FOLDING ROPS - EXPENSIVE LESSON

[Anonymous Poster]

When I trailered my 4310HST home from the farm a couple months ago, I dropped the folding rops down. I didn't place the two bolts back in figuring the wire rope cable would hold the bolt and clip onto the rops. What a suprise when I got home, and one of the bolts, cable, and clip were gone. I guess the speed, or vibration, caused the cable to come undone. A bigger suprise was getting the price from a dealer today to replace the bolt, cable, and clip (kit). $51.00 +. Expensive lesson learned for not taking a few seconds to thread the bolt back in.

 

[Wingnut]

Don,
if you haven't yet replaced it, you may want to check out the archive for a mod to the folding rops. It was last year ... and I apologize to the poster - can't remember who it was (likely MarkC ... but it was one I immediately implemented.
Check for the post ... but, basically it's drill out the nuts, get a couple of springs and 5" clevis pins and you've got a spring loaded quick remove apparatus. I did, and I love it ... since I have to fold my ROPS when I drive in and out of the garage (when I don't leave the heavy tiller on the back for weight ... suprising how that weight will "lower" my L3710 by 1")

too bad that common sense ain't

 

[john_bud]

Don,

I have the folding ROPS also and agree the factory system could use some help. I looked in the archive and found the link WINGNUT listed.
http://hal-pc.org/~mbjacobs/rops.html/

John Bud

 

[mbjacobs]

According to my ISP some folks are not able to access the web page http://hal-pc.org/~mbjacobs/rops.html/
I'm not sure why this is because it works when I try it but I'm a long way from being an HTML expert.
You might try http://hal-pc.org/~mbjacobs/rops.html/index.html that should work also.

Maury Jacobs

 

[mudisme]

Maury, I loaded the page just fine. Thanks for the idea!

Steve

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Pete,
Thanks for an easy, cheap alternative !! It's great to have others input, and to offer an easy solution, to something I didn't think of.

 

[mudisme]

John,

Thanks for looking that up! My tractor won't fit into my garage without folding the ROPS...this alternative is great!

I know it has been said many times but I must say the "culture" of this board is awesome, many people willing to help others. If the rest of the world was like this board...what a wonderful place this would be.

Steve

 

[TomWAiken]

I used the idea last summer and now put the ROPS up all the time, it's so much easier and less time consuming. It might have taken all of 15 minutes to drill out the nuts and I was in business! Thanks again for the great idea!

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Pete & John,
I finally got around to installing the hitch pins this past weekend. Less than a 20 minute job. I purchased the pins and springs from Farm & Fleet, and drilled out the holes in about 15 minutes. Works GREAT, and is a lot faster, since you don't have to unscrew the pins every time.
THANKS FOR THE EASY, AND CHEAP TRICK !
Don

 

[radman]

Don, just saw your post. I did the same thing 1 month ago on my 3710. Dealer for my 5/8" bolt wanted $62! I bought a grade 5, 5/8" bolt four inches long, fine threads for $2.75. Welded a "D" ring on it for fifty cents. Drilled a small hole in the "D" ring for the cable and in the bolt for the the retaining key. I do like the idea of drilling out the threads. My JD 5300 has pins that just slide in and then fastened with a retaining key. Kubota should do this.

 

[Wingnut]

Glad it worked for you, Don. I thought it was a nifty idea when I first read it on the forum ... but it took me until I unhooked my tiller and drove the 'bota into the garage to finally do it myself. The tiller added some 800 lbs to the weight and driving in and out was slick ... but without the tiller ... oops ... I was 1/2" too high. Haven't finished repairs to the jamb yet ... but I immediately did the mod. Only took 5 minutes to drill out the threads ... took longer to figure out how to cut the springs to work optimaly.
Ain't this a great forum?

pete

too bad that common sense ain't

 

[Don_Wisnie]

Wingnut,
I had noticed in your earlier post that you had to cut the springs. I found some that were appr 5" long, and just with some firm pressure, they compress enough, that I didnt have to cut them. Thanks again !