Know of anyone who cut their ROP?

[wetstuff]

The bugger on my 1070 is just a few inches too tall to fit into a 18' truck body I have.

I need a handsome storage shed at my home and I figure I can make a three-sided, saltbox facade for this Rider/Penske box body I have had for years at my shop which will give me perfect tractor storage and keep my wife from picking up a cleaver. I would remove the lift door and make double doors in the saltbox end piece.

As someone who plowed with a JD model B as a kid and ran a Furgeson,
F-40 for 12, recent years -w/o a ROP- I am not exactly afraid of not having one, but like all the wonderful safety items in my cars .. I kinda like both the seat belts and ROP.

I talked about it with my friend who builds drag cars, an option is a NHRA-style cage. The cage would be a lot more expensive than simply sleeving the existing standards (like scaffolding) and having the top 12-18" drop into a sleeve in either side with quick pins to lock them.

.... but maybe someone has already plowed this ground. I like to hear about it. Thanks.

Jim

 

[beenthere]

I see no problem doing it.
There will be those who would beat their mother before ever touching the ROPS.

If I had that problem, I would cut it down, no sweat.

 

[sweettractors]

Lots of the newer tractors came with folding ROPS. Ken Sweet

 

[PILOON]

I have an aviation background.
Sleeving is a standard approved repair method on most aircraft structures.
While I do not recall the exact formula, generally something like 6" insert either side of the cut in a 1 1/2 tube would do the trick using the same gauge of tubing.
Rosette welds or bolts should do the trick.
They did not cut the inserts at 90deg but rather at a long angle to spread stresses.
In your application that would make installation easier to install the removable section.
I would bolt at 90deg apart and spread the holes 1/3 from the ends of the cut.
Each insert would then have 4 bolt holes.

The info is in a doc; AC-43-13-1A (faa)

 

[AKwelder]

I have reached teh same point for another reason. My tractor will not fit in my garage, and needs to. Folding ROPS were not available aftermarket or from the dealer.

So i cut it off, now i need to patch it and make it lower. The problem is that the ROP is not square, this means that the sides lean in. If i cut the side down the top will be to short. So heres the plan

1 cut both sides on a chop saw to remove the correct amount
2 cut top in half to add the required amount
3 put tabs inside the cuts using old material
4 Reinstall the side and get everything fitted
5 Remove and weld

 

[wetstuff]

AK .. Mine is also a 'tad' more work than a simple nip/tuck/weld. This one also will need some proper surgery. The ideal would have been a simple box-tube sleeve.

Piloon... it's nice to have an A&P on site. Since we don't speak French, it is hard to pay attention to what goes on in PQ but there has been a lot of aviation there for a long time. I make a couple of things for the CL-415.

Jim

 

[PILOON]

Hi wetstuf!
Actually so did I.
Owned an avionics shop in Dorval and we were Collins authorized to do warranty work.
Also had contacts that got me lots of their surplus materials. Fun and profitable.
I still have the odd bits around, in fact some parts ride on my tractor LOL
One time when inventory was coming up, they insisted that I bid on some 60 sheets of 3/8 BC fir plywood. LOL I built an addition on my chalet with that! OH, I bid $2.00 a sheet!
Fun times!