Another reason drilling in ROPS may be a no no

[JB4310]

I know this goes against the grain, but I can't see how drilling a hole in a HD tubular structure could weaken it any measurable amount.
And worry about rust? How many holes are in a truck's frame?

I have no need to drill or weld my ROPS but if I did I wouldn't hesitate.

I'm a very safety conscious person but rarely adhere to liability limiting lawyer talk.


JB.

 

[Topstrap]

I don't think a ROPS is watertight and even if it was I'm sure condensation that develops in it would be worse than if it had holes and allowed air to flow thru to let it dry out.

I've never hesitated in welding on anything of mine if something needed to be added but then again no matter what ya do if some scumbag lawyer wants your butt he'll get it one way or another. I don't think welding on one will weaken it as long as it's done correctly and you don't compromise the structural integrity or design of the ROPS.

They say the same about welding on frames but I"ve seen a lot of bigger trucks that they extend or cut down frames all the time and reweld them. Same with hotrods or custom car chassis work.

Topstrap

 

[California]

I thought a certified ROPS was tested to deform in a predictable manner, like the front-end crush on a modern car.

Seems to me that a hole could easily be a tear point to rip it apart.

I use worm-drive hose clamps.

 

[mjncad]

Well my JD 4300 (which I purchased new) came with two 3/4" holes in the ROP opposite where the lights are on the sides and two 5/16" holes in the backside of the horizontal section all of which are unsealed.So appearently the engineers at John Deere are unaware of the impending doom that awaits,and there is no paint on the inside.They dont use magic weld on the clevis,s for the folding joint either.You safey police need to drink a little less coffee. ***(flame suit on)****

My 4200 has the same factory holes, and I use the ROPS as a wire chase. I even drilled and tapped a couple of 1/4-20 holes in it to secure my sheet metal headliner under my canopy.

Do I recommend making large holes in the ROPS? Nope; but I don't think a couple of small holes here and there is going to matter.

 

[jimgerken]

The motor mount on the plane should not have been drilled into, obviously. But to really compare, keep in mind that the motor mount was very thin material (0.062" - 0.120"), was not painted on the inside (welded), and was possibly 30 years old when rebuilt. Your tractor rollbar is probably 0.250" wall thickness, is less than a couple years old, and was painted on the inside. There is a proper place for holes in a tubular structure. If you don't know where to drill, don't drill.

 

[pat32rf]

My JD4300 has a foldable ROPS and the inside is painted just like the outside. It is used as a wire chase by the factory and has drain holes at the bottom.
I recently had a section of 2" 1/4" wall pipe on a trailer side break off at the bottom. I found that they had no drain holes and had rusted almost thru after having rain sit in them for 5yrs...Don't know if they were painted originally but I doubt it.

 

[dodge man]

Its easy to paint just about anything by just dipping it and letting the paint run through it. I'm not saying they do that, but it is easy to do.

 

[RJA.Ilex]

Drilling or welding to a ROPS structure is a definate no no. Any holes or welds created by the manufacturer will have been done before the testing of the structure. This is there to save your life is the hole worth more than your life?
Having said this frequently it is the vehicle chassis at the mounting point that is the weak link (based on a conversation I had with a UK test and certification engineer).
Rust is a serious factor in the strength of ROPS structures, this was highlighted it a report several years ago testing tractors. These machines were ~10-15 years old and from memory all but one failed the test by a large margin!
The combination of rust and the weakening due to welding or drilling is something to be avoided but maybe the addition of some cavity wax would be a good idea

 

[RoyJackson]

Drilling a ROPS isn't a good idea, but a lot of folks do just that. Odds are a couple of drilled and well deburred holes won't hurt a thing. Any hole could be a stress riser, but a hole with sharp edges would be a worse stress riser, so you deburr or radius both inside and outside (use a dremmel tool).
But you know if Deere, Kubbota or any othe manufacturer ever gave the OK to drill for a work lamp, for example, some fool would end up with a ROPS looking like swiss cheese...and that one would be weakened dramatically.
So, the manufacturers take the cautious course and just say no to any drilling.

 

[glc24]

Common sense plays a huge role in this too. Drilling alot of 1" holes in your ROPS is....well,you're just begging for trouble. Drilling a few 1/4",5/16" or even 3/8" holes for mounting lights or a fire extinguisher or for holding wire clamps or anything similar is NO BIG DEAL.....IMHO of course. That square tubing is 1/4" wall and is very strong.If you have to use your ROPS in a major way,you're going to bend it before you break it. I have the factory 1" holes in mine. If JD was worried about the integrity,they would have done something different to eliminate having to use such large holes. So putting a few holes here and there isn't going weaken my ROPS or bother me in the least

Greg