Hydraulic Side Link Cylinder Recommendation

[MtnViewRanch]

I am also going to put hydraulic side links on my tractor I called CCM like others have said to on this web site but they said they do not recommend putting them on both sides because you could turn the tractor over. Does anyone know what they might be talking about?
Thanks

I have no idea, ask Mark @ CCM just what and or how that might occur.

Mark, what are your concerns regarding having 2 hydraulic side links?

 

[Cocre]

If you cut off ball and weld the OEM JD clevis end your total length will be over 18" center to center. To be around the 15" total for a side-link you will need a cylinder that is 10" from the base end to the end of the cylinder rod when the cylinder is fully retracted. Most of the float yokes I have seen on the JD tractors are made from cast. It is tricky for just anyone to weld dissimilar metals like cast and a hardened steel rod. Besides the JD cast clevis is 8" long and would have to be all but destroyed to use it. Most small tractors need 3.5" clearance on the bottom clevis to achieve a full range of motion. Add up the 3.5" on the bottom clevis, 10" of the cylinder & 1.5 for the top and you will get 15" total. A 15" side-link usually uses a 4-5" stroke cylinder.

JD has two different style side links for the 3320 according to jdparts, mine is the straight one. The clevis for my type can be bought as a single piece for $35 (LVU17518). I do not believe it is 8 inches long even in total length, and from the base (where I would weld) to the center of the float slot it is around 3 or 4 inches max.

My big concern is the size of the rod and cylinder diameter. A 1.5" bore with a 1" dia rod does not leave much for 2500 psi to push against. I don't know what linear forces are involved, I just think that I might can overload such a small cylinder.

 

[DR3045]

Picked up my side links from CCM They know there stuff I brought them home they made the hoses for me hook them up and they work Great!!! :thumbsup:
I wish everything can go as smooth as dealing with them.

Thank you Mark

 

[Cocre]

I purchased a 2x6x1.25 cylinder and associated fittings/hoses from Surplus Center a couple of days ago to use as my side link. When it comes in I will have to do some cutting and welding, but that will be fun.

The 2" diameter cylinder may have some interference with the right backhoe adapter plate when the 3pt hitch is all the way up and the hitch arms are spread to the max. But I have no implement with the hitch pins near that wide, so I think it will mostly be a non-issue. That is why I first looked at a 1.5" cylinder, but I came to the conclusion that the smaller cylinder was just not man enough for the job.

 

[J_J]

The 1.5 in cyl would have given you 2218 lbs of push force, and the 2 in cyl, 7864 lbs of push force. .

 

[Cocre]

Unless my calcs are wrong the push force is ~4417 lbs for the 1.5 in cylinder (area of 1.767 sq in times the 2500 PSI system pressure). What drove me to the 2 inch diameter was the pull force, but I was in error with my initial calc on that, I figured that I had only ~982 lbs of pull force with the 1.5 and thought that to be unacceptable on a hitch that is rated at 2200 lbs 24 in behind the link arms. What I forgot to do is to multiply the .982 figure (what was left of the area after subtracting the area of the rod from the total cylinder area) by the PSI. So the actual pull force is ~2455 lbs which may be acceptable, but by the time I figured out my mistake I had already ordered the 2 incher. Anyway I feel more comfortable with pull forces of the larger cylinder along with the larger rod diameter. I guess I could have also flipped the 1.5 rod side up and benefitted from the extra force there, but too late now.

I don't think I ever want to put push forces on the three point hitch anyway. The pull force is what will lift or hold the attachment. If I ever exceed the lift value excessive pressure will build in the hydraulic system either causing it to go into relief or perhaps damage something.