Jogn Deere Stabilizer/sway bar question.

[FireMarshal75]

Good morning y'all
I've come here today to make my first post and ask a question and hoping to settle my mind on something.

I bought a gently used JD 4300 compact tractor about a year ago and have this nagging OCD issue.
To set my 3pt up to have all my implements centered with the tractor, my stabilizers are not equal length. Is this normal, or do I have something bent?
Being unequal has no negative affect on anything, it just digs at my OCD, and boggles my mind as to why.
Nothing appears bent and everything seems to function correctly.

On a side note, is there an easier to use stabilizer out there? I like the Kobota style that allow the pins to drop in from the front. Installing from the sides can be tricky at times being so close to the tires.
Thanks in advance for the help!

 

[zzvyb6]

Welcome !
I wouldn't be too concerned, but you might just check the symmetry of all the holes and fasteners. Plus, there might be good reasons to allow offset to things like tillers, plows, box blades, etc. For powered equipment, it is important to keep the implement's pto stubshaft 'colinear' with the tractor's to prevent excess vibration. (meaning they point the same way, just not necessarily in the same line. The pto shaft's 'U-joints' take care of the offsets in top and side views in this case. My offset tiller is sideways by about 12" and runs very smooth in spite of the geometry.

As far as your specific concern, A friend of mine with a 4400 had a pin come out that secures one of the lateral sway bars, it fell out of position and broke the axle casting mounts where the links attach. (They seem weak just looking at them, no apparent strength for lateral loads, only fore-aft). She frogged up a bolt on Rube hinge to replace the broken off pieces and it's staying together. But, those cheezy spring clips easily get snagged by high grass, twigs, branches, hoses, etc, so I suggest you check them regularly. Her's were a pin with a spring loaded ball on the end and they are unreliable IMHO. I would never trust welding them back on and a single new housing is 1/4 the price of the tractor's worth.

 

[dfkrug]

She frogged up a bolt on Rube hinge to replace the broken off pieces and it's staying together.

I guess those are technical terms.

Don't break those axle housings! BTDT. $$$$$

 

[Tx Jim]

If you will attach both LH & RH sway bar brackets to draft link in identical methods then I think your tractors sway bars will be identical length when implements are centered behind your tractor. Note differences of mounting of brackets orientations in each photo below. Loosen nut on RH draft link, pull pin then separate telescoping sway bar components & rotate sway bar bracket 180° correctly reassemble telescoping sway bar then retighten nut. I think after the alterations I suggested your sway bars will be same length.

 

[Rustyiron]

It looks like you're wheels are set to the narrowest setting. If you swap them side to side (dish out) you'll gain some working space back there making adjustments easier along with added stability.
That JD sway control functions just like Kubotas but the pin drops in vertically on Kubota eliminating it need to use the "hairpin" to secure it. Using the hairpin on a Kubota is more difficult as it's on the bottom and you have to fumble around finding the little hole from above, or lay on the ground to see anything.
Another solution is a "quick" hitch but if you 3 point attachments don't have the same width and dimensions there's no advantage.

 

[hodge]

It's normal. There are lots of variables involved, which may require non-symmetrical pinning of the stabilizers to get the implement centered.

 

[thclimer]

If you will attach both LH & RH sway bar brackets to draft link in identical methods then I think your tractors sway bars will be identical length when implements are centered behind your tractor. Note differences of mounting of brackets orientations in each photo below. Loosen nut on RH draft link, pull pin then separate telescoping sway bar components & rotate sway bar bracket 180° correctly reassemble telescoping sway bar then retighten nut. I think after the alterations I suggested your sway bars will be same length.

After you have made the sway bar brackets symmetrical please take a picture to confirm this was the problem.

 

[Tx Jim]

After you have made the sway bar brackets symmetrical please take a picture to confirm this was the problem.

I'll guarantee you if OP changes orientation of RH stabilizer mounting bracket 180° that a photo will establish that my previous statement was correct!!!

 

[Tx Jim]

It's normal. There are lots of variables involved, which may require non-symmetrical pinning of the stabilizers to get the implement centered.

It's not normal because mounting brackets for sway bars are not mounted to draft links the same orientation.

 

[hodge]

It's not normal because mounting brackets for sway bars are not mounted to draft links the same orientation.

What?
It IS normal. A couple of variables that will lead to stabilizers not pinning symmetrically- a bent implement frame, long link pins- the lift arm ends aren't positioned on the pins at the same place, and the width of the implement frame not mathematically working with the spacing increments of the stabilizers.