Don't bend your telescoping links!!

[CVHoss]

Don\'t bend your telescoping links!!

Unless you want to buy another complete set. After multiple attempts at removing, heating, pounding straight, and trying to retemper, the right telescoping drag link that I had previously bent, I decided to give up. It just won't stay straight. Even pushing dirt with the box blade will bend it again. So, I head to the J.D. dealer to buy a new one. Only hitch, is J.D. doesn't sell one single side, or even any of the parts to repair one. If any part becomes damaged, you have to buy a whole new set at the bargain basement price of $210.00. Oh well, live and learn. New set should be here in about a week. Anyone need to buy a left side telescoping link?/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[Thomas]

Re: Don\'t bend your telescoping links!!

Maybe if one straighten than welded 1/4 plate steel on both sides also top and bottom..like a collar that might get them out of a jam.

Yep..we all learn and we all share.

 

[DDT]

Re: Don\'t bend your telescoping links!!

CV, I wish I had your old set to play with! I like a welder challange

 

[Mike_S]

Re: Don\'t bend your telescoping links!!

Am curious as to how it was possible to bend them--sounds like a good story and a use that the rest of us shoud avoid. Mike S.

 

[john4nh]

Re: Don\'t bend your telescoping links!!

I dont have telescoping links, but I bent one of mine then later the other one. I welded 1/4 or 3/8 plate on them and havent had a another problem. I believe they bent cause I caught the load at an angle pushing backwards. Good luck..

 

[CVHoss]

Re: Don\'t bend your telescoping links!!

Mike,
I had posted the story when it originally happened. You can see it <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.tractorbynet.com/cgi-bin/compact/showflat.pl?Cat=&Board=jdown&Number=78484&page=&view=&sb=&o=&vc=1>here</A>. The picture above is a thumbnail, the full size is attached to this reply. Like John4nh, I'm pretty sure the reason this happened was two fold. 1. I hit the stump with the right hand corner of the box blade. At the time, I was thinking that would be the strongest area of the box blade and I really wasn't thinking about the link bending. 2. I honestly believe the metal in this link just wasn't quite right. When I hit this little stump, it popped right out of the ground. I've backed into trees accidentally with the left side of the box blade with the telescoping links and when the original links were on the tractor, sometimes with much more force than what was involved with this instance, and there has never been any bending of the other links. I just don't think this link had quite the temper that it should have.

I guess the point of my post wasn't so much my disappointment with the link bending, stuff happens, but my disappointment that Deere doesn't sell parts for these links. The latch releases on these appear to be a piece of stamped steel. It is foreseeable that one of these latch releases could be damaged and need to be replaced. Sorry, you'll have to buy two complete new lower links. They sell no pieces or parts, or least none that my dealer and I could find broken done on their computer. No matter how many different ways we tried to come at it, it always came back with only the single part number for the complete set. No breakdown.

Hoss

 

[Hillbilly]

Re: Don\'t bend your telescoping links!!

Hoss,
Welcome to the club.......I am waiting on a new set as well,2 new ones ordered and I only need one.I am going to see if the warranty will replace it.It did not take very much to bend mine,I was coming up on the edge of the black top and my blade caught on the black top and bent mine.On another note I had a piece on my adjustable part of the linkage ,where you adjust the angle of the blade(the threaded piece on the left facing the rear of the tractor broke on a seperate incident and the replaced it,recieved the part on Friday. If JD will replace the telescoping links it would be interesting if they would give you 2 new ones for 1 bent one since thats the way they sell them.

 

[rdln]

Re: Don\'t bend your telescoping links!!

$210.00 doesn't sound that bad considering what you get, I have broken 2 lower lift arm pins that bolt into to axle housing at $70 a piece.

 

[CVHoss]

Re: Don\'t bend your telescoping links!!

Steve,
Can't speak for Hillbilly, but personally, the $210.00 price tag isn't what bothers me, it's that $105.00 of it is wasted. Suppose you damaged one front wheel on your tractor and they said they only sold them in sets of two. Same thing. Now, having a spare left link isn't all bad if I ever bend the one on there now. I won't have to wait while they order another one. But what happens if I manage to damage the right link again. Then I'll have two spare left links. It still doesn't make sense to me that you can have two separate pieces but can't buy only one to replace the one that has been damaged.

 

[rdln]

Re: Don\'t bend your telescoping links!!

Yeah, I see your point. One of top 10 rules of component design is to avoid right/left handed parts. It is always best to have one part used on either side, even it that means having a hole in the arm that is used by a part on one side but not being used on the other. At least then if Deere made you buy a pair you could use the second one on either side down the road.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Re: Don\'t bend your telescoping links!!

