street pads for BH how to?

[workinallthetime]

anyone got any ideas on how to build street pads for the stabilizer arms on the backhoe? im talking about rubber pads that bolt to the feet of the stabilzers to prevent damage to the surface that you are working on. i just called the dealer and they are 100 bucks a piece, so im hoping i can build my own. ohh and i need it done in a few days and i have a pretty big piece of rubber to use, its about 3/4 inch thick and looks like a slick tire but its a flat sheet (something i found).

 

[George2615]

Tufffoot.com has many shapes and sizes of bolt on street pads available from $45-65.
If you already have the rubber, why not drill some 3/8" holes through them and your existing stabilizer plates, then use a 3/8 bolt with a large flat washer to go through the rubber and steel plate and tighten it down until the head of the bolt and washer countersinks itself into the rubber. I'm sure that would work as a quick fix.

 

[HomeBrew2]

Agree w/ George. I prob would have used an old tire but your material sounds better. I just use a circular saw w/ carbide blade to cutup tires ... steel belts and all ... kinda noisy though, and stinky.

 

[workinallthetime]

could only find one picture on the net of em today and did not want to look for hours, the pic i found was my idea exactly.
going to take 2 pieces of 1 1/2 angle iron and sandwich rubber strips between them. weld bolts to angle iron and secure to out riggers. all of the ones i have seen have are made this way. i guess this would give me better wear and a better bite. i am going to build them tomorrow and i will post pics as soon as im done.
happy diggin

 

[workinallthetime]

got em done
had to build 4 total, 2 for each foot because my sheet of rubber didnt go as far as i thought. time consuming job but they work and thats all that matters

 

[sandman2234]

I came across some dock bumpers that were headed for the trash can, and let my work use them for the last year. I just brought them home as more junk to aggravate my wife. Seems like they would make a good cushion for a backhoe foot. Work set two tractor trailers landing gears on them to raise them up just a little more so the trailers would be level. (they were sitting in a hole)
A four inch pad might be more than you wanted but it probably wouldn't have hurt.
Glad you have yours built.
David from jax

 

[worm351]

I used 2x4's carriage bolted to the feet they work great and they're cheap, but they don't last very long.

 

[HomeBrew2]

I used 2x4's carriage bolted to the feet they work great and they're cheap, but they don't last very long.

Dunno if this would be of any help but, when I used to tow an anchor (RV trailer) I used 2X6 blocks for leveling ... didn't last long due to cracking. I went to 3/4" CDX ply glued and stapled together ... worked GREAT!

 

[Egon]

I have also seen them made from plywood.

 

[Offy]

Old rubber conveyor belts work well if you can find access to them. I used up what I had and need to find some more for my new "ho".