Rear Finish Mower How to narrow a three-point attachment arms

[SouthernSky]

The two front sides of my landpride finishing mower somehow separated over the years. Unfortunately this makes it tough to mount it for use as the lower arms keep scraping the inside of the rear tires. Don’t ask me how it happened as I don’t have a clue.

Anyone got any ideas on how to pull the two sides back closer together so they have a normal 29” spread? Popping it with sledgehammer didn’t budge it. I don’t have a torch so I’m looking for some way to clamp the two sides together and squeeze them back into the normal position.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Hughman]

They look bent. Maybe unbolt them and flip them over?

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

how much do you need to bring it together?

I see one is mounted inboard and the other outboard. Is there a reason you have it this way?

Would mounting the LHS inboard like the RHS give you the right measurement?

Could you shim them inboard to get the numbers you want?


just some ideas not requiring special tools.

 

[old and tired]

My Bush Hog finishing mower was the same way. I did have access to a hydraulic press, was pretty quick and easy.

In your case I would see about taking the left one, mount it on the right side (and visa versa).

 

[SouthernSky]

The issue there is the arms themselves are also offset. Without it connecting it to the lower arms would be at a 40 degree angle. I've already moved the the arms several times to try different configurations but the ends where it attaches to the Pat's quick hitches is severely angled.

I just don't know of a way to compress them. I should have taken a better picture from overhead which I will when it is daylight again.

 

[zzvyb6]

If you have a couple of large pipe wrenches, put both on one side at a time (top and bottom) so that when the back of the deck is in front of a tree, put a chain on both wrenches and pull the chain with your tractor. The wrenches will bend the mounting plates back into their normal F/A orientation.
Two wrenches in order to put a uniform bending moment on the whole plate area at the bend location instead of just a localized section. If you only have 1 wrench, do small increments of pull, top to bottom. Heck, even a LARGE Crescent type wrench will do. You want a LONG arm to get a big bending moment.

 

[old and tired]

I would unbolt them and take them somewhere to get pressed back straight. Machine shop or most mechanics usually will have a press...

 

[Sportsman762]

Why do you not switch the arms. This would make them bend in vs out. If your lifting the mower and carrying it much it could spread. I know my junky brush hog spreads all the time. I take a Highlift jack and squeeze them back together.

 

[WranglerX]

IF you are talking the two bolt on arms, get them off get them to a anvil and a sledge hammer.... If heat needed a make shift forge using charcoal or briquettes .... Think old skool blacksmithing...

 

[Too many Kubotas]

There has to be a dozen simple ways to fix this issue. With the parts being bolted on and easily removable the choices are nearly unlimited.

To make those parts not bend as readily in the future could require a little bit of thought. Very little, but still.