Re: Rock \'n Rolling ROPS
Paul,
After a couple of tries of searching the archives, I found your thread back in the May timeframe on this subject last night. This prompted me to call the service manager at my Kubota dealer about the issue. Here is his response ... he said that for many models and years of past Kubota tractors, that the ROPS connection at the subframe and ROPS itself was very tight. It was apparently so tight, that when certain specific service and repair operations required the removal of the ROPS, it was almost impossible for Kubota service personnel to get the two parts separated. When BFH's didn't work, he said that they would use a forklift to forcibly remove the upper ROPS loop (sometimes lifting the rear of the tractor in the process). Apparently, enough Kubota service personnel complained about this condition over the years, Kubota initiated a design change that purposely provided more slop at the interconnection. Good news ... the ROPS was routinely more easy to separate for their service personnel. The bad news ... now a lot more play allowed the ROPS to pivot and lurch back and forth when bumpy conditions were encountered. At this point, he said that almost everyone notices the problem and complains about it. Furthermore, Kubota service personnel are again (ironically) complaining to Kubota that they went too far in this "improvement". He says that this problem is extremely common. When I asked about putting shims or rubber in the excessive space between the parts, he said they (and other owners) had tried a number of things. Rubber did not work out, because it just worked itself back out due to the constant motion. From what he said, shims seem to work better.
Frankly, your solution of using flexible magnetic material sounds great. I am either going to try that or some form of metal shims and then gronk down on the ROPS bolts to the higher torque setting you mentioned. With a metal canopy bolted to my ROPS, I am simply NOT going to allow the whole ROPS structure to beat itself to death ... independent of whatever design approach Kubota has decided to take in this regard. Thanks much for your input and ideas Paul.
Don