Top Link Arm

[TheMan419]

Ok so I bent the top link arm on my Boomer 24. Not lifting anything close to the rated lift capacity of the 3 point. Lift capacity at ball ends is 1400 lbs. The tiller is 600 lbs and the bush hog is 500 lbs. Nothing heavier than those two items.

I went to TSC and Rural King for a new Cat 1 top link. They both have the exact same item with their own label on it. I am sure made in the same factory in China or India or where ever.

The after market top link is clearly beefier. Larger diameter.

However down under the tractor where it connects, it simply will not fit between the tabs. Might be 1/8 inch too wide. So out comes the grinder. Since it was only a $20 part I ground down the top link to fit. So I got it in there.

How bad of an idea was that? Did I destroy the integrity of the part? If so it was only a $20 part so I do not care that I wasted $20. However where would I find one that would fit without having to be modified?

I also thought of grinding down the tab on the tractor, but of course that is an irreversible decision.

Any advice from the hive mind here? Or is grinding down what I did just the answer and do not worry about it any more?

 

[Citydude]

It should be fine. 1/8" off the sides isn't going to reduce the capacity for lift.

 

[TheMadOne]

I did the same with the hydraulic top link I bought for the L3301. Never had a bit of problem.

 

[ovrszd]

I'm curious how you bent the original?

 

[TheMan419]

I'm curious how you bent the original?

I was using the tiller as a counter weight. Something I have done a dozen times or more in the last couple months. Went to take it off and top link was bent. I hate it when I do something I have done before and get different results!

 

[ericm979]

Just hanging an implement off the 3pt should not bent the top link. Check to make sure that the top link does not contact the tractor or implement over the 3pt's travel.

 

[oosik]

Did you back into something that forced the tiller to rise up? An implement attached to the 3-point system should not bend the top link.

You should not have hurt the new top link one bit by grinding off a little.

NO, don't grind on the tab. That will weaken it.

2X - what ericm979 recommends.

 

[ovrszd]

Way more to this story.

 

[oosik]

ovrszd - I do believe so.

 

[TheMan419]

Just hanging an implement off the 3pt should not bent the top link. Check to make sure that the top link does not contact the tractor or implement over the 3pt's travel.

I did note that the portion of the top link that connects to the tiller was canted off to the passenger side. It may have gotten bound up in the frame of the tiller. I will look at that next time I connect.

It seems to me that the whole implement was canted further to the side than usual. So some adjustment of the lower arms appears to be in order.

 

[TerryR]

When the implement is raised the top link is in tension. It cannot be bent from the weight of the implement, but could only be broken in two.

For it to be bent it would have to be in compression, as from backing the implement into a solid object, or there would have some direct sideways force applied to the link itself.

 

[shooterdon]

When the implement is raised the top link is intension. It cannot be bent from the weight of the implement, but could only be broken in two.

For it to be bent it would have to be in compression, as from backing the implement into a solid object, or there would have some direct sideways force applied to the link itself.

That makes sense.

 

[TheMan419]

When the implement is raised the top link is in tension. It cannot be bent from the weight of the implement, but could only be broken in two.

For it to be bent it would have to be in compression, as from backing the implement into a solid object, or there would have some direct sideways force applied to the link itself.

Well I know I didn't back into anything.....

I do not think it was the weight of the implement as I have used it numerous times both as a tiller and just as a counter weight when placing a lot of weight in the bucket or just as additional rear wheel weight when moving snow.

Why can it not be bent but just broken by the weight?

 

[rangerfredbob]

You cannot bend a straight object by pulling on it along it's axis, steel is very strong under tension plus there is no sideways forces acting while in tension in a straight link. Steel is weak under compression and any arc in the link will cause the link to bend (where in tension it will straighten out) once it reaches the limit of the material the link is made of.

Take a paperclip, straighten it, pull it apart and see what happens, it straightens out, push on the ends and see what happens, it will bend even with the slightest bow in it. Kinda like a string, pull on it and it's straight there is now way to bend it from pulling, push on a string and it goes all sorts of wonky, same thing...

 

[TerryR]

Why can it not be bent but just broken by the weight?

Because the weight puts the top link in tension. It tries to make it longer, not shorter. By bending it gets shorter, the oppose of what the weight would do.

 

[mapper]

Definitely backed into something, top link has lots of play side to side, the arms will be hitting the rear tires before the top link will bind. When I am using my tiller as a counter weight I have to shorten the chain on the rear cover, otherwise it can dig into the ground when reversing if the front of the tractor is up a bit (going up the side of a pile when stacking material).

 

[daugen]

sounds like a Cat 2 link being stuffed into a Cat 1 space...? if so, the Cat 2 likely has plenty of extra metal on it.
I've seen a lot of these top links built in India, heavy duty and impressive.

Now what caused this is a good detective story, the clues are being studied.

 

[TheMan419]

Definitely backed into something, top link has lots of play side to side, the arms will be hitting the rear tires before the top link will bind. When I am using my tiller as a counter weight I have to shorten the chain on the rear cover, otherwise it can dig into the ground when reversing if the front of the tractor is up a bit (going up the side of a pile when stacking material).

Ok so this sounds like a logical possibility. I have a manure pile as high as I can stack it. Since I was spreading it I was not too particular about going into the pile to grab material.

Quite possible this happened.

 

[TheMan419]

sounds like a Cat 2 link being stuffed into a Cat 1 space...? if so, the Cat 2 likely has plenty of extra metal on it.
I've seen a lot of these top links built in India, heavy duty and impressive.

Now what caused this is a good detective story, the clues are being studied.

It is def not cat 2. There were cat 2 top links on the shelf as well. Very clear difference in the size.