Forks Trailer ball on front forks

[cobbkevin]

I'd like to be able to move trailers around the place with the front of the tractor. I have a rear drawbar (multiple holes) that has an anti-roll keeper to help align things but usualy have something else on the back instead, plus it's a little easier to manuever when you can see in front
I normally have a pallet frame and 42" forks on the FEL so - I want to put a ball up there. I thought about drilling one fork for a ball but the load would be off-center (probably not good idea). So I thought about a bar across both forks with a hole in the middle, maybe a channel for support and a bar back to the pallet frame to keep from sliding off the front. Has anyone seen something like this?
Kevin

 

[Travelover]

I used to work in a rental yard and we moved around trailers with a fork lift. We had a "shoe" that held onto the fork with a big T handled set bolt (just clamping force). The ball was attached to the shoe also. We just put the forks together in the center and used the shoe on one fork at a time. works great - very maneuverable.

 

[RobJ]

Drill a hole in and pop in a ball. A little off center isn't going to hurt. Sounds like the trailers are going to be empty most of the time anyway. Even a little load shouldn't hurt. A 3pt trailer lift is easy to. I think some even have a ball on the BH.

Rob

 

[cobbkevin]

I didn't even think about sliding the forks together Ok, a side question is how hard is the steel in forks? Do they drill with any reasonable effort or do I need to burn a hole through them first?
Kevin

 

[DANOCHEESE]

Weld a ball to a shoe that will fit over the end of one of your forks. Then run a chain back to the loader to keep the shoe on the end of the fork. Easy to slip on and off. A little slop won't hurt you.

 

[Eagleview]

If the trailers are loaded normally the ball weight would not be a problem for one tyne if slid to the center . But 2 things you must do is 1/ Make sure the bottom of the tyne is captive ie chained to the fork frame . otherwise it can pivot up and smash the coupling/ball and escape . 2/ Dont flame cut the hole , it will reduce the tyne tensile strength from 750mpa - to around 125mpa with the heat (nearly mild steel) . Use a magnetic drill with a Broach . Take the tyne to a metal shop and have them do it .

 

[AndyMA]

I didn't even think about sliding the forks together Ok, a side question is how hard is the steel in forks? Do they drill with any reasonable effort or do I need to burn a hole through them first?
Kevin

Very Hard! It can be drilled, but as Iron Horse said a machine shop can do it much more easily.

andy

 

[Bird]

I've seen quite a number of forklifts with a hitch ball in the end of a fork, but when we were full time RVers, we stayed in at least one park where the owner had drilled a hole in the lip of the front end loader bucket and put a hitch ball on there. By having the ball back closer to the tractor, he could handle the tongue weight of just about any conventional trailer.

 

[Zinno87]

Or something like this with a ball in the middle.

Paynes Forks 4000-6000-Lb. Capacity Fork Stabilizer Bar for Item#s 103610 and 1103611 | Tractor Bucket Forks | Northern Tool + Equipment

 

[Runner]

cobbkevin -

I have been planning on the exact same thing as you, using a piece of 6 inch channel, about 42 inches long, for the cross member and welding a receiver right in the middle. I was going to use a couple of short pieces of angle iron on the under side of each fork with bolts on each end extending upward through the channel. The angle iron and the channel would "sandwich" each of the forks and you just tighten down the bolts to hold it on.

I was also planning on having a safety chain that went from the channel back to the fork frame, just in case.

Also, I plan to weld grab hooks to each end of the channel for lifting duties.

Best of luck with your project, and I'll post pics of mine when I get it done.

 

[cobbkevin]

Bird, I thought about the bucket but I have a hard enough time 'guessing' where my lip is so if I put a ball there it would require way too many off the seat peaks to line up a trailer

Zinno, That's at least a good place to start. I think I would modify it to be a little more flexible but might just order one now.

Runner, I didn't think about a receiver. Maybe I'll get a stabilizer bar like Zinno's link and find a way to cobble a receiver and a link back to the frame for strengthening / safety. I like the stabilizer since it's adjustable in width, might help later.

I'll post a photo when I get something going.
Thanks all!
Kevin

 

[jklingel]

Take your torch and cut a hole in the end of the tine. The annealing is not going to hurt a thing. By the time you put enough force on the tip of the tine to bend it way out there, your tractor will have done a cartwheel, IMO. I burned a hole in my loader forks a few yrs ago, and have dug up many trees w/ them and moved light trailers around. Yes, I eventually bent the forks (got a little irritated w/ a very large stump, and it won) but they bent, naturally, way back at the 90 degree bend. My neighbor has burned holes in all of his loader forks for 25 yrs, and he moves some big butt trailers around. Good luck drilling them, if they are really heat treated. My 2 cents.

 

[jklingel]

another thing about the hole in the forks is it is very useful for hooking a short chain/hook through to lift light things.

 

[cobbkevin]

I sure like the idea of the hole up front. I'm a little afraid of making an ugly hole with my torch. Sounds like an excuse to finally get my plasma cutter
Kevin

 

[RonR]

I needed to move some empty trailers (and my light sailboat), so I built this. I already had the hitch. Having it set like this, I can curl the bucket and see the ball over the top of the bucket, so hookup is easy without leaving the seat.

When I take the hitch out, the base doesn't hinder dirt work.

Enjoy.

ron

 

[SPYDERLK]

Bird, I thought about the bucket but I have a hard enough time 'guessing' where my lip is so if I put a ball there it would require way too many off the seat peaks to line up a trailer
Kevin

You dont put it on the lip-BAD NEWS. The hole would weaken the cutting edge and lead to prompt failure. You reinforce the top edge and put it there.
larry

 

[Eagleview]

Resist any temtation (and advice) to cut a hole in the tyne . By the time you get it hot enough to pierce it with a flame it WILL be mild steel and jagged to boot . Any machine shop will drill it with a magnetic drill and the correct size Broach for $30 , for the price of a carton of beer do it right . ( This goes for anyone else planning on doing this ).