ROPS Hinge

[Sarge 1940]

I had to cut my ROPS bar to get my TC30 into the barn. Does anyone know of aftermarket hinges that I can weld on to my cut bar to allow me raise and lower the ROPS? Thanks

 

[valley]

If you have a look at someone's folding ROP and copy the hinge. You'll need to add some plate and cap the ends. So you will need some plate steel, bolts, a welder and drill press. Richard

 

[firemanpat2910]

wow everyone take a deep breath, count to 10, play a game of solitaire, then respond.

 

[mwb]

Ya, some tend to get grumpy about doing such things...

The hinge should be very easy, here is some pics I stole off the net; the second one looks fairly easy to make. Note that the side plates are spanned at the front into a U shape, keeps the side plates from bending.

If you design your own remember that it should handle side loads (if you tip on your side) and also if you roll over backwards (stand it on end).

Some have built their own using a "barn hinge" as the hinge and using cross pins to lock it in place (the hinge is not used as a structural compenent when the ROPS is locked upright).

You will have to consider the thickness of the tube on your ROPS; the wall thickness might not be heavy enough for cross bolts, you might have to add some plate to the increase the wall thickness.

 

[Flatheadyoungin]

DON'T CUT YOUR ROPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You'll shoot your eye out.....

There, got that out of the way......

 

[Opti-Mist]

You now own total liability that might ever arise due to the ROPS that you modified.

 

[mwb]

Here is a close up of the hinge on my Montana. Hope it helps.

Cheers,
Mike

 

[Sarge 1940]

Thanks for the helpful information , time to get some stock and start welding. Great photos.

 

[ultrarunner]

You now own total liability that might ever arise due to the ROPS that you modified.

Not quite true...

At one time, a company I worked for modified machinery for very specialized applications...

Just replace the modified parts with OEM and your good to go...

 

[LBrown59]

DON'T CUT YOUR ROPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You'll shoot your eye out.....

Too Late .
He done already done did it.

 

[J_J]

Apparently some of you don't realize that modifying the ROPS could make it stronger. Look at mwb's fold down hinge and say that ain't gonna work, and it ain't safe. . There is probably not one incident report of the failure of a cut down ROPS that the cause the death of someone. He needs to drive it into his barn, or whatever. If he leaves it /folded down, and gets hurt, then it is his fault, but he should make sure that if anyone else uses it, it had better be in place and functional, for everyones sake. Please don't call the ROPS police for him doing something to his own tractor, and perhaps making it better.

 

[J_J]

This could be as simple as putting a 1/4 box tube inside the ROPS, and sliding the top half on the the box tubing, and bolting or using pins grade 5 or 8 to secure it .

 

[Opti-Mist]

Not quite true...

At one time, a company I worked for modified machinery for very specialized applications...

Just replace the modified parts with OEM and your good to go...

My point was that in a court of law, modifying the ROPS lets the original manufacturer off the hook. Their defense would be that were the ROPS not modified it would have functioned as designed and that having been modified it could not thereby effectively transferring liability to the party having made the modification.

 

[valley]

You have a couple good pictures from mwb and j. j.'s suggestion is even simpler. If you plan to make a hinge it would be helpful to see one in person. Hope you show us what you decide to do. Richard

 

[PAB_OH]

Apparently some of you don't realize that modifying the ROPS could make it stronger.

Not always a good thing, trust me. A stronger ROPS transfers more energy into the frame of the tractor wherever it's attached, usually the rear axle housing and they are usually cast. Now you've got more energy being transferred to a "brittle" material. Bad stuff bud.


I work for a heavy equipment OEM, ROPS stuff is pretty serious business.

Long story short, if you modify a ROPS you DO let the OEM off the hook for almost every imaginable ROPS related scenario. I would imagine you also accept liability from that point forward.

One final note, and I don't know that it will ever apply to you or not, you probably own liability if you ever sell it too. I hate to say it but because of the world we live in, you would probably lose a lawsuit if someone got hurt or killed because of ROPS failure after you sold it.

If you keep it forever, no big deal. Just remember, you probably changed the way it will behave in a rollover.

How much did you trim off and just as importantly, where did you remove the material from?

 

[J_J]

This is some ROPS data for those that like to dig into technical stuff.

WAC 296-155-960: Protective frame (ROPS) test procedures and performance requirements for wheel-type agricultural and industrial tractors used in construction.

 

[Danno1]

I had to cut my ROPS bar to get my TC30 into the barn. Does anyone know of aftermarket hinges that I can weld on to my cut bar to allow me raise and lower the ROPS? Thanks

How about these:


Door Hinges :: Cornerstone Detention Products :: Doors, frames, locks for Prisons, Jails, Detention Centers, Police Departments


.