Randy,

The individual part numbers for telescopic arms are: (to order separately)

LVA10606(RH) AND LVA10607(LH)

The whole kit part # is: LVB25072

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://jdpc.deere.com/pimages/MP24/MP24451________UN09FEB01.gif>JD 4400 3-point hitch parts</A>

4200/4300/4400 COMPACT UTILITY TRACTORS
Page Name: THREE POINT HITCH


KEY PART NO. PART NAME QTY SERIAL NO. REMARKS
1 M123745 PIN 1
2 19M7865 SCREW 2 M8 X 16
3 AM125811 SUPPORT 1
4 24M7055 WASHER 1 8.400 X 16 X 1.600 MM
5 11M7080 COTTER PIN 1 2.500 X 16 MM
6 CH19220 SPRING 1 (W/O CAB)
M136396 SPRING 1 (W/ CAB)
7 AR62150 QUICK LOCK PIN 4
8 34M3851 SPRING PIN 2 4 X 24 MM
9 AM119697 CENTER LINK END 1 LH THREAD
KEY PART NO. PART NAME QTY SERIAL NO. REMARKS
10 CE17590 PLUG 2
11 AM119699 CENTER LINK 1
12 14M7278 NUT 1 M24
13 AM119698 CENTER LINK END 1 RH THREAD
14 CH11409 PIN 1
15 CE17307 SPRING PIN 1
16 CE18325 LIFT LINK 1
17 T21901 BALL 1
18 M120789 LINK BODY 1
19 RE42504 HANDLE 1
KEY PART NO. PART NAME QTY SERIAL NO. REMARKS
20 JD7798 LUBRICATION FITTING 1
21 99M7016 PLUG 1
22 M120791 YOKE 2
23 AM126169 LIFT LINK 1 RH
24 M120905 SPRING PIN 1
25 M90337 STOP 4
26 AM126167 DRAFT LINK 2
27 A3581R SPRING LOCKING PIN 2
28 CE18326 LIFT LINK 1
29 34M7030 SPRING PIN 1 5 X 20 MM
KEY PART NO. PART NAME QTY SERIAL NO. REMARKS
30 M120791 YOKE 1
31 T21901 BALL 1
32 JD7798 LUBRICATION FITTING 1
33 99M7016 PLUG 1
34 AM126168 LIFT LINK 1 LH
35 M124515 PIN 2
36 M136500 WASHER 2 -XXXXXX (NLA)
37 14M7328 LOCK NUT 2 M16
38A 19M7794 SCREW 2 -XXXXXX M16 X 50
38B M138943 BOLT 2 XXXXXX- (SUB FOR M136500 AND 19M7794)
KEY PART NO. PART NAME QTY SERIAL NO. REMARKS
39 M136096 PIN 2
40 AM126932 STABILIZER 2 FEMALE
41 AM126866 STABILIZER 2 MALE
42 M137645 PIN 2
43 M120514 RING 4
.. LVB25072 KIT 1 DRAFT LINKS, TELESCOPING (INCLUDES LVA10606(RH) AND LVA10607(LH)) (NOT SHOWN)

 

[CVHoss]

Re: Don\'t bend your telescoping links!!

John,
Thanks for trying. Ya sure had me excited for a minute. Called my J.D. dealer, he punches in the part number, it lists just like you have but when he tries to enter that number for an order, it says "not available" . "Only available as part of kit #LVB25072". They also don't understand why they can't order one side only, especially since it lists a separate part number.

Hoss

 

[MikePA]

Re: Don\'t bend your telescoping links!!

Has the dealer offered to sell you just the link you need and keep the other one in stock or return it to JD?

 

[CVHoss]

Re: Don\'t bend your telescoping links!!

No, he hasn't. But I don't hold that against him. They have been really great about everything. When I ordered the tractor, I didn't order it with the telescoping links. I decided after the first couple of weeks that I had made a mistake and ordered them. He let me trade in the old ones to save me some money. He still has them sitting on the shelf. There are instances of items that are a "matched set" where I can understand not selling one. I'm involved in Cowboy Action Shooting and have fit several sets of grips to my Colt SAA revolvers. On one brand new set, I hit one of the grip panels too hard on the sanding belt and ruined that side. It didn't surprise me that they wouldn't sell me just the side I had ruined since the odds of someone wanting just the other half would be pretty high. But it seems to me that lower links on a 3-pt. are something that one can assume may need to be replaced. They are exposed to a great deal of stress and use. It just seems unreasonable that you are required to buy the complete set, especially considering the cost. If they only cost $50.00 a pair, I wouldn't feel so bad about having a $25.00 part laying around that I may never have a use for. A $105.00 part stings a little more.

Hoss

 

[Hillbilly]

Re: Don\'t bend your telescoping links!!

Hoss,
I share the exact same sentiment.

 

[Hillbilly]

Re: Don\'t bend your telescoping links!!

But for a $105.you should be able to get what you need...no more. no less.

 

[MikePA]

Re: Don\'t bend your telescoping links!!

<font color=blue>But it seems to me that lower links on a 3-pt. are something that one can assume may need to be replaced. They are exposed to a great deal of stress and use.</font color=blue>

This is what I was thinking, too. It'd be interesting to know how many lower links your dealer has sold.

 

[rancar]

Re: Don\'t bend your telescoping links!!

Yep, sounds like my JD dealer as well. I bent a blade hitting a rock with my JD425 MMM. Dealer couldn't sell me just one...had to sell me three. Well, I tried to justify it by saying I'll have three new crisp sharp blades that should make beautiful music by cutting the grass in unison (just like the three tenors). /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[Steve_in_Ont]

Re: Don\'t bend your telescoping links!!

I guess my dad should feel lucky... After 40 some years, he broke one of his lower links on his Ford 610 (the ball wore through due to continued one-sided pulling with a sickle-bar mower. 1 arm at the Ford dealer was around $50.00! He couldn't even get it fixed for that!