Grapple became unattached.

[jigs_n_fixtures]

On the used TYM. I bought, the guy did a lot of back dragging. The plate had broken on the front side of the pins, and it wouldn’t reliably hold anything.

I found a chamfer on the tabs which were sticking out, then hammered things back in to line, and ground off all the paint. Then i took it to welding shop, to have it welded. since I had done all the work he could run four beads on the sides of the as that had torn loose, and then welded a 0.20 plate over the op, and welded all four sides. Didn’t cost very much, $2.00 in materials and twenty minutes of welder time. $26 out the door.

 

[jmc]

Having that much grease on the chamfered pin OD probably doesn't help. And between the chamfer itself and where that chamfer contacts the rectangular hole in the attachment. I've got a similar problem to deal with but I think it's the chamfered pin telescoping up against its compression spring. Guys with tight levers may need plenty of lube.

 

[Xfaxman]

----------------------------- I've got a similar problem to deal with but I think it's the chamfered pin telescoping up against its compression spring. ----------------------------

Can you add something like this to keep the latch pin from moving up when latched over center?

 

[Michael In Tennessee]

Smoke with manufacture and they are sending a shims for bottom of QA. It will be up to me to weld…they did credit my card $ to allow for me to hire a welder. All in all not unreasonable.

I expect this will resolve my problems.

Grapple is a EA Wicked 60 inch Root Grapple.

Interesting. I have no problems with my wicked 60. I have to put it on tomorrow, so I'll look at clearances.

It fell off once, but not its fault. One of my tractor levers opened on bumpy terrain.

 

[Smokeydog]

Come to think about it, I had one side of wicked 54” come unlatched several times from the hydraulic lines when I first got it. It came with a spring hydraulic line slack keeper. Added a rubber bungee to strap lines to FEL cross tube to keep the hydraulic line loop centered and no more problems. Do the same with the big grapple for 30 years.

Added nylon sleeve for protection for the hydraulic lines on the wicked. The 30 year old grapple came with a sleeve and still has the the original hydraulic lines.

 

[Michael In Tennessee]

Smoke with manufacture and they are sending a shims for bottom of QA. It will be up to me to weld…they did credit my card $ to allow for me to hire a welder. All in all not unreasonable.

I expect this will resolve my problems.

Grapple is a EA Wicked 60 inch Root Grapple.

FWIW: I have the same grapple and it fits identically to my loader bucket. Both have minimal gap at the bottom.

I wonder how loose the tolerance is for the SSQA standard (if any) and how tightly EA holds to the standard and to their internal fabrication specs.

 

[Michael In Tennessee]

I found what I believe is the standard at the following URL:

https://wiki.opensourceecology.org/images/archive/b/b1/20171005012517%21Universal-attachment-mount-specification-sae_j2513.pdf

It appears the vertical distance between the top and bottom lips should only vary 1/16th inch from the norm. Which means, you should never have to shim.

 

[ruffdog]

The first photo that shows the OP's locking pin seems like the pin doesn't extend far enough to lock in. All the other pics from other posters show the pin extending further.

 

[Xfaxman]

The first photo that shows the OP's locking pin seems like the pin doesn't extend far enough to lock in. -------------------------------------

It looks that way because the bottom plate is too low, there is a gap between it and the QA.
The shims will fill the gap and contact the pins.

 

[frj777]

Installed shims provided by EA. They where laser cut and required trimming and grinding to allow for welds already on grapple, expected. I drilled and counter sunk grade 8 bolts tapping grapple frame.

Over all I am pleased with results, however there is still a gap at plate, right side is 1/8th inch and left is 1/16th inch. Also notable is that spring tension…it is now present where previously it was not but is not as much as my other quick attach implements.

EA only had 3/16 shims, they sent 4 so I could stack, but this will not fit. Considering asking for 1/4 and 5/16 shims, or 1/8 shims (2 on left and 1 on right with existing 3/16 shim). This should increase spring tension and eliminate gaps.

Thanks for industry standards on quick attach mount, very helpful. This supports my gap measurements perfectly.

Appreciate all the suggestions and observations.

Fred