Smaller rear tires to lower tractor ROPS so I can fit into my trailer when hauling

[Randy Gann]

If you are not a welder, I would guess that having a competent welder modify your ROPs to fit the trailer height (either shorter or folding) while still being safe to use would be less cost than buying new wheels and tires for the rear of your tractor.

 

[pretendfarmer]

I was looking at my ROPS attachment point. Three large bolts on each side mount to the frame. Not to hard to reach with a breaker bar and socket.
I was looking at a Pic of a 790 and looks the same. Here is the PN for the ROPS, good luck finding one. Maybe a Yanmar dealer can get you one. Not sure about the cost.
PartsTree - Home of OEM Parts for Outdoor Power Equipment Just an idea. Good luck!


View attachment 746330

Cub Cadet CY-1A8160-85010​

Thank you. So is your Cub Cadet the same Yanmar tractor as mine, just painted a different color?

 

[pretendfarmer]

If a Yanmar folding ROPS will fit on your 790 that would be the best way to go; the 790 is a solid machine, they're well loved.

I agree. That is a perfect solution for me. I can remove and store the factory one, and if I ever sell it I can either swap and sell the folding or just send them both along. The replacement green one is over $2,000 now, which seems ridiculous.

 

[pretendfarmer]

If you are not a welder, I would guess that having a competent welder modify your ROPs to fit the trailer height (either shorter or folding) while still being safe to use would be less cost than buying new wheels and tires for the rear of your tractor.

I have a welder but I don't consider myself a welder. I could do it, but I don't have the time or inclination, and it would devalue the tractor and open up a can of worms if I ever sold it. I had a long talk with the local JD dealer and JD themselves. Nobody wants to even touch the subject, and they told me a professional welder probably wouldn't want to touch it with a 10 foot pole, either, for liability reasons.

 

[pretendfarmer]

That looks like (with some practice) you could quickly take it off and put it back on.
May I suggest a battery powered impact wrench?

Mine does not come off quickly at all. It's a major PITA. In fact, even taking off the crossbar took time because of all the threadlock and the fact that the steel bars are sprung. To get it back in I had to spread them apart, which sucked.

I'm looking for a workable solution where I don't have to do a lot to load and unload the tractor. Efficiency is nice. Removing ROPS every time I want to trailer the tractor is not something I am even remotely interested in.

 

[pretendfarmer]

OK, you asked for outside-the-box thinking.

Find some ramps, or a hump, or make one with some dirt to see how high you need to lift the front wheels to lower the ROPS 4 inches. If it works on the ground then you could buy two sets of ramps bolting 2 together. This works in theory but you would need some dimensions or just test it out on the ground to know for sure

BTW, if it doesn't work, its a bad idea.
If it works, 4 ramps is a cheap fix that takes little effort to execute.
Good luck.


View attachment 746327

This is interesting. I need to figure out how to calculate this on paper.

 

[Gee Ray]

Without seeing your tractor and trailer I can only make a suggestion. Get a pair of jacks and lift the front of the tractor to see if the ROPS will drop. Soften the tires and measure the height with the soft tires and lifted front end and check the height. In order to get the tractor into the trailer you would need to build a ramp to raise the front end then add a platform in front of the ramps so that you can drive it past the door while keeping it elevated. This is only doable if the trailer is long enough.

 

[pretendfarmer]

OK, you asked for outside-the-box thinking.

Find some ramps, or a hump, or make one with some dirt to see how high you need to lift the front wheels to lower the ROPS 4 inches. If it works on the ground then you could buy two sets of ramps bolting 2 together. This works in theory but you would need some dimensions or just test it out on the ground to know for sure

BTW, if it doesn't work, its a bad idea.
If it works, 4 ramps is a cheap fix that takes little effort to execute.
Good luck.


View attachment 746327

So this won't work. I cut a piece of paper to scale for the tractor, taking the wheelbase and height of the ROPS into consideration. The front wheels would have to be at least 2 feet off the ground for it to work.

 

[LD48750]

Another option is to sell this tractor and buy one with the folding ROPS. This thing is mint, but I want something that I can haul inside my trailer. I love the tractor but the lack of a folding ROPS is a major hassle in my opinion. My old Yanmar didn't even have ROPS and was easy to deal with.

Looks like the answer to me.
It worked on your old tractor just fine, take the ROPS off & store it until you sell the JD.

 

[Root Cause]

So this won't work. I cut a piece of paper to scale for the tractor, taking the wheelbase and height of the ROPS into consideration. The front wheels would have to be at least 2 feet off the ground for it to work.

You may be right and you have to buy into whatever solution you invest into.
BTW, there are factors or numbers that affect this. (how far the top of the ROPS) is behind the axle makes a difference and more the better.

Trading tractor or trailer may be the better option but were I stuck with this I might actually lift up the front to get a real number. No idea how big your front tire is but it still looks like the distance from the ground to the front axle would get you in the ballpark. Muffler might be an issue but that would be the worst of it once set up and the ramp could work as chock blocks if the incline on that side is steep. Maybe a good excuse to get a new one

View attachment 746378

 

[pretendfarmer]

You may be right and you have to buy into whatever solution you invest into.
BTW, there are factors or numbers that affect this. (how far the top of the ROPS) is behind the axle makes a difference and more the better.

Trading tractor or trailer may be the better option but were I stuck with this I might actually lift up the front to get a real number. No idea how big your front tire is but it still looks like the distance from the ground to the front axle would get you in the ballpark. Muffler might be an issue but that would be the worst of it once set up and the ramp could work as chock blocks if the incline on that side is steep. Maybe a good excuse to get a new one

View attachment 746378

As mentioned, I cut a piece of graph paper to scale using the measurements of the wheelbase and the maximum height of the ROPS. I then rotated my scale model on another piece of graph paper watching where the ROPS intersected with the header height on the trailer. As mentioned, the front tires need to lift more than 2 feet for it to clear. This is not a solution that works for me. It's too high.

