to make them as short as possible, then inserting the pin. It should still allow a minimal bit of sway, side to side.

 

[Diggin It]

Note the orientation of that 'loop' shackle, item 43 in that exploded diagram.

Also, 'Bush Hog' is a brand name. From any other manufacturer, they are rotary cutters.