has any GC series owner ever tried moving lift links back an inch on lift arms to gain lift height?

[Dmacleo]

this prob would only apply to gc series scut due to design but looking at stuff today I realized if I move my lift link rearward 1.5 inches or so (and weld the old pin hole for strength) I gain almost 3.5" ( angles/physics/pure friggin magic) lift at the end of the arm.

I already have more than enough down travel for any implement I use and even if I did this (I did some mock tests) I can still set my reese adapter on titan quick hitch right on the ground.

I had been thinking about this even before I swapped out the pats hitches for the titan and lost 2-3" (depends on implement) total lift height at implement end.
I did look to see if I could attach the titan hitch ONTO the pats hitches but...full down position looks like it would crush latches so NOPE!!! LOL
full up I could make work by slight cut on bottom gusset but the the latch interference issue that stopped me.

still, nice to back up to 435lbs 5ft box scraper and drive off w/o getting off tractor.

tiller is all wrapped up for winter so not tested yet but expect same results.

reason I am interested in extra lift height is I do bunch of trailer movements with different vehicles on same trailer.
the 2011 chevy 2500HD with the bm 12" adjustable hitch I can easily set to no sharp ramp angle.
my 2011 mercury marquis....not so much even with air bags at 45psi LOL
hate having to raise chain on tiller rear guard to offload.

with no quick hitch had to in order to back off when using car, with pats (due to way the implement pins sit higher due to pats hitch CONTINUING the lift arm length 3") didn't have to.
with this titan hitch will need to.

 

[coldsteelva]

I'm sure the geometry works out, but you will be impacting your lift capacity at a minimum. You may be moving the stress point to a binding or breaking point that you haven't considered. If you were to try this, I would make sure to only do it with a spare pair of stabilizers arms and not the only original pair you may have, especially if the plan fails.

 

[Dmacleo]

yeah I've considered the lift capacity change, I'd actually gain a bit (edit prob just the opposite I looked at it wrong) due to leverage but would need to keep eye on lift links themselves for stress too.
tiller is heaviest thing I carry (530 lbs no dirt, prob 545 normal use) and don't ever plan on anything heavier.

 

[JWR]

Many tractors provide multiple attach holes on the lift arms for the lift links. I have never heard of a broken lift arm. And I cannot imagine welding a hole shut to strengthen one !

 

[Dmacleo]

Many tractors provide multiple attach holes on the lift arms for the lift links. I have never heard of a broken lift arm. And I cannot imagine welding a hole shut to strengthen one !

single hole on this one, where these scut are cat1 and relatively small (compared to say 32hp MF1532 cut) a few minutes of welding at dads house not hard to do.
honestly prob not needed but if I'm over there doing stuff anyway will let him fire up the stick welder.

 

[JWR]

single hole on this one, where these scut are cat1 and relatively small (compared to say 32hp MF1532 cut) a few minutes of welding at dads house not hard to do.
honestly prob not needed but if I'm over there doing stuff anyway will let him fire up the stick welder.

It's your iron, not mine. In my opinion there is no reason to do any welding AND you are fairly likely to weaken the lift arm inadvertently doing that welding.

 

[Dmacleo]

It's your iron, not mine. In my opinion there is no reason to do any welding AND you are fairly likely to weaken the lift arm inadvertently doing that welding.

you know I didn't think about the welding weakening it, those would be difficult for me to re-temper.
great point. one I cannot believe I missed earlier.
if I am worried about any flexing on org bolt hole I can always run a bolt though it with small 1/8" thick 2x2 plate on each side to sandwich it. heck if I size bolt right can prob get away w/o sandwiching with plates, just make sure bolt fills hole tightly.
thats if I am worried and notice any flexing.
think maybe I'll start marking and drilling this week. no drill press so have to measure carefully and drill while mounted.

 

[JWR]

Backing up in the thoughts here -- your main reason to be interested in more 3pt lift ht is moving trailers around ? Hmmm.

I had an adapter made for the front of a smaller Kubota that takes a receiver hitch bolted to it straight out of Tractor Supply. The adapter is nothing but a heavy piece of steel bent into an angle iron around a foot long and 5 or 6 inches each surface. One surface bolts to the front of the tractor frame and the other surface (flat, top) has the receiver hitch bolted on. I have found that to be THE best trailer mover ever. So much better in front of me where I can see what I am doing and far more maneuverable than using the 3pt rear towing/pushing. I was able to do that such that the FEL is not interfering. If you can't do that with your GC configuration I would even consider attaching a receiver hitch to the FEL bucket and use that for trailer moving. I doubt that your tongue loading on the trailer comes close to the capacity of your loader.

If for whatever reason you still want to use the 3pt to do the trailer moving, there are a lot of the triangular trailer mover adapter for 3pt. sold. See yellow one below. And so long as you have something with a receiver hitch in the picture you can get a wide variety of lifts and drops in terms of the inserts into the receiver hitch.

Either front or rear I think you should be able to work out a very comfortable trailer mover without modifying your GC or doing anything strenuous.

I have no picture of what you are using now in your 3pt to do trailer relocation but maybe the cheapest thing is to get one of the receiver hitches like I show on the front of my little Kubota (cheap, readily available, TSC, etc.) and weld that to whatever you are using now ? Then you can use that wide variety of lifts and drops in terms of the inserts into the receiver hitch.

Whatever you end up doing let us know and post a picture if handy.

 

[Dmacleo]

trailers moved a lot yes, but extra lift more for tiller when loading INTO trailer.
I've got the trailer adapter for 3pt mounted, move bunch (2 of my own, 2 of neighbors) of 2" ball stuff, one pintle pin (like lawnmower type) and one 2 5/16" ball 23ft overall length tilt trailer.



the pintle type adapter just sitting on top for picture, had an old 4" rise 1 1/4 reese adapter lying around I just bought a 2 to 1 1/4" adapter bolted them together.

 

[JWR]

Your picture is worth the previous 1000 words of course. Do you have a loader? I put almost anything but tractors on my various trailers using a FEL & some chain.

Another possibly dumb question: Do your lift links down to the lift arms have enough adjustment in length to help? I think I saw aftermarket lift links at TSC with a pretty broad adjustment range.