Should I remove and reposition hitch lugs, or simply add 2 new ones?

[Will S]

The ballast box I bought has the lower hitch pin lugs welded near the bottom of the box, which is 23"+ below the top link. I need hitch pins at 16" below the top link, so I am considering either grinding off the welds, remove the tabs and welding them at the proper location, OR leave them (or cut them off), and add new ones further up where they need to be.

I will never need the lower hitch-pin location, so really no need to leave them. In fact, they may become shin-busters at some point down the road.

What would you do?

 

[Cataclysm]

I'd unweld them and weld them in the proper place. No shin busters for me.

 

[Xfaxman]

The ballast box I bought has the lower hitch pin lugs welded near the bottom of the box, which is 23"+ below the top link. I need hitch pins at 16" below the top link, so I am considering either grinding off the welds, remove the tabs and welding them at the proper location, OR leave them (or cut them off), and add new ones further up where they need to be.

I will never need the lower hitch-pin location, so really no need to leave them. In fact, they may become shin-busters at some point down the road.

What would you do?

View attachment 467444

Get a longer top link, unless you have a Quick Hitch, then I would lower the top link bracket.

If you raise the lower pins, the ballast box might drag or get you stuck, with the tires in soft ground.

 

[dzljon]

I would just weld 2 new ones in the position required

 

[Toddao]

Lower the top one, half the work

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[murphy1244]

Weld a stand on the bottom ,maybe even some wheels if you store it on a cement floor.

 

[Deere Dude]

If you are sure the clearance from box to ground would be fine, I would weld new ones on and just cut the ends of old ones off and grind them. To remove the whole tab could be a mess, if it was me doing it anyway.

 

[Will S]

Get a longer top link, unless you have a Quick Hitch, then I would lower the top link bracket.

If you raise the lower pins, the ballast box might drag or get you stuck, with the tires in soft ground.

That's a good point. I bought a quick hitch, and that's why it doesn't work for me now. I don't have any steep slopes, but I wil check to see how low the box will be if I raise the bottom lugs. I notice on the Frontier box that the lugs are up toward the center. In fact, I don't remember seeing any BB with lugs at the bottom, like mine. It also would make it possible to hitch to the box if it were setting on the ground. With lugs at the bottom, it must be up on blocks. Might be a PITA if I need to unhitch the box somewhere, and had no blocks handy.

 

[Will S]

"Lower the top one, half the work"

Toddao





Might not be. There's a box channel that runs across the insidt of the top, so the weld is on more than the sheet metal. If I lower it, I will need to add something substantial, to carry the weight over to the corners.

 

[fidowanttobe]

Kinda the same but different, my boom sprayer won't set on the ground and I like it that way. Gotta set it on blocks, but plans are to make self storing pin-on legs for hook up. I like the fact that its off the ground so that it can't be forgotten and damaged backing up or? My most fragile 3pt item. Can you "make" a rigid top link that stays with the box instead of buying another and add removable legs/wheels?