Am I in 3-Point Trouble?

[allenlook]

I purchased large hitch pins and cut the "head" ends off them, and then threaded them on my lathe to match the threads of the holes in the final drives. I used an implement bolt taken out of one of the holes as a reference. I threaded them into the final drives, put on the lift arms, and then put the spring-pins back in the ends.

[George Willer]

Allen,

Your idea makes a neat installation!

You're not in trouble, provided the re-threaded hitch pins tighten on a shoulder rather than the bottom of the hole. As I think you already know, tightening in the bottom of the hole can cause damage to the casting.

[allenlook]

Oops, forgot to mention, I made the threads a little longer than necessary and threaded a large nut onto each of the pins so that it wouldn't go all the way into the hole - thanks for the reminder George! Although I think from memory those holes might be through-holes...

[Jim Becker]

They are only through holes if somebody already bottomed out a bolt and popped the end out of the hole.

My 2 concerns are:
- You are now using one bolt for a job that had been done by 2. It will be much easier to damage the housing than with 2 bolts.
- Your front pivot points are pretty wide. It will not behave well if you use it with draft equipment.

Depending on how you intend to use it, neither of these points may matther.

[allenlook]

Jim,

Where were there two bolts prior?

[Jim Becker]

In each drawbar bracket.

[allenlook]

Should I fabricate mountings that will use both holes and move the arm mount points toward the center of the tractor?

[Matt Kirsch]

I would say yes.

What you might want to consider is a complete cross-bar to join the final drives together in this case. This way you can locate the arms wherever you want, mount them using both bolt holes on both sides, and eliminate any twisting on the final drives that may have been incurred.