Thoughts on Stabalizer Links and 3 Points

[YardBikeBob]

I am having a heck of a time keeping my 3 point arms out of the tire. They are either getting wacked by the knobs on the tires are rubbing hard on the sidewalls. Level ground, not much of a problem but my property has so little of it! Now I'm trying to push the implement over as far as I can and then tighten the link on the far side (which is a bit of a feat). Then doing it again on the other side. I'm still rubbing on side slopes.

I've tried to look at other stabilizer links on the 'net but can't tell if mine is inferior to other designs. I do see chains and turnbuckles but they're on smaller tractors. There is a lot of flex/slop in my stock links on LS R4041H. Is there an aftermarket design that is better and compatible? Is there some value of having a lot of slop/movement?

I thought I'd run the arms to the inside of the BB but the Cat 1 pins aren't long enough. OTOH, I thought the wider the stance on the 3 Point, the better stability of the implement.

Any ideas or examples of better ways appreciated.

Bob

 

[RDrancher]

Does your drawbar have small holes in it? You could attach small chains from the drawbar to the sway links to help it out a bit.

 

[RKJeepXJ]

Top picture you posted. See the kink in the inside arm (we'll call it the male side) where it attaches to to the tractor? You need to straighten that out. Pull the pin, straighten that joint and I bet you can get a whole nother hole of tightness in the linkage. Then when setting the other side, pull the implement to you and do teh same thing. You have to get all the slack out of the stabilizers. Many times I have to go through this procesure twice to find the right holes to get things centered of offset depending on my needs. A second person can help this process along as well.

I know telescoping stabilizers are quick, but sometimes I wonder if I wouldn't like a tunebuckle style better.

 

[newbury]

Not to get too far off subject but could you set your tires wider?

 

[Guesseral]

Is you implement a cat 1 or 2? It looks like it is with the arms in the cat 2 space. Just the way it looks from my angle.

Ok no it isn't. Put the bolt on style cat one lower link pins on the inside and get them closer to gather. It really looks more like the spacing is for a cat two hydraulics. What is the spacing between them now.

 

[RG1]

Straighten the stabilizer mounting brackets at each end, and on each side, then set your rear wheels to a wider stance. They look awfully narrow in the pic (which I know can be deceiving, but still....)

 

[FatTire]

Do you have a photo showing the entire tractor from the rear? It looks like the wheels are mounted inside, but not so much from the position of the fenders. Would be nice to see a little more.

 

[YardBikeBob]

Does your drawbar have small holes in it? You could attach small chains from the drawbar to the sway links to help it out a bit.

But then the 3 point couldn't lift if chained to the draw bar. So then I was thinking I could cross-chain the lower bars in an 'X' pattern -- but then that would cross the PTO axis. That would be a stupidity trap when using the RC.

Not to get too far off subject but could you set your tires wider?

Don't know how. The wheels are a solid disk so the rim can't be adjusted. Everything I know about wheel spacers I learned 40 years ago on a pretty cool VW beetle. 3 out of 5 studs held up well back then.

Bob

 

[RG1]

Take your rear wheels off, turn them around, then swap them from side to side. Now the wheels are much wider, and the tread is still running the right direction.

 

[George2615]

Looking at your 2nd pic it shows the arms are as far out (wide) as they can go in the attachment. If you pull the pin on the arms in pic 1 and push the arm on the attachment to the inside (closer together) they shouldn't rub the tires.

I have the LS XR3037HC and my arms don't come close to the tires. My distance between the rear tires is 37" and 66" outside to outside. With my Cat 1 attachment on I have 5" between the tire and the lower arm. With the Cat 1 attachment on I measure 29" to the outer edges of the arms. If yours is wider you might have a Cat 2 attachment.
I don't think you can swap tires side to side but not sure. Spacers would work to move the tires out further.

 

[YardBikeBob]

Put the bolt on style cat one lower link pins on the inside and get them closer to gather. It really looks more like the spacing is for a cat two hydraulics. What is the spacing between them now.

The inner side plates are just over 26" apart the way it mounts now.

They are not bolt on. The Cat 1 pins are too short to run the arms on the inside. Also, the inside surface is not flush. So not only longer pins but also a wear washer to run the arms on the inside would be necessary if that's the way to go.

Bob

 

[YardBikeBob]

Take your rear wheels off, turn them around, then swap them from side to side. Now the wheels are much wider, and the tread is still running the right direction.

Holy molly! Let me grab a beer and I'll get right on that. . .

