Need help with Canopy design

[Charliebrn]

Hey guys and gals, I need some help. I just picked up a cab roof from a Curtis Cab that came into my dealer scratched. To make a long story short, I bought it for a decent price and want to make a canopy out of it. Since this was designed as a cab roof (In other words, it attached to the sides of the cab which supported it), I have no way of mounting it. It is made of a fairly heavy gauge of steel, and weighs something like 60lbs. I figure on making a frame that I'm going to clamp to my ROPS, but I'm wondering if a couple braces angled up from the rops to the front of the canopy will support it properly. I want to try and minimize the vibration on it as much as possible for lights, etc.

I'd appreciate any ideas and if anyone has pictures of how their canopy is mounted, I'd sure appreciate it if you could post em....

Thanks in advance!!!

 

[OkieG]

Hi Scott,

Sounds like you got a good deal on that cab top. You will probably find that even 60# isn't too hard to support. You probably won't even have to angle the supports up to the canopy. My canopy uses two lengths of square tubing running along the inside of the top for support. Picture is attached.

Yes, my canopy is fiberglass, and not as heavy as yours, but I think I could almost do pull-ups on the ends of those braces...if I could do pull-ups!! BuckTop ads show a pretty girl sitting on top of a mounted canopy.

The vibration issue has been discussed some in another thread somewhere. Can't remember all the options, but I think some sort of sound deadening spray is available. You can spray the underside of your canopy and quiet the vibration. My canopy is not treated for vibration...and it does vibrate at certain tractor speeds. Changing the tractor speed a little usually quiets it down...and with earplugs in, it's only a minor nusaince for me.

Good luck. Post pictures!

OkieG

 

[PineRidge]

Charlie I have a fiberglass canopy on my TC-40D. Firebird Fiberglass makes it. They use rubber isolators to eliminate vibration in their TracTop canopies. I am sure they would sell you a set of the rubber mounts to use with your rig. They can be reached here http://www.firebirdfiberglass.com

I also had an issue with my folding ROPS vibrating because of the TracTop but because the tractor is housed in a 14-foot pole barn with 10-foot doors I didn't need a folding ROPS. I removed the pins and replaced them with bolts and locknuts. The Rops is now permanent and it does not rattle.


Good luck on your project. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Soundguy]

Try attatching it like my canopy is. The are angle iron brackets, and use 'U' bolts to attatch to the rops.. canopy and all.

Soundguy

 

[PineRidge]

Charlie I finally got around to taking a few pictures of my canopy mount since I am in the process of adding some halogen lights to compensate for when I am using my FEL.

Anyway, check out my picture. If you use the U-bolts like mine then you can adjust horizontally & vertically for your canopy. The design is quite simple. I also have more pictures if you need them just let me know.

 

[Golfgar4]

Mike,

Is that a TBN'ers street sign hanging on the wall under the radio?? /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Where'd you get that? Does Muhammad know there was a street named after his website??

Gonna have to send the TBN PO-lice after you to get that sign!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[PineRidge]

<font color="blue"> Is that a TBN'ers street sign hanging on the wall under the radio??

Where'd you get that? Does Muhammad know there was a street named after his website??

Gonna have to send the TBN PO-lice after you to get that sign!!
</font>

OK you got me. I was hoping no one whould notice. Put the cuffs on me and take me away.

Actually my better half got that sign for me before I knew what TBN was. It is my last name EBNER, never got around to putting it up so it's home is the pole barn for now.

Too many other projects underway right now. I'm going to be up to my adams apple this Monday as I am having 40 tons of number 1s & 2s stone delivered for some drainage ditch work here at the ranch. I imagine that will keep me busy for a bit.

Wanna Help? /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[Charliebrn]

Thanks to everyone. I think I have a design in mind and am going to try it out this weekend. Sort of a hybrid between your pics here and another tractor I saw on my way to work. If it works, I'll post pictures, if not, well, I think I'll try PineRidges solution to see if it will work. One think about this rooftop is that it is made of fairly heavy gauge metal and I'm hoping that i wont need bracing from front to back.

Thanks for the help everyone! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Scott

 

[Charliebrn]

Well, here are the results... Pic 1

 

[Charliebrn]

From the front...