Lift Arm stabilizers

[Chain Bender]

took pictures last week but was unable to get them to my host web stie until today.

total cost for a homemade pair was $56. I used the exisitng shackles on the axle end and had some pretty heavy turnbuckles that I used in the lift arm end.

Holes in this pictures are a tad out of line, but there is enough slop between the two tubes that will let every hole combination match up. The drop pin is an old homemade 1/2" pin I already had made up. Will make some nicer "T"-handle pins or pins with ring handles.

Need to do the finish sanding, priming and painting when I get some free time.

Anyway, it can be done and it can be done cheap and easily.

 

[qstott]

I guess everyone is different. Today I was hooking up a box blade on my new to me JD4720. It has the sliding set up that was described in the first post. My old 1050 had turnbuckles and chains. I was thinking how aggravating the new style links were to adjust. I had to disconnect them at the tractor end because the pins had a ring on that end, and someone had put cotter keys through the pins at the implement end. I couldn't get them to open up wide enough to get them on the pins on the box blade without unhooking them. The chains were so much easier to spread apart. I never used grease on my turnbuckles, dirt tends to stick to it. If they needed anything I would spray them with a shot of penetrating oil. I'm thinking about making me up a set of chain links. The key to adjusting, is to have the implement raised. I could prop my leg against it to push it to the side and tighten the opposite link up.

 

[GPintheMitten]

Speaking of the stabilizers... how tight should they be? Should you leave a little play side to side or tighten both up to eliminate the sway?

 

[qstott]

Depends on the implement. For a bush hog, I like a little slack. As someone said earlier, it will allow a little give if you turn short and scrub something. If I have something like a boom poll hitched. I like for it to be tight. I don't want the boom pole swaying around if I'm trying to hook a chain to something, or trying to place something on a trailer with it. For grading the driveway, I like for my box blade to be snug too.

 

[herringchoker]

I have found that most three point attachments take about the same settings on the stabilizers.
So what we do when customers don't want to upgrade to the 3030 or new model 3000 stabilizers with the pin adjustment we change out the pins on the outboard side so they remove with a quick pin so they can be moved out of the way easily and then reattached quickly when the three point tools are exchanged.

Art, what a great idea! I like the fine adjustment on the turnbuckles, but it's a pain backing off and tightening them again every time I change implements. This modification is now at the top of my "to do" list. :thumbsup:

 

[Chain Bender]

I told my neighbor lastnight that I had built a set of sliders and how much they cost me to build. Drilling the holes was a bit labor intensive but I got it done.

Then he said why didn't you just go to TSC and buy a pair of $30 top links and a shackle for the lift arm end and you'd be done. Top links have a 6-10" rod through the middle to make easy adjustments and can be greased.

Live and learn from an old man with experieince......

CB

 

[GPintheMitten]

Depends on the implement. For a bush hog, I like a little slack. As someone said earlier, it will allow a little give if you turn short and scrub something. If I have something like a boom poll hitched. I like for it to be tight. I don't want the boom pole swaying around if I'm trying to hook a chain to something, or trying to place something on a trailer with it. For grading the driveway, I like for my box blade to be snug too.

Thanks. I made my pretty snug for the rear snow blower.