Bent a link yesterday

Wacky · May 1, 2011

I was using my GC yesterday to help a neighbor roll some round bales yesterday.
It was VERY muddy I had the BB mounted, to level out mom's drive after several storms washed all the gravel to the bottom of her drive. Then I saw the neighbor trying to move 5 round bales onto his trailer by hand:confused2:. I went over to help used the FEL to push them around to the trailer and thought to use the BB for the last one.:ashamed: I should have known, the tractor spun so I turned around and used the FEL and when I got home lowered everything and went in to eat supper. Went out to load the GC on my trailer and heard a pop when I raised the BB. Got off to look and :ashamed:....saw that the left link arm that attaches to the rockshaft arm to the lower link is bent and caused the right lower link to catch the PTO guard and bent it slightly. Nothing else appears to be bent, the BB still sets level and is evenly spaced behind the rear tires. Won't pushing anything w/that again. Anything else I should look for to be damaged? I think that the tires being filled with mud helped to minimize traction on the pavement to lessen the damage. Am going to try and remove the link to straighten after I clean all the muck from the machine.

ray66v · May 1, 2011

Do you have this kind of luck with everything, or just tractors?

k0ua · May 1, 2011

Wacky, did you check the housing for cracks where the lower link fastens on?

James K0UA

The Haymaker · May 1, 2011

Does the arm have an "s" bend in it to get width enough for attachments beyond the narrow rear end, or was it originally straight? My TZ25DA had those and they were bent many times while using a box drag to push.

Know anyone with a press? Easy fix, if so.

E

Wacky · May 2, 2011

ray66v said:
Do you have this kind of luck with everything, or just tractors?

:laughing: Everything, I think my family is cursed!

k0ua said:
Wacky, did you check the housing for cracks where the lower link fastens on?

James K0UA

From what I can tell that seems fine, wonder if the link is just soft enough to prevent any further damage?

The Haymaker said:
Does the arm have an "s" bend in it to get width enough for attachments beyond the narrow rear end, or was it originally straight? My TZ25DA had those and they were bent many times while using a box drag to push.

Know anyone with a press? Easy fix, if so.
It was straight, that seems to be exactly what mine did. Did you have any other damage other than bent links? I seem to remember my fathers old Ford 3000 had bent links also even the adjustable one which rendered it "unadjustable".
E