Belly Armor/Skid Plate ??

Remnant · Jul 21, 2003

Hello All, Glad I found Ya

Just busted Hyd return screen housing /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif!!
Have seen a lot of dented side suction filters and tweeked HST electronics under the L-R/H steps.
Anyone know of a source for belly-amor/skid-plates for the mid frame 4000s (42/43/44). Per local dealer they are not avail. from JD.
Thank you all for being here and letting us newbies bust in.
Les

JerryG · Jul 21, 2003

No one that I know makes them commercially. If your dealer has been in business very long, tell them that you want to know about a skid pan like they make for their larger tractors. Most dealers that have been in business for very long have made them for brush hog tractors.

barogers · Jul 21, 2003

Don't know where your JD dealer got his information from, but he is incorrect. JD does have an available skid plate package. It's called the Xtra Armor protection, it includes kevlar covers for hydraulic lines, hood and grille gaurds, steel plates for under-neath, steel plates for the forward hydraulic cylinders, etc. It runs about $650.00-$700.00 for the package or you can order pieces sperately. It is available for all 42xx-47xx series tractors and all 400 series loaders. I suggest you try asking him again or maybe asking another dealer. I even have the brochure for the package.

Remnant · Jul 21, 2003

Thank you Brad

Maybe I didn't frame my question correctly for the dealer. I'll talk to him again today. Still have to make up my mind between the 43/44, but my mind is definitly made up on the Armor.
I just bought a 42, used (200 hr), and it is a nice machine, but works pretty hard cutting the fields. Really have to go slow.real slow. The prior owner, or who ever serviced the machine, apparently didn't believe in metric tools, a lot of stripped/skinned/rounded bolt/nuts. I've only had it a few days and those little things are just eating at me, cursed with a bit of perfectionism I guess.
Again, Thank you for being here and the quick responce.
Les

JerryG · Jul 21, 2003

Yes, John Deere does have a armour kit. I may be wrong, but it sound like it is mostly for the top and side of the tractor. It does say that it has shielding for the hydraulic hoses along the mid part of the tractor, but there is a lot more to protect under there than just the mid mount hoses. That may be why your dealer didn't recommend it. armour kit

Remnant · Jul 23, 2003

Got it all ordered today /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Your right Jerry. Have to order the "Rental Upgrade Kit" to get the bottom covered. Kit includes:
Left- and right-hand skid plates to protect the underside of the tractor.
Suction screen guard
High-range speed lockout
Electronic switch close-outs
Mounting hardware

Don't need the speed lockout or switch close-outs but, per salesman and parts guy and me looking over shoulders at 'puter screen, can't get belly armor separately.
Might be a couple of weeks but we'll find out what the complete, upper and lower, armor package ends up being. I'm having it thrown on a 4310. I'll have the camera with me on "check-it-out" day.

Les

GreenMtnMan · Jul 23, 2003

I'm interested in doing this as well. Do you mind telling us how much the Rental Upgrade kit cost?

Remnant · Jul 29, 2003

Sorry for delayed response Green

The "Rental Upgrade Kit" is $310.00 at Bennet in MT Vernon WA. They also have installation charges but my sheet did not break them down. I'll be having the "X-Amor Kit", TnT, Tubes/fill and 4 in 1 installed as well, which added up to ~$1000 in set-up fee.

Les

JEA · Jul 29, 2003

I think that's "Barnett", not Bennet, in Mt. Vernon.

JEA

rmonio · Jul 30, 2003

Remnant -

Are all of these skid plate and xtra armor kits made by JD? I have a 4600 that I'd love to have those for.

-Bob

Remnant · Jul 31, 2003

It all is from JD.

JEA is right, the dealer in MT Vernon is Barnett, don't know why my fingers came up with Bennet.

Les

jdb · Aug 17, 2003

Interested in doing this with my 4300. What did you pay for the parts.

Thanks,

JD

Remnant · Aug 20, 2003

JD

The Belly Armor is a portion of the "Rental Upgrade Kit" (LVB 25453 for the 4210-4410) $305

The "Xtra-Armor", Hood & Grille Guard w/accessories kit was $615. I do not have P/N for that one.

I will try to get pictures up. Have to deal with new well & water samples 1st.

Les

Remnant · Aug 24, 2003

Re: Belly Armor/Skid Plate pic\'s

Right side

Remnant · Aug 24, 2003

Re: Belly Armor/Skid Plate pic\'s ??

Left Side

Remnant · Aug 24, 2003

Re: Belly Armor/Skid Plate pic\'s ??

A kinda dark shot, from the floor, right to left.

JerryG · Aug 24, 2003

Re: Belly Armor/Skid Plate pic\'s ??

Are most of the parts under the tractor attached to the cast iron parts of the tractor? I am looking for ideas on how the make some for my tractor. I would like to put on a full bell pan like we use to put on tractors but, with a backhoe that has a sub frame, I would have to make it removable. I really don't cherish the idea of r&r of that large and heavy of a piece of steel.

Remnant · Aug 25, 2003

Re: Belly Armor/Skid Plate pic\'s ??

Jerry

The pans, L&R/H and attach brackets are made of 1/4" plate and use existing holes in the frame and trans for attaching.
The right hand plate is the largest. It covers all hyd. tubes, eHydro linkage and electronics. The rear of the L&R/H plates attach to the large bolts on the fwd side of the rear axle. The outside/fwd corner of the R/H plate is angled, which should take care of any clearance problems with R1s, apparently an issue with an earlier design.
The L/H plate covers the Side-Suction Filter and tubes and has brackets from frame to step.
The 1 3/4" bar, that protects the suction screen housing and tube, is 1/2" thick and runs along the left edge of the suction screen housing. The draw bar, when stowed, runs along the right edge of the suction screen housing.
There are a lot of bends/angles in the components, which keep everything above the hight of the draw bar, so you lose no ground clearance, and each component is kept to a size that is easily manageable, should they need to be removed. The Side-Suction Filter, Trans Filter and Suction Screen Housing are still easily accessable without removing any of the Belly-Armor components.
I'm extremely happy with the kit. At ~ $300, its hard to justify the time and energy involved in making something similar at home.
One more piece I would like to have, and may fab, is something that would attach to the front axle/diff. and would protect the tie rod and adjacent hyd cylinder, with it's hyd lines and fittings. I have not had rock/stump damage to these, fwd parts, on prev. tractor but still worry about them.
Don't know what more I can say, other than repeating that I am EXTREMELY happy that its all down there when busting into the woods.

Les