Mower lift pins always coming loose? Suggestions?

[charosenz]

I have a Titan 1206 Mower that I use with my JD 4520. I use Cat1 pins. The problem is that the lift pins on the mower are always coming loose. The mower holes are 0.9" and the Mower A fram arms are 1.3" I use a bushing in the A frame holes to reduce it down so the Cat1 pins will be tight. I use locktite and lock washers. The pins still come loose.

I thought about using Cat 2 pins, but of course I would have to drill out the holes in the mower to fit the large Cat2 pins. I am not sure this is the solution. See pics please

 

[bearthebruce]

Can you get pins with a longer thread section? Double nut and lock her up. It's the only thought I have to offer..

 

[charosenz]

Can you get pins with a longer thread section? Double nut and lock her up. It's the only thought I have to offer..

I have not see any. I think with the two different size holes there is just too much play in there to stop it from wobbling. But maybe that is the intention of the design to allow movement. I might try to call Titan.....But It always helps to hear from real world end users than the factory sales folks if you know what I mean.

 

[hosspuller]

Lock washers ? The split type ? Throw them away. Under heavy clamp load they can open at the split. I used to walk rr tracks and found many broken split washers used to bolt rails end to end. Use hardened flat washers for the wallowed holes and loctite with primer on clean threads. Torque to spec.

Other option is to throw a bit of weld on the pin and nut. I did that years ago.

 

[Smokeydog]

Had similar problem on 286 bushog. Couple of small welds on the pin shoulder fixed that. There it’s easy to cut if I needed to replace the pin.

 

[charosenz]

Lock washers ? The split type ? Throw them away. Under heavy clamp load they can open at the split. I used to walk rr tracks and found many broken split washers used to bolt rails end to end. Use hardened flat washers for the wallowed holes and loctite with primer on clean threads. Torque to spec.

Other option is to throw a bit of weld on the pin and nut. I did that years ago.

I am seriously thinking of spot welding the pins on. (I do use Loctite). I am going to look for hardened washers too.

 

[charosenz]

I am really wondering about the fact that the mower A frame arms are 1.3 while the mower support arms are only 0.9". Is this common?

 

[charosenz]

Had similar problem on 286 bushog. Couple of small welds on the pin shoulder fixed that. There it’s easy to cut if I needed to replace the pin.

Thanks. Makes me lean that way....

 

[3gunr]

On my kodiak brush hog the right pin comes loose but never the other one, I am going to double nut and try that

 

[Vigo327]

I agree that a little welding is the easiest thing. One thing that’s sometimes done for wallowed holes in general is to take a thick washer with the correct ID and weld that over the wallowed hole. Maybe one on each side if you had threads to spare on the fastener. Of course its slightly more complicated to come up with a washer that size on a big hole like this than on smaller holes.

 

[BravoXray]

I would weld a 1/2"-3/4" X 3" X 3" plate drilled to take the threaded pin, to one side of the plate the pin threads go through to give the pin more support. And ditch the lock washers, use pinch type lock nuts, no flat washers either, and tighten the crap out of them.

 

[bigtiller]

I would weld a 1/2"-3/4" X 3" X 3" plate drilled to take the threaded pin, to one side of the plate the pin threads go through to give the pin more support. And ditch the lock washers, use pinch type lock nuts, no flat washers either, and tighten the crap out of them.

I like your fix.

By "pinch type lock nuts", do you mean all-metal prevailing torque locknuts? Also called Stover locknut or even a squash nut.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

I like your fix.

By "pinch type lock nuts", do you mean all-metal prevailing torque locknuts? Also called Stover locknut or even a squash nut.

Or a Ny- lock or nylon lock nut. I've seen the mashed type take the threads off and then it was torch time.

 

[toolslinger]

Is that A-Frame supposed to be able to move independently of the mower? If not, weld the A to the Mower, and that eliminates a source of twisting that is likely loosening the pin/nuts. I'd also be looking for a longer lift pin, and double nut it on there, plus probably just weld the bushing in, and possibly even plate it. I don't like tack welding nuts since that is too permanent, but there are plenty of good lock nuts available... For this kind of gear, I like distorted thread, or flex top steel. As much as I like nylock style nuts, they don't really grab well enough for this situation.

Honestly, I think welding the A to the mower would do it though. I don't know how it get significant rotation force against the pin/nut once that's solid.

 

[bigtiller]

Is that A-Frame supposed to be able to move independently of the mower? If not, weld the A to the Mower, and that eliminates a source of twisting that is likely loosening the pin/nuts. I'd also be looking for a longer lift pin, and double nut it on there, plus probably just weld the bushing in, and possibly even plate it. I don't like tack welding nuts since that is too permanent, but there are plenty of good lock nuts available... For this kind of gear, I like distorted thread, or flex top steel. As much as I like nylock style nuts, they don't really grab well enough for this situation.

Honestly, I think welding the A to the mower would do it though. I don't know how it get significant rotation force against the pin/nut once that's solid.

I think so also. In a vibrating environment, a nylock nut will come loose. To overcome that fault on a sheer bolt, I add a few drops of red Loctite. Everything else gets an all metal lock nut.

 

[JimRB]

My mower which I think is a maybe 10 year old Titan has arms that pivot. That whole A frame is supposed to pivot to allow the mower to follow hills and valleys. You can torque those bolts a bit. Like 435 lb/ft of torque. My Titan manual shows those bolts with a bushing for the A arm so the bushing fills that big hole and is a bit wider than the A arm material so the A arm can swing.

 

[charosenz]

My mower which I think is a maybe 10 year old Titan has arms that pivot. That whole A frame is supposed to pivot to allow the mower to follow hills and valleys. You can torque those bolts a bit. Like 435 lb/ft of torque. My Titan manual shows those bolts with a bushing for the A arm so the bushing fills that big hole and is a bit wider than the A arm material so the A arm can swing.View attachment 760535

That is exactly what I wanted to know. Thanks a ton for posting this. It sorta confirms several things for me that I suspected but was not sure.

I do have that bushing "5A" which really confirms the need for the A Frame to be able to move like you mentioned. But in doing so, it makes it almost impossible to be tight enough to keep from - eventually - working loose.

So I have decided to spot weld the pin to the mower support. This will keep it "true" and as long as the welds hold it will not be able to wobble. I got hardened grade 8 oversized very thick washers for the threaded size and wrenched it down very very tight. I used Loctite on the nuts too.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

 

[quarencia]

I have not see any. I think with the two different size holes there is just too much play in there to stop it from wobbling. But maybe that is the intention of the design to allow movement. I might try to call Titan.....But It always helps to hear from real world end users than the factory sales folks if you know what I mean.

Longer pins and double,but it is easiest solution. As for being able to find them, just takes a simple Google search. This is first Google result for cat 1 draw pin. https://www.amazon.com/Special-Products-Speeco-P7219-Accessories/dp/B001TQ2PHU

 

[OzarkChris]

I have a Titan 1206 Mower that I use with my JD 4520. I use Cat1 pins. The problem is that the lift pins on the mower are always coming loose. The mower holes are 0.9" and the Mower A fram arms are 1.3" I use a bushing in the A frame holes to reduce it down so the Cat1 pins will be tight. I use locktite and lock washers. The pins still come loose.

I thought about using Cat 2 pins, but of course I would have to drill out the holes in the mower to fit the large Cat2 pins. I am not sure this is the solution. See pics please

Probably the best advise would be to use thread locker (large bolt) to keep it from working loose.

 

[bearthebruce]

Longer pins and double

Longer pins and double nut is what I used to solve my problems. Then you can snug it up and allow the space for the frame to move. The double nut keeps things from twisting apart.