Broke my side-link.....AGAIN

[LD1]

Was bushhogging this morning and went to raise the cutter and herd a bang. Looked back and only one lift arm was raising. Yep, broke a sidelink again.

Both have been broken before, and re-welded. Last two were broke when doing some blading.

Luckily, I was only about 10 minutes from home, and was able to run home and fix. Total downtime from the job as 45 minutes, which includes running home, fixing, returning, and re-leveling the cutter.

I have an old toplink that I think I may make a spare or two out of. That is one for sure way to never break another one. These kubota sidelinks arent made nearly heavy enough IMO


Ground the thread rod to almost a point, but I didnt show that. I also added a 1/4" x 1" x 3" long strap to the one side to help strengthen it.

 

[ovrszd]

Bummer. Looks like the strap will help, long as you don't need to shorten the link past that point. curious to see if this stops the problem.

 

[LD1]

Well, its only broke twice now in 6 years, and I am pretty hard on my hitch.

Just not a very strong design IMO. The threaded rods are too small, and the solid link on the other side is only like 3/4" diameter.

I will make something stronger I think.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Maybe you could use a top link and modify it to work, something like from a Cat 3 top linkage. You could sleeve the top to fit the Kubota top linkage.

 

[mikehaugen]

When I bought my tractor the threaded rod was very stiff in the threaded tube... I could not turn the crank. I took the whole thing apart and loosened them in vise with a pipe wrench. It weakened the threads a lot and eventually the threaded rod pulled out of the tube and dropped the right lift arm. I welded it in place at equal length to the lefr arm, but now have no adjustment.

Not counting the cost of the valves, it will be cheaper to get a tnt from fit-rite than repair the lift arm. That is probably what I will do.

 

[GManBart]

Time to order a side link from Fit Rite!

 

[Coyote machine]

It's obvious why it keeps breaking- look at pic 2 where you used purple bubble gum to hold it together!:laughing:

What do you do that stresses them enough to break them?

 

[k0ua]

Well hey, the good news is, it ain't no "thang" for a man with a welder.:thumbsup:

James K0UA

 

[k0ua]

Ha!.. dang 'bota's held together with Purple Bubble Gum... what is the world coming to

 

[LD1]

Maybe you could use a top link and modify it to work, something like from a Cat 3 top linkage. You could sleeve the top to fit the Kubota top linkage.

That would be overkill. Just a standard cat 1 toplink from TSC is about twice as big as my side link, and has the right sized hole already. I'll go snap a picture of a TSC cat I link next to my side link....

When I bought my tractor the threaded rod was very stiff in the threaded tube... I could not turn the crank. I took the whole thing apart and loosened them in vise with a pipe wrench. It weakened the threads a lot and eventually the threaded rod pulled out of the tube and dropped the right lift arm. I welded it in place at equal length to the lefr arm, but now have no adjustment.

Not counting the cost of the valves, it will be cheaper to get a tnt from fit-rite than repair the lift arm. That is probably what I will do.

I'd have over a grand invested by the time I got two remotes installed, and then the TNT kit. Dont really want to spend that much on something I would rarely use. I am sure I would use it more if I had it, but I dont think I would see a grand worth of time savings and use out if it for quite some time.

 

[LD1]

It's obvious why it keeps breaking- look at pic 2 where you used purple bubble gum to hold it together!:laughing:

What do you do that stresses them enough to break them?

Not sure really? Could be the really heavy cutter I use?? Allthough this was the first time it broke with the cutter on, and 90% of the time the cutter is on....half of the weight is on the tailwheel. I know when blading and catching a root and raising the hitch, it puts way more pressure on them than the bushhog.

I think it is just a weak design with undersized parts. Even the factory kubota toplink was really small.

Here is a shot of the side link next to a standard TSC cat I toplink, this will show you how small my sidelinks really are

 

[jinman]

I broke a sidelink lower shackle off my hydraulic cylinder because I did a bone head modification. I redrilled it so that the lower arm bottomed out in the tilt cylinder's shackle when the arm went too low. I was pulling a subsoiler trying to grub up tree roots and something went POP!. Oops!

 

[MtnViewRanch]

I broke a sidelink lower shackle off my hydraulic cylinder because I did a bone head modification. I redrilled it so that the lower arm bottomed out in the tilt cylinder's shackle when the arm went too low. I was pulling a subsoiler trying to grub up tree roots and something went POP!. Oops!

Yes, sir, need to always be aware of the distance required at the pinch point both raised and lowered.

 

[LD1]

That wasnt my issue. No modifications, using the original kubota holes, and has plenty of clearance all the way up, and all the way down.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Yes, sir, need to always be aware of the distance required at the pinch point both raised and lowered.

Easy fix, just get some of LD1's purple bubble gum and stick it back on (after doing some bevel on the rod) Looks like the original weld wasn't much to brag about either.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Not sure really? Could be the really heavy cutter I use?? Allthough this was the first time it broke with the cutter on, and 90% of the time the cutter is on....half of the weight is on the tailwheel. I know when blading and catching a root and raising the hitch, it puts way more pressure on them than the bushhog.

I think it is just a weak design with undersized parts. Even the factory kubota toplink was really small.

Here is a shot of the side link next to a standard TSC cat I toplink, this will show you how small my sidelinks really are

View attachment 343571

Looks like it would work, but need a shorter top link than the one you have in the photo.

 

[LD1]

Easy fix, just get some of LD1's purple bubble gum and stick it back on (after doing some bevel on the rod) Looks like the original weld wasn't much to brag about either.

Yea, Its pretty cool gum too. Turns from bright orange, to red, to purple, then grey. And give it a few days it turns rust brown. But it does hold good:laughing:

Looks like it would work, but need a shorter top link than the one you have in the photo.

I am planning on cutting it in half, and only using half for each side. The only drawback would be the only way to adjust it is to unhook one side, then spin. But thats okay with me, I never adjust the side link. And whenever I need to, it usually involves taking it off anyway to get it freed up. I got the lock-nut really tight and now the whole dube wants to spin. Kinda a PITA, but any looser and it comes lose on its own when bushhogging. So having something that I KNOW wont loosen unless taken off is kinda a good thing.

 

[jinman]

That wasnt my issue. No modifications, using the original kubota holes, and has plenty of clearance all the way up, and all the way down.

Yep! I didn't think it was. I could see no evidence of bottoming out on your clevis fork. I just wanted to post because it should be obvious to no move the hole, but was in a hurry and my thinking cap was still inside the house on the hat rack.

BTW: LD1, I bet nobody ever comes along and snags them a piece of your purple ABC gum.

 

[MHarryE]

Knowing with the tilt side link I worked with Brian giving him measurements from my tractor to make sure there was no clevis interference when the 3pt was all the way down and the side cylinder was fully extended. Sure enough when the kit arrived I checked it out through all ranges and it had just the clearance it should have. My L5740 side links (the original non tilt ones) seem plenty beefy but the L5740 is Cat 2 sized.

 

[Bill Hoffman]

How about replacing the weak link with a piece of chain? Did that with mine,
presto, no more problem. It allows my rear blade to float really easily
when I'm snow plowing. That way I don't dig up my gravel driveway.

Bill