What Length Of Hydraulic Top-Link For MT357

[KCTractors]

I want to put a hydraulic top-link on a MT357. I have one from a MT342 that I had but the top-link is too short. I have the Pat's Quick-hitch on the the 57 also.
Anybody have one their MT357? What length did you get?

 

[jeff9366]

Ask Fit Rite (custom) Hydraulics, a regular T-B-N contributor under the screen name of MtnViewRanch.

Top link

Manufacturers of tractor 3 point hitch top and tilt hydraulic kits, hydraulic top links and hydraulic side links.

www.fitritehydraulics.com

"How to determine the best overall working length for your hydraulic top link is to get the true mid stroke pin-pin distance.

The best way to do this is to have your tractor hitched up to your box blade (as an example) have the implement level with the ground front-back and side-side. Have the implement on the ground, measure the pin-pin distance.

Based on the pin-pin distance, the best possible working length of your top link can be determined."

 

[Avenger]

You're looking for a 18 1/8" - 26 3/8" top link. That is the one that fit best with my tractor (which is about the same as yours)
This is the one I installed:

Category 1 Hydraulic Top Link 18 1/8" - 26 3/8"

Our Category 1 Hydraulic Top Link with double-piloted check valve prevents cylinder drift and holds cylinder in position. This feature makes our hydraulic top link the best in the market! Cylinder Features: Part Number 06003 Category: 1 Pin hole: 3/4" Ball width: 1 3/4" Min length: 18 1/8"Max...

www.agristoreusa.com

You'll need a hose kit too:

Hydraulic Hose Kit with 1/2" Ball Type Couplers (36")

Hydraulic Top Link Hose Kit - SAE 100 3/8" 2RAT Hydraulic Hose - Length 35.4" - Working pressure 4,800 PSI Hose kit ready for installation to hydraulic top link. - One hose with 3/8" Banjo fitting (connects to BSP fitting on our to link) and 1/2" male ball type quick coupler - One hose with 3/8"...

www.agristoreusa.com

And here is the video I made installing it:

Hope this helps!

 

[Roadworthy]

If your original top link worked before you installed Pat's you'll need one about two inches longer as Pat's sets the connection point on the arms back about two inches. I needed a new top link as well as a longer driveshaft on my mower. Beyond that Pat's is great.

 

[Supraman0614]

+1 for what Avenger suggested. Fits and works well on mine.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

You guys realize that Pat's quick hitch adds 3 3/4" to the length of the draft arms, right?

So anything that you might be using for your std length draft arms-std 3pt hitch will not work very well if at all for the OP's circumstances.

He should be looking for something a few inches longer than what a std length 3pt set-up would need.

Also, I believe that the OP's hitch is a cat 1-2 hitch, so best to have a narrow cat 2 implement end if he can find one.

 

[Avenger]

If the OP needed an extra length, AristoreUSA sells several different lengths. This one would work fine too:

Category 1 Hydraulic Top Link 20 7/8" - 31 7/8"

Our Category 1 Hydraulic Top Link with double-piloted check valve prevents cylinder drift and holds cylinder in position. This feature makes our hydraulic top link the best in the market! Cylinder Features: Part Number 06004*Now available in green! Part number Y503028BM* Category: 1 Pin hole...

www.agristoreusa.com

But it has been my experience that the amount of times my top link, while hooked to an implement, is all the way extended or retracted, is very minimal. And I specified a bit longer top link for my tractor, since I added my quick hitch (that pushed the actual links out a bit from factory). I still keep my manual top link around for various implements that require the hydraulic remotes the top link uses.

From factory, the LS MT 342 is a cat 1 hitch. If the OP wanted to upgrade to a 1/2 on the top link, I'd suggest getting something like this And use use cat 1/2 balls:

Category 2 Hydraulic Top Link 19 1/16" - 25 3/8"

Our Category 2 Hydraulic Top Link with double-piloted check valve prevents cylinder drift and holds cylinder in position. This feature makes our hydraulic top link the best in the market! Cylinder Features: Part Number 01898 Category 2 Pin hole: 1" Ball hole: 1"Ball width: 2"Min length: 19 1/16"...

www.agristoreusa.com

Alternatively, the OP can get a quote from Brian!

 

[Avenger]

On reflection, that cat 2 quick hitch would not work with the MT 342. It requires a cat 1 on the tractor end. So either go with the first link, Brian, or cut off the cat 2 tractor end and weld this in its place:

Category 1 Top Link Ball End - Weld on

Ball End with Round Base for Category 1 Top Links SPECSA: 2 3/8"B: 2 3/8"C: 1 3/4"d: 3/4"E: 1 5/16"F: N/AG: N/A Finished base

www.agristoreusa.com

But honestly, you really do not need a quick hitch on the top link, especially with hydraulics.