ModMech
Platinum Member
I just completed fabrication of our combination Trailer hitch, Soil Ripper (ditch drainage improver), Log Lifter based loosely on various designs seen on TBN.
All is need to do now is wait for slightly warmer days and apply my primer and paint before it is 100% completed.
Details:
Based on a Cat1 drawbar coupled with a trailer hitch "ball mount", and a TSC ripper shank and some stout angle iron to connect it all.
I took a piece of angle iron about 8" long with the center marked on the underside and held it over the drawbar in order to mark alignment of two holes for bolting the two pieces togather. The angle overhung what is to be the "front" of the drawbar when placed into position face down. I then drilled the required two 1/2" ID holes in the angle, reamed slightly and clamped the angle togather with the drawbar ensuring that my 1/2" bolts would fit correctly and they did.
I then placed the Class II hitch ball mount onto the top of the angle so that the hitch drop was on the "rear" side and the angle iron was hung over the other, marked the ball mount length just short of the end of the engle, cut it off and tacked welded it into place centered in the angle and drawbar.
The next step was to fit two 8" pieces of angle to the "forward" side of the drawbar and angle. I cut them to length, clamped both halfs back-to-back and drilled four 1/2" holes with 2" spacing - the same hole spacing as with the ripper bar. This will allow up to 4 bolts to be used (only 2 are needed) and the ripper depth to be adjusted easily in the assembly. Once the holes were drilled completely, I reamed them to about 9/16" to allow more easy passing of the 1/2" x 4" bolts thru the assembly. I measured the width of each ripper shank to be 3/4" so I spaced the two angles just over 1.5" (1 5/8") apart on the "front" side of the angle iron/drawbar because I do not intend to clamp them into place. When I was satisfied with my alignment of the angle and it did not sit much lower than the bottom of the ball mount I tack welded the two upright angles to the horizontal angle that was bolted to the drawbar.
Now I needed to fabricate the upright portion for the upper link attaching point and where I wanted my grab hook for the log-lifter. I chose a standard eyelet type grab hook that would float on a pin between the two uprights leading to the upper link pin. I added a small piece of material to prevent the hook from moving forward into the throught of the upright were it would be difficult to attach a chain with golves on - it's forced to stick out "just enough". I again clamped both 18" long uprights (the typical distance from lower to upper links for a Cat1 3pt) togather and drilled the two required holes, one for the hook 2" below the upper link hole and the upper link hole. The next step was to fit the uprights into place and verify operation. I made the mistake of welding a cross-piece to the front side of the upright near the top, which blocked the upper link pin holes,
so I cut that out and placed it at the very top of the upright.
I finnish welded the lower angles and hitch assembly to the horizontal angle that will bolt to the drawbar. I did not finnish weld with everything bolted because I did not want to burn the pain on my new drawbar!
Photos of the mostly finnished product are below.
All is need to do now is wait for slightly warmer days and apply my primer and paint before it is 100% completed.
Details:
Based on a Cat1 drawbar coupled with a trailer hitch "ball mount", and a TSC ripper shank and some stout angle iron to connect it all.
I took a piece of angle iron about 8" long with the center marked on the underside and held it over the drawbar in order to mark alignment of two holes for bolting the two pieces togather. The angle overhung what is to be the "front" of the drawbar when placed into position face down. I then drilled the required two 1/2" ID holes in the angle, reamed slightly and clamped the angle togather with the drawbar ensuring that my 1/2" bolts would fit correctly and they did.
I then placed the Class II hitch ball mount onto the top of the angle so that the hitch drop was on the "rear" side and the angle iron was hung over the other, marked the ball mount length just short of the end of the engle, cut it off and tacked welded it into place centered in the angle and drawbar.
The next step was to fit two 8" pieces of angle to the "forward" side of the drawbar and angle. I cut them to length, clamped both halfs back-to-back and drilled four 1/2" holes with 2" spacing - the same hole spacing as with the ripper bar. This will allow up to 4 bolts to be used (only 2 are needed) and the ripper depth to be adjusted easily in the assembly. Once the holes were drilled completely, I reamed them to about 9/16" to allow more easy passing of the 1/2" x 4" bolts thru the assembly. I measured the width of each ripper shank to be 3/4" so I spaced the two angles just over 1.5" (1 5/8") apart on the "front" side of the angle iron/drawbar because I do not intend to clamp them into place. When I was satisfied with my alignment of the angle and it did not sit much lower than the bottom of the ball mount I tack welded the two upright angles to the horizontal angle that was bolted to the drawbar.
Now I needed to fabricate the upright portion for the upper link attaching point and where I wanted my grab hook for the log-lifter. I chose a standard eyelet type grab hook that would float on a pin between the two uprights leading to the upper link pin. I added a small piece of material to prevent the hook from moving forward into the throught of the upright were it would be difficult to attach a chain with golves on - it's forced to stick out "just enough". I again clamped both 18" long uprights (the typical distance from lower to upper links for a Cat1 3pt) togather and drilled the two required holes, one for the hook 2" below the upper link hole and the upper link hole. The next step was to fit the uprights into place and verify operation. I made the mistake of welding a cross-piece to the front side of the upright near the top, which blocked the upper link pin holes,
so I cut that out and placed it at the very top of the upright.I finnish welded the lower angles and hitch assembly to the horizontal angle that will bolt to the drawbar. I did not finnish weld with everything bolted because I did not want to burn the pain on my new drawbar!
Photos of the mostly finnished product are below.
