Lateral Sway linkage broke

[Anonymous Poster]

As a relative newbee, please excuse any incorrect terminology! I was box blading this weekend on my bx2200 and both (not just one) of the sway linkage broke. A weld snapped. My question is, could I have been doing something wrong to cause this or is this a design problem that I need to talk to my dealer about?

 

[GaryG]

It may have been caused by your linkage being loose. It is a poor design also. Many of those on TBN have done what I did to my BX22. Modify and use the adjusters from a B2710 (see Photo) I will try and round up the thread that deals with this extensively. The only poor thing I have found on the BX22.

 

[Bird]

I think you need to talk to your dealer, all right, and without seeing or remembering exactly on what plane those are attached to the tractor (attached to the tractor slightly lower than the lift arms?), I'll guess that you had them adjusted too tight and they broke when you raised the box blade.

 

[Bird]

Gary, looks like you typed faster than I did. Can you break them by having them too loose? I thought it was only if you had them too tight.

 

[GaryG]

Bird is probably correct that it was tight when you lifted the arms they pulled apart. Here is the link to this subject in detail. More than one way to install. It is so much easier to adjust. They should be standard equipment on the BX22.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=implement&Number=139727&page=&view=&sb=5&o=&fpart=all&vc=1

 

[GaryG]

I was surmising that if the box blade was slapping side to side it might rip those out. After thinking about what you said I would agree that lifting the box up when they are real tight would be more apt to break both turnbuckles at once. I would go to the dealer and try to get them replaced or better yet maybe a discount on the good parts to fix it...

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I was surmising that if the box blade was slapping side to side it might rip those out )</font>

Good point. I hadn't thought about that, but guess it could happen.

 

[Pks]

Are you saying that the linkage geometry changes while lifting?

Does the distance for the stabilizers get longer or shorter?

Is there a way to prevent this (ie tighten the arms while the implement is lifted)?

Is this possible problem pandemic to all 3 pt systems or just the BX or just the B models?

 

[JohnMiller3]

<font color="blue">...both (not just one) of the sway linkage broke....</font>

Hi Gary,

The odds of "both" breaking under tension are better than both being loose... /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

I'm seeing/hearing more and more of this unfortunate "breakage" on the newer compact tractors... more hydraulic horsepower and "weaker" components vs. the older farm utility tractors of much "weaker" hydraulics and stronger (never-say-die/over-engineered) components... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Thanks for all of your words of wisdom. Looks like it may have been a little bit of a problem on both of our parts. Me for setting them too tight and Kubota for their less than desirable design. This makes perfect sense because they had worked loose and the blade was banging around pretty bad earlier in the day, so I tightened them up (I guess too much). I will talk to the dealer and see what can be worked out. Thanks again, you all make it so much easier and fun to learn how to properly operate & fix /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif these toys...uh tools!

 

[JerryG]

When you mount your box blade, raise it just enough to clear the ground. Then adjust your side links to give about an inch to inch and a half of side to side movement. Raise it to the top and check to see if there is still a small amount of play. If you do it this way it should eliminate your problem.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Thanks for the advise. I have a lot to learn. I also think I am going to look into the telescopic adjuster modification.

 

[milkman]

changing the height of the lift arms doesn't change the tension on the stabilizer links, they are mounted on the same plane as the lift arms. I would suspect that the jerking from side to side when they were too loose is what broke the links.

 

[sandyc]

Guess I would take them back to the dealer and see if he will make good and trade the new ones in for the telescoping ones off a 2710. I did what many others have done and got rid of the knuckle busters and have gone to the telescoping arms.
There is a recent thread showing how to make the conversion. Once you have done that then changing out anything on the 3ph is a snap.