Re: 3 pt. won\'t hold arms down
I'd love to see a pic of the broken part.
Does your tractor have both position & - doggoneit, can't think of the other settig, for plowing & heavy draft pulls - for the 3pt? Some Fords have that. Oh, duh, it's position & draft control. Perhaps that linkage is for draft sensing?
Anyhow, stop using the hitch the way you are. Slamming the 3pt up is a sure way to break things. Likely that is how the current breakage happened. Next the internal cylinder will pull apart. Not good.
1. Use the real drawbar, bolt a ball on it as someone suggested. By far the best way to go.
2. Chain the 3pt down to the real drawbar to limit travel.
3. build a sturdy brace from the end of the 3pt arms to the top 3pt bracket - old ford N tractors had this brace, perhaps you can adapt the brackets which come from TSC, etc.
Don't keep slamming, that is bad for the tractor, & for trying to control the tractor on a hill!
--->Paul