New ym240d owner

[CoyPatton]

Interesting! I had assumed that was the case, but then got my neighbor's advice to get the sway chains tight to where you can get just a tiny wiggle. (Any tighter accelerates wear). He's third generation running his own apple orchard, now converted to grapes, and he contracts my orchard and others to total 200 acres that he maintains - prune, disc, thin, spray, harvest. Up to a dozen full time employees live at his bunkhouse. I rely on his advice for things like this where my amateur work will never put the hours on my equipment comparable to what he experiences.

I can see how too-tight stresses everything so I leave slight slack to avoid that.

Getting the pin out of the chain-splice needs a little slack or it won't move. But getting the pin back in later needs a lot of slack, because I can't pull all the slack out of the other components - so I back the turnbuckle way off as the first step to swapping implements. Avoiding that is why a chain binder looks like a better alternative. I wish I could find very short chain binders rated over 2k lbs because I think the flimsy 500~750 lb ones would get destroyed.

Incidentally (I'm bored ) Here's a recent improvement. I cut down a HF bar magnet and welded it to the top edge of the q-hitch. Now when I pull that chain-splice clip and then its pin, I have a place to hold them so they don't fall down in the weeds. The magnet is strong enough that it also works for those longer pins that adjust the height of the q-hitch's hook.

While my branch of the family is not actively farming now, the uncle that family still farms has 3 generations currently involved in the farming operation. That operation is a 6000+ acre row crow operation as of now and growing.
It is this group which as a kid included my father in the farming that taught me to leave a but of sway. Again I realize ‘a bit’ is a vague term. But it is one of feel, that I have adjusted during the process of the particular job. I will admit, I have never changed implements on a tractor with sway chains on the inside, but do understand the principle as it works in the ‘opposite’ manner of outside sway chains that I have.
With inside sway chains, some type of quick hitch would be mandatory in my opinion. I love my Pats style quick hitch that gives me freedom to adjust my lower arm width.

 

[California]

I was running with a little slack like you describe until my neighbor commented. Maybe I should compromise and back them off a little.

One tractor has inner sway control (pictured) the larger tractor has outer which originates below the outer wheel bearings. I can't see that one style works better than the other for my HF q-hitch, pictured. Running without the q-hitch, the Outer style is simpler to switch implements because the arm can swing out free of tie implement's pin.

 

[Jmlcolorado]

I decided to mess around with the lathe today and built some pins to relocate the 3 link bottom links back in the proper location.
Problem with the way the guy before “fixed” them was the slack adjusters and bottom links weren’t on the same plain. So the slack adjusters would bind up 3/4 of the way up, and be completely loose down low.
I also didn’t have but 50% range of motion on the 3 link.
I basically turned down a chunk of hot rolled bar to match the factory hole in the rear end, then continued with 7/8” for the bottom link to slide over. The outer portion I turned down to 5/8” which was what the internal diameter of the coupling nuts were when I removed the threads through half of them.
I left the other half threaded and drilled out the slack adjuster plates and ran a bolt through them.

Seem to be a viable repair. Time will tell. I figured having the bottom in double shear would be a lot better than the original single shear pin.





Best part is Ive regained full range of motion and the slack adjusters remain consistent all the way up and down

 

[jimjumper]

Those pins look pretty much identical to the factory ones in my 240. I would caution to make sure the bolt is tight each time. If they work loose they either get snapped off or take out chunks out of the hub. Ask me how I know!

 

[Jmlcolorado]

Hum. Solid advice!

I used red lock tight on the bolts. Hopefully they won’t go anywhere ����

I would have preferred factory pins, but I doubt I’d find any.
Plus the previous owner welded the broken piece back on the rear end after he broke out the original pin so the threads were all messed up internally. Figures this would do the trick.

 

[California]

Looking good!

 

[CoyPatton]

Looks very good. Always good to have things in line with the original design. The red locktite should keep the bolts in place.

 

[Jmlcolorado]

I buried the blade in the dirt behind my shop. Enough to stop the tractor in low gear, 1st gear, 4 wheel drive with dif locked.
I’d say if it’ll hold up to that, i should be good.
I will probably avoid pushing anything in reverse though.

 

[Jtullis13]

Looks great, it is nice to have those tools for repairs like this. Good choice on the red locktite and agree with avoiding pushing anything in reverse. I don't know if it was jimjumper or another member but I do remember the post where someone did take a chunk out of there hub before.

 

[California]

... remember the post where someone did take a chunk out of there hub before.

You might be thinking of me. I ended up replacing the axle assembly complete, because I don't have the lathe etc to make a long pin like JML did.

Photo - housing with chunk torn out. The pin's threads were bad and loose when I bought the YM240 in 2003. I cemented it in with red Locktite and forgot about it. A decade later it worked loose and I didn't notice it - until the backhoe overstressed the pin, when it was likely halfway unscrewed. Thread where I described replacing the axle housing.

JML that's great news that its back together! You're going to love it after you've worked out the other bugs.