ROPS Modification

[Dave_Lilly]

I recently bought a Kama TS354C with an AccuTech FEL. This tractor came with a fixed ROPS that is 4 or 5 inches too tall to clear my 7 foot garage door. Is there any way to convert a fixed height ROPS to a folding ROPS, or would it be easier to have a welding shop cut the 4 or 5 inches out of the ROPS and re-weld it so that it would fit in my garage?

 

[Boltonpower]

Hi Dave,,

The short answer would be not to tamper with a factory ROPs
The Chinese do have a standards body that extensivelly test,
at least the Jinma ROPs . Once you tamper all bets are off. I
would recommend for safety sake to check with your dealer
and see if he can order a foldings ROPs from the factory or you.
I'd be surprized if a welding shop would modify a ROP's for liability
reasons.

Regards
Graham

 

[greg_g]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I recently bought a Kama TS354C ...fixed ROPS... fit in my garage? )</font>

ROPS are expensive, not to mention all the new knots you'll get on your head if/when the canopy sits 4-5 inches lower.

Rather than modify mine, I raised the header on the doorway. Get an estimate from a carpenter. An entryway that accommodates the tractor might be cheaper than a folding ROPS.

//greg//

 

[Jvilljoe]

I work for a company that manufactures ROPS for Komatsu, Cat and others. I have been a certified welder on these structures for many years and I can tell you we take any modification of our ROPS very seriously! Our position is that any modification's immediately voids the certification of the structure and I'm sure all the other manufactures are the same way. Any machine used for commercial use is subject to OSHA and sometimes Bureau of Mines inspections and you would be surprised at how good those guys are getting at noticing ROPS mods. We get calls all the time from companies who have machines red tagged for this.
All that being said, with my training and experience, I know that I could do that kind of modification for my own use, but that I and only I would be responsible for any kind of failure in the event of an accident. I would never do this for anybody else and I doubt most welding shops would either.
Joe

 

[Boltonpower]

As I said above Dave. We are all just looking out for your safety here on the forum..

Regards
Graham

 

[Paddy]

Can it be done? Of cource. Would you do it your self and are you an experinced welder? I have no doubt a trained American welder can weld just as good a Chinese welder. As an engineer, the next question is DESIGN. The best weld is not so much an issue as the design. A shorten ROP will have diff rear roll over effects. So I vote for folding, just get a good photo of what the KAMA folding ROP looks like.


My wife doesn't like the idea of me replacing the breaks on the car. I feel I can do a beter job than some 19 year old kid at 'Car pro' thinking of nothing but beer and girls.

I'm DIY kind of guy when it makes since, both $$ and safety.

Patrick

 

[jmf7112001]

"Go for it". The world is full of technical people that can find something wrong with everything. The fun of doing something is what makes it a challange. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif I love your remark about your wife car and the 19 yr old.

 

[kenmac]

I will replace breaks on my car, but I leave the rops to the pros.

 

[Bigbear]

Dave_Lilly, wow, so many answers. Yes there is a way to convert to fold down ROPS. And yes, you can cut down the height to make it fit. I have a friend that has cut out a section and rewelded it back. My question is, has any body rolled a tractor that has been modified and found out that it did not work as planned. I realize the legal issue on the warranty, etc. But, is there any real proof this will not work and should never, ever be attempted. Just a thought. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[kenmac]

Not saying it should not be done. I would have it recertified for my own peace of mind.If I were the only one using the tractor & only my life were at stake & I didnot care I would go for it . I started to build my own rops for my tractor, but after reading what happened to some of those that built their own rops I decided to purchase a certified rops . I didnot want to be the test dummy.

 

[kenmac]

You maynot have time to push the cluch in to stop a roll over. I read somewhere that it only takes 3/4 of a sec. for a tractor to reach the point of no return in a rear flip and only 1&1/2 sec to flip all the way over .Not enough time to react.

 

[Dave_Lilly]

I appreciate your reply, but I wonder how your customers died if the ROPS was not damaged. I was under the impression that the ROPS was to protect against a side rollover. I have been using a Ferguson TO30 and a Farmall A for many years and the only time I came close to a rear rollover was when I hooked a chain to the top bar on the Farmall A. The pull was too far above the center of gravity of the tractor, so the sucker reared before I pushed in the clutch. I have pulled a double 10" plow and a 5' bushhog with the Ferguson and have caught ground obstructions many times. The only problem was that the rear wheels spun and dug holes. My neighbor, who borrowed the Fergie, decided the grader blade would be a good tool to pull out stumps. He tore up my grader blade and never did a reverse rollover. The pull on a three point hitch is below the center of gravity, so if an inplement is snagged the tractor will tend to pull the front end down.

 

[Dave_Lilly]

Thanks Bigbear,
After looking at the attachment points for the ROPS (8 bolts through 1/8" fender and 1/8" bracket I wonder what would fail first, a rewelded ROPS or a tearout of the mounting bracket bolts.

 

[greg_g]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( After looking at the attachment points for the ROPS (8 bolts through 1/8" fender and 1/8" bracket I wonder what would fail first, a rewelded ROPS or a tearout of the mounting bracket bolts)</font>

Maybe this is a project you should reconsider. Fenders often use the ROPS as an attachment point, not the other way around. ROPS are almost exclusively attached to the rear axle housings.
Try looking at this from a different perspective. What would you do - if you bought a dog that was too big to fit through your dog house door?

//greg//

 

[TruChaos]

Buck makes some very good points here. When I bought my tractor, the ROPS was the last thing I considered. My tractor will be used on pretty much flat ground so the chances of rolling over are slim to none.

Or so I thought.

This afternoon. I was moving a crate across the driveway. I had to turn the crate slightly as I moved it. So I connected a tow strap to the crate and connected it to the FEL bucket.

When I connected the strap, one end had a little more play than the other. I thought the strap would slip and evenly distribute the load. So as I lifted the FEL, the weight of the crate was distributed to that side of the FEL with the short end of the strap but, the strap didn't slip. In half of a second, the tractor tipped up on to two wheels and nearly rolled over. I wasn't even moving!

I realized at that point how having the FEL in a raised position dramatically raises the center of gravity of the tractor and even moderate side loads can tip the tractor very quickly and unexpectedly.

The other thing I noticed was that I've never installed the seat belt. I could have easily fallen out of the seat and been pinned between the ROP and the ground had it rolled over completely. I'd say this would have been very likely.

The seat belt gets installed this weekend!

 

[Boltonpower]

Luckily you're O.K. but all to often the story doesn't have
a happy ending. ALWAYS wear your seat belt and as I do,
keep a clean pair of shorts in the tool box /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Graham