3pt Stabilizers

mangus580 · May 22, 2014

Anyone have any tips for keeping the stabilizers from turning into pretzels?

The dealer tells me that you have to make sure they are as tight as possible. I did my best when I put the 2 bottom plow on last year, but in the end, it bent both stabilizers.

They also tell me its not a warranty item.

Any tips?

RKJeepXJ · May 22, 2014

Mine haven't bent yet, but you are not the first. Anyone gotten a chance to take a close look at the stabilizers on the new XR machines? Are they different/improved? Seems to be LS has been pretty open to customer feedback with sending engineers and such to investigate isues folks are having. Bent stabilizers seem to be a recuring issue that they need to address.

Daver1963 · May 22, 2014

I know this is in the LS section, but the stabilizers on my Kubota have a turnbuckle type system which looks like it would be hard to bend like maybe a solid type stabilizer. Maybe you could modify to something like that.

the whispering oaks farm · May 22, 2014

keep a bungie cord or a small chain in between them on the little eyes, mine keep swinging side to side and ketch the lugs on the tires, I wasn't paying attention and it caught the tire and lifted my quick hitch up into the taillight lens. broken and they are on back order. I didn't take it to the dealer as it was my fault but if they were more stable it would not have happened.

Underdog57 · May 22, 2014

I have a quick-hitch on mine and I adjusted the stableizers as tight as I could and mine stays put and I have no slop in mine, and I carry my 1800# ballast box most of the time. Mine don't even come close to the tires with Cat 1 implements.

George2615 · May 22, 2014

I have the XR series. The 3 pt. stabilizers look identical to Underdog's. I also have a quick hitch and have maybe 1" movement side to side.

oldtoyboyd · May 22, 2014

I have broke my stabilizers a couple times
I was going to use some square tube and redo mine but haven't got around to it
This is what is on my Mahindra and they have been abused

I think I will buy some new ones for it and adapt them to fit my LS

Short Game · May 22, 2014

I keep mine as tight as I can get them. I haven't broken one yet, but they've bent and been straightened.

Recently the outboard 10.8 bolt snapped off on the bracket on the left axle housing. Getting that out was a job, but it did come out and get replaced. I didn't know the bolt was broken until I saw the mower trying to pull out and pass me on the right. With the bolt gone, the stabilizer link tore the bracket in half but didn't break! I had to weld that bracket back together.

Underdog57 · May 22, 2014

I guess I better keep a close eye on those bars and be prepared for a repair!

YardBikeBob · May 22, 2014

mangus580 said:
Anyone have any tips for keeping the stabilizers from turning into pretzels?

Any tips?

My observation is that if you adjust the stabilizers for tight and still have too much side to side play in the 3pt arms, then the 3pt arms are splayed too wide. On my R4041H, I bought different pins for BB to keep the distance from the outer edges of the 3pt arms to 25". This hit a sweet spot for the stabilizer angle back to the 3pt arms & can now keep'em tight.

An account of my folly.

Bob

mangus580 · May 22, 2014

Well, I put a new set on today, tossed my 'new' 6' disc on the back. Tightened them as tight as I could, and I already bent one of them slightly.

I think I need to open a dialog with LS direct.....

snowbelt geauga · May 23, 2014

Dealer told me try not make turns with things like a disc making ground contact. Dealer wasn't impressed with the stabilizer arms.

Tbolt76 · May 23, 2014

snowbelt geauga said:
Dealer told me try not make turns with things like a disc making ground contact. Dealer wasn't impressed with the stabilizer arms.

I don't think stabilizers in general are meant to resist lots of side draft whether they are the square tube type or threaded rod type. I can lock down the ones on my R4041 when I use my 8' disc, 7 1/2' flail mower, 66" tiller but I never make any turns with lifting up the implement if its engaging the ground. Still have yet to run my 3-14" bottom Massey plow. If you are bending them up you need to re-evaluate what you are doing, IMO. My old JD 520 had big sway blocks to control side draft rather than the more modern types, you really felt it if you were banging something around back there esp. on the CAT II hitch.
Tom

altamaha · May 24, 2014

My 3039 does not lift implements as high as my old Davis Brown or my old Ferguson and I have to be careful if I am moving from a lower tier to a higher as they will drag and a small turn will cause the implement to drag. That is the only time I have bent a stabilizer.

GManBart · May 25, 2014

mangus580 said:
Well, I put a new set on today, tossed my 'new' 6' disc on the back. Tightened them as tight as I could, and I already bent one of them slightly.

I think I need to open a dialog with LS direct.....

If you have the stabilizers too tight there is no give/play in the system, and you will definitely bend something.

mangus580 · May 25, 2014

GManBart said:
If you have the stabilizers too tight there is no give/play in the system, and you will definitely bend something.

Interesting since the dealer told me that its the play in them that causes them to bend....

Short Game · May 26, 2014

mangus580 said:
Interesting since the dealer told me that its the play in them that causes them to bend....

That's always what's damaged mine. It's a heck of a pounding they take when a heavy implement can get a swing at them. They are guaranteed to bend or break as the situation requires.

GManBart · May 26, 2014

mangus580 said:
Interesting since the dealer told me that its the play in them that causes them to bend....

If there is zero play, any decent side load will bend them. If there is too much play the implement can get a running start before everything stops, and bends.

Short Game · May 26, 2014

If they were turnbuckles, that would be one thing. But these pinned tube-and-bar types are damned difficult to get too tight. I pull the shackle straight with one hand and push the tube over the bar with the other, all while I have the implement raised on a side hill to straighten the other side's link. There still is a bit of slack after doing all that, once I get the pin back in the open hole.