Thanks Mid - The bracket inside is solid steel and about 2" thick...if anything, I could prob drill a hole underneath and run a long bolt. However, I am not sure of the ROPS folks would want me drilling into it and possibly weakening the potential integrity of the bar. Now that I know how it is structured/configured, I will not loosen pull out the bottom bolt unless I have the bracket secured first...thanks
ROPS, a thread I did not want to post
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Thanks Mid - The bracket inside is solid steel and about 2" thick...if anything, I could prob drill a hole underneath and run a long bolt. However, I am not sure of the ROPS folks would want me drilling into it and possibly weakening the potential integrity of the bar. Now that I know how it is structured/configured, I will not loosen pull out the bottom bolt unless I have the bracket secured first...thanks
Sodo
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You can drill a small hole and not affect the strength one tiny bit. If you're not certain, post a pic where you intend to drill, lots of folks on this forum can tell by looking if it affects strength. If you have to do this ROPS removal thing again, get setup for it so theres not a problem. Make your tractor work for YOU, not you work for it.
There are other ways. Maybe you can just glue that thing on the inside with silicone to hold it in place from falling. Or drop a piece of wood (like a 2x4) into the hole so if the nut falls it doesn't go out of reach.
This is how it is configured:
The bottom part of the ROPS bar is an open/hollowed like sq [thick-perimeters], w the brackets that fit inside. The brackets has a threaded receptacle w hole that aligns into the bottom hole of the ROPS bar. The upper part of the bracket has a nut-like receptacle that is threaded too, which one the upper "U" ROPS bar is place over the brackets and the holes aligned, you screw the bolts thru the upper ROPS into the threaded holes of the bracket. Getting the upper ROPS "inverted 'U'" over the brackets is a "beech" for one person. You can barely get the upper ROPS bar onto the brackets, but it takes fitting it slightly on one side, hold the whole thing [heavy too] and take a small sledge hammer and hit the outer side inward to move it over the bracket. Then you have to keep banging/tapping the bracket until the aligns w the holes. The left side I did, but the right side still is not aligned properly. You also have to loosen the lower bolts that go thru the brackets so they can have some play in them to fit maneuver the upper U bar over the brackets.
I thought about securing the brackets first into the upper U bar, then try to push the brackets and U bar into the holes, but that meant more weight to hold and getting those lower holes to align might even be way more difficult. Either way, I am still going to have to keep moving the upper bar until everything aligns on the right side. Maybe I might pull the whole U bar and then grease it some to help with re-fitting it. Once you torque it to spec's [all 4 bolts have lock washers] it should not move regardless of grease or not.
Thoughts ?
The bottom part of the ROPS bar is an open/hollowed like sq [thick-perimeters], w the brackets that fit inside. The brackets has a threaded receptacle w hole that aligns into the bottom hole of the ROPS bar. The upper part of the bracket has a nut-like receptacle that is threaded too, which one the upper "U" ROPS bar is place over the brackets and the holes aligned, you screw the bolts thru the upper ROPS into the threaded holes of the bracket. Getting the upper ROPS "inverted 'U'" over the brackets is a "beech" for one person. You can barely get the upper ROPS bar onto the brackets, but it takes fitting it slightly on one side, hold the whole thing [heavy too] and take a small sledge hammer and hit the outer side inward to move it over the bracket. Then you have to keep banging/tapping the bracket until the aligns w the holes. The left side I did, but the right side still is not aligned properly. You also have to loosen the lower bolts that go thru the brackets so they can have some play in them to fit maneuver the upper U bar over the brackets.
I thought about securing the brackets first into the upper U bar, then try to push the brackets and U bar into the holes, but that meant more weight to hold and getting those lower holes to align might even be way more difficult. Either way, I am still going to have to keep moving the upper bar until everything aligns on the right side. Maybe I might pull the whole U bar and then grease it some to help with re-fitting it. Once you torque it to spec's [all 4 bolts have lock washers] it should not move regardless of grease or not.
Thoughts ?
Sodo
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This is about all I could find to try to understand your description. Prob need better pics. Is this what your ROPS looks like?
Midniteoyl
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Holes, if done correctly, will not effect the strength. Holes filled with a screw will be the same as if there was no hole at all.
