JD4300 Lift Link Breakage

[reasley]

Good evening, [FONT=&quot]TBN[/FONT] listers --

I have a JD4300 compact utility tractor and the right side lift link broke last night (it is the easily adjustable one). The part that broke is the threaded rod. After looking at the JD parts catalog on-line and confirming with my dealer, the threaded rod is no longer available as a separate part. Instead, you have buy the entire link assembly for $230.

I'm trying to think of alternatives and I need your help.

I went to my local expert welding shop today and the owner said that, to weld it and maintain its adjustments, it would only have about 70% of its strength if welded. Since I use the 3 pt with my fork lift attached to move very large round bales, this won't work.

After thinking about it a bit, here's what I am thinking:

1. I have been trying to think of the last time that I adjusted it. It's been a long time and that function is probably not needed anymore. Besides, the left side can adjust, though you have to remove it from its pins, with the only disadvantage that I can see of not being able to shorten or lengthen the "total distance" across both of the links. So, if this is plausible, I am thinking that the welder can just beef up what I have and make it "better than 100% on strength" but it won't be adjustable.

2. If I do "1" above, I can always add a tilt cylinder later and this would probably be roughly the same as the JD part ($230) anyway.

3. Is this the type of part that is relatively consistent across brands of tractors, particularly CUTs? I am thinking that this is probably true but, since this is the only tractor that I've owned, I am just guessing. If it is the same, any ideas on a part source for an alternative brand or any other tips?

Any and all suggestions greatly appreciated!

Richard Easley
Waco, Texas

 

[kennyd]

That's a bummer Richard

I say weld it up solid for now...not all 3PH work needs the adjustability of the side links-I haven't adjusted mine in 5 years! And you are correct, at $200+ you are getting into hydraulic cylinder money.

 

[pat32rf]

What part of it broke, the threaded section? I believe that they are standard threads and any machine shop could make up a rod with left hand threads on one end, right hand on the other.

 

[reasley]

Thanks, Kenny and Pat --

Pat, thanks for the suggestion. I did go by my local machine shop yesterday with the threaded shaft and got a $250 estimate. It has several characteristics driving up the shop time, including very large threads, with one left-handed thread, the shaft is three different diameters, and the shaft has two roll pins in it.

Kenny, thanks for the confirmation about welding. After I thought about it some more last night, I realized that welding will not make the shaft immobile -- it will just make one end immobile -- I will still be able to adjust it; I'll just have to disconnect at the top end like the left link, so the only thing that I will lose is the ability to level both sides with both links on and, as you say, shouldn't be a problem since it is done so infrequently.

Then, if I want to add a tilt link later, then I have $$$ justification since I didn't spring for the new manual part from JD Deere to replace this one.

Again, thanks to both of you for your replies!

Richard Easley

 

[beenthere]

What do you think caused it to break?

And did it bend, or what?

Might just try a length of chain to replace the lift link.

 

[dfkrug]

3. Is this the type of part that is relatively consistent across brands of tractors, particularly CUTs? I am thinking that this is probably true but, since this is the only tractor that I've owned, I am just guessing. If it is the same, any ideas on a part source for an alternative brand or any other tips?

Different tractors usually have different link sizes. I have some broken
4300 links here....one is broken at the threads, and one had the heim
joint ball break out.

Have you considered modifying a generic adjustable side link? Agrisupply
sells one for $20. I have a sample that I bought and it looks doable.
You have to buy cat 1 weld-on heim joints, too, for about $10. See photo.

Note that JD's links often use slots instead of holes in the the lower link
pivot. This gives you a lot of floating tilt capability. This is not the kind
of link I have gotten with any other compact tractor. They are not
compatible with a TnT system, either.

As for the price you were quoted, you don't have to buy the fanciest
JD link with the cast steel top and bottom. My photo shows a new link
from JD that uses formed ends and a simple adjuster. I believe your
3PH has the parts I have labeled "JD OEM".

Good luck, Richard.

 

[reasley]

Just got on-line for the first time today. Thanks so much for all of the replies to my message. dfkrug, the pictures are great! You are correct that my part is the one that is mounted to the horizontal link in your picture -- the one with the "square" adjuster that slides over the roll pins.

Here's what I ended up doing:

1. I knew that to use the broken link would require "beefier" welding that would void the ability to adjust "on the fly" w/o disconnecting the link. However, that is not a necessity; I rarely adjust it anyway.

2. So, carefully measured the range of the remaining unbroken link and tested to see if I could duplicate that range after welding the broken link, given that it would now have only one set of threads working. It was clear that it would work fine.

3. So, I took it to my local welder and cut the broken link to prepare it for welding and, after he welded it, he then slid a 1" ID pipe over top of that threaded rod and welded *that* to the threaded rod. So, in essence, I now have a 1 & 1/4" thick rod over about 2/3 of its length. It works great.

After thinking about it a bit more after my post, my best guess as to what happened is this: I have been using a post driver (pounder) on the 3 pt. and my guess is that I either did not drop the 3 pt. a time or two when began pounding or I didn't let it "continue to drop" after bottoming out.

Finally, the point about using a tilt on the "floating" John Deere link deserves a separate thread of its own with elaboration. If you get a chance dfkrug, I know that I would appreciate the discussion . . .

Again, thanks for all of the replies!

Richard Easley

 

[dfkrug]

Finally, the point about using a tilt on the "floating" John Deere link deserves a separate thread of its own with elaboration.

Glad you got it fixed.

The lift links are not all that strong with all those threads cut into them.

My 955 had the same kind of slotted lift links. When I made a TnT setup,
I needed to go to a fixed link that had a hole instead of a slot. If I left
the slotted link there, the hydraulic tilt adjustment would have caused
my box blade angle to be less controlled. I hope that makes sense.