JohnInCA
Bronze Member
Now, you need to see the crucial "in-between" stage... Let me describe what's happening and why. The floor jack eliminates the need to extend the boom and dipper to counter balance the backhoe when it's on the stabilizers. Lifting with the foor jack makes the front of the subframe come down from the mounts (after removing the pins of course). This allows you to install the front portion of the dolly (see the photo of the front dolly in position). Once the front and rear dollies are attached, I drive the tractor forward just enough for the rear mount to clear the subframe. Then I let the hoe down off the stabilizers until the front dolly is on the floor. At this point, the stabilizer can be fully retracted. I then let the floor jack down, and then disconnect the hydraulics. You now have a backhoe on wheels with the stabilizers, boom, and dipper fully retracted. I can actually roll it around in the garage by hand. One caution. The entire design boils down to balance. If the rear dolly wheels were any further forward, the front of the subframe would come right off the floor!. As it is, the front dolly has no more than 50 pounds of weight on it.