. . . okay, that didn't help. The dish appears proper for the wheels. The wheel spacing is 11" from the outside and 5" from the inside.

Bob

 

[YardBikeBob]

Do you have a photo showing the entire tractor from the rear? It looks like the wheels are mounted inside, but not so much from the position of the fenders. Would be nice to see a little more.

Does the BB make my ***** look too fat?

Pictures lie a little. The BB extends 4" outside the wheel tracks.

Bob

 

[YardBikeBob]

Top picture you posted. See the kink in the inside arm (we'll call it the male side) where it attaches to to the tractor? You need to straighten that out. Pull the pin, straighten that joint and I bet you can get a whole nother hole of tightness in the linkage.

Ha! I see you run his big brother. The end-user modification you speak of is in your future, too. Back up the BB a few times and yours will look just like mine. For awhile I was thinking one of my links was defective as it was bent and the other was straight.

Now they're both bent to match without any effort on my part.

Bob

 

[Guesseral]

Ha! I see you run his big brother. The end-user modification you speak of is in your future, too. Back up the BB a few times and yours will look just like mine. For awhile I was thinking one of my links was defective as it was bent and the other was straight.

Now they're both bent to match without any effort on my part.

Bob

Well them straighten them and don't back up any longer! There problem solved! Next anyone! :drink:

In all seriousness I am going to have to look at mine tonight it just doesn't look like enough space in between the tires. Are those oversized tires I mean even larger than the ones on the 47? Another question is the implement quick hitch compatible? I realize you are not using a quick hitch but they run on a standard measurement. Really weird not your tractor the situation.

 

[YardBikeBob]

I have the LS XR3037HC and my arms don't come close to the tires. My distance between the rear tires is 37" and 66" outside to outside. With my Cat 1 attachment on I have 5" between the tire and the lower arm. With the Cat 1 attachment on I measure 29" to the outer edges of the arms.

Thanks for taking the time in your reply. Interesting data points. My 'bigger' tractor is only 30" between the tires (total width is about the same with 17.5x24 R4s). Mounting the BB, the arms are also 30" apart on the outside.

You running AG tires? Pondering how you get your 37".

Bob

 

[YardBikeBob]

Well them straighten them and don't back up any longer! There problem solved! Next anyone! :drink:

Are those oversized tires I mean even larger than the ones on the 47? Another question is the implement quick hitch compatible?

Maybe I should. In this county, straight is highly favored. Anything else is considered bent and undesirable.

The tractor is all stock. Those are 17.5x24 R4s.

I don't know anything about quick hitches.

Bob

 

[George2615]

Thanks for taking the time in your reply. Interesting data points. My 'bigger' tractor is only 30" between the tires (total width is about the same with 17.5x24 R4s). Mounting the BB, the arms are also 30" apart on the outside.

You running AG tires? Pondering how you get your 37".

Bob

Bob,
I am running R4's 43x16.00-20. My picture (#4) shows the 37" width. I measured from inside lug of the left to inside lug of the right. Tires are 16" wide across the lug edge to lug edge. Plus another 2" if you count the sidewall bulge.

 

[RG1]

Holy molly! Let me grab a beer and I'll get right on that. . .

. . . okay, that didn't help. The dish appears proper for the wheels. The wheel spacing is 11" from the outside and 5" from the inside.

Bob

Well, it was a thought, but it sounds like your wheels are a one trick pony type deal. Too bad that so many manu's are going the el cheapo route to save a few bucks.

 

[k0ua]

It appears to me that Bob's sway bars are in "compression".. They need to be straight. Pull the pins and hit them with a rubber mallett, until they are straight not scissored in line like that.. When they are scissored in, they are shorter than they should be, so you are choosing a hole you can get the pins into and that is the wrong hole.

The bars work by as the implement tries to sway lets say left, the right bar should have extension forces on it, but since it is folded up it gives and lets the implement sway to the left and rub the tire. And when the implement wants to sway to the right the Left sway bar should be in full extension and not allow it to sway too far to the right so that it would hit the tire, but obviously in your photo your left sway bar is folded up . so it gives when the implement wants to sway right, and it allows it to hit the right tire. All you have to do is pull the two adjustment pins, raise the implement off of the ground, hit both sway bars with a rubber mallet to straighten the scissored joint, and put the pins in the correct holes to prevent the sway.. Check for sway now by pushing the implement side to side with your body and the bars should no longer hit the tires.. case closed.