 

[pretendfarmer]

Looks like the answer to me.
It worked on your old tractor just fine, take the ROPS off & store it until you sell the JD.

If I was working on flat ground, I would do that in a heartbeat. Unfortunately I am on crazy slopes quite frequently. I want it for my own safety, which is why I am looking for a folding system.

 

[pretendfarmer]

I was looking at my ROPS attachment point. Three large bolts on each side mount to the frame. Not to hard to reach with a breaker bar and socket.
I was looking at a Pic of a 790 and looks the same. Here is the PN for the ROPS, good luck finding one. Maybe a Yanmar dealer can get you one. Not sure about the cost.
PartsTree - Home of OEM Parts for Outdoor Power Equipment Just an idea. Good luck!


View attachment 746330

Cub Cadet CY-1A8160-85010​

Here is a picture of mine. It is 6 bolts each side for a total of 12.

 

[CH4Ohio]

Gee, ya' think? C'mon, this isn't about "how do I strap a tractor down?" for crying out loud. I've been hauling trailers and equipment for almost 35 years. I'm trying to figure a way to not alter the ROPS at all, but haul and store my tractor INSIDE my enclosed trailer. I need to leave it in there at times. Sitting outside on a flatbed screams "HEY, STEAL ME!"

So let me rephrase . . . I have a 16' enclosed trailer with the extra height package that my B series Kubota would fit into -- ROPS and all. I've wondered on occasion if I could haul it in that trailer.

I can see that I could lay 2"x10" material on the ramp-door to load and unload and keep from bending the rear door. My more pressing concern is that I don't have a way to chain it / strap it down without putting some serious holes in the sides or floor. I also don't think the floor is really built for this type of load but parking it on 3/4" plywood or 2" planking would resolve that.

My trailer has little D-rings in the floor. Nothing like the heavy D-rings and stake-pockets on an equipment trailer. You apparently have overcome the tie-down problem. Can you share your solution / approach or the hardware used?

Thanks.

 

[oosik]

I like Randy Ganns answer - post #23. My M6040 has a folding ROPS. So .... a folding unit on yours could be safely made. It has an outer collar that allows the top portion of the roll bar to swing down. I pause here for a moment while I toddle out and get a picture. The attached picture says it better than my words. The big bolt - in the middle - is the swing bolt. The pinned bolt on the bottom is the locking bolt. All that upper hardware belongs to my canopy.

 

[fidowanttobe]

I would seriously talk to a professional weld shop. I find it hard to believe that you couldn't find one that would make you a shorter replacement, (which is the way I would go rather than modify), and store the original for later sale. He may make one that is overkill for HIS protection, which isn't a bad thing either. Welders in my neck of the woods are pretty confident in their talent. Talk to a weld/fab shop with a good reputation. LOTS cheaper than replacing tractor or trailer.

 

[Rebeldad1]

Gee, ya' think? Sitting outside on a flatbed screams "HEY, STEAL ME!"

I thought the purpose of moving the tractor was to get it from 1 place to another? A rental flatbed would be a great choice.

 

[pretendfarmer]

So let me rephrase . . . I have a 16' enclosed trailer with the extra height package that my B series Kubota would fit into -- ROPS and all. I've wondered on occasion if I could haul it in that trailer.

I can see that I could lay 2"x10" material on the ramp-door to load and unload and keep from bending the rear door. My more pressing concern is that I don't have a way to chain it / strap it down without putting some serious holes in the sides or floor. I also don't think the floor is really built for this type of load but parking it on 3/4" plywood or 2" planking would resolve that.

My trailer has little D-rings in the floor. Nothing like the heavy D-rings and stake-pockets on an equipment trailer. You apparently have overcome the tie-down problem. Can you share your solution / approach or the hardware used?

Thanks.

I know nothing about the construction of your trailer to offer any insight. My trailer is a 7x16. It has the "tall roof" as well. The problem is the door header insofar as ROPS is concerned. There is no issue at all with the ramp bending on mine. It is heavy duty, and my trailer frame is 6" I-beam. It could support a car. In fact, my old PJ carhauler only had a 5" frame (C5).

I didn't use the in floor D-rings which came with the trailer. I have installed e-track on the floor and on the sidewalls for my motorcycles and all sorts of other stuff I haul. It has a working load limit of 3,000 pounds. That means 12,000 since I always anchor at 4 points - well beyond the weight of the tractor. It did not budge.

 

[pretendfarmer]

I like Randy Ganns answer - post #23. My M6040 has a folding ROPS. So .... a folding unit on yours could be safely made. It has an outer collar that allows the top portion of the roll bar to swing down. I pause here for a moment while I toddle out and get a picture. The attached picture says it better than my words. The big bolt - in the middle - is the swing bolt. The pinned bolt on the bottom is the locking bolt. All that upper hardware belongs to my canopy.
View attachment 746514

Thank you for the picture. What I don't understand is what is holding the top to the bottom. There is something hidden that I cannot see.

 

[pretendfarmer]

I want to take the time to thank each and every one of you for commenting. I know I am not alone in my frustration with the height of this thing as it has caused issues for so many people, evidenced by the number of posts about people modifying them, and the fact that the industry finally decided to make them fold. It is just stupid high when it comes to clearing garages and trailers and things. I am going to continue to pursue all possibilities before I sell the tractor - which would be a last resort. I really do love it. It's perfect for what I want, save for the damn ROPS.