312 front scoop pipe dream

[wallfish 17,452]

I don't have the ability to drill out the axle stubs so DOM tube was something I could do. You need to get the 1" ID piece too for doing the inner seal.

Eric's stub idea has that plus it has the threaded end and castle nut on the axle stub

https://www.onlinemetals.com/en/buy/alloy-steel-round-tube-4130?q=%3Aprice-asc%3AMaterial%3AAlloy%2BSteel%3AShape%3ATube-Round%3AInnerDiameter%3A0.76%22%3AOuterDiameter%3A1%22&sort=price-asc

 

Edited November 12, 2024 by wallfish

[wallfish 17,452]

1 minute ago, ebinmaine said:

I agree. 

These have been on like that for several years with LOTS of use. 

No signs of looseosity. 

 

Might toss a  couple 6011 tacks on there. 

Everything is good until it isn't. Loosing a front tire ain't fun if that stuff cracks and sure isn't going to happen while it's right in the shop

[oliver2-44 10,323]

If you raise the front of the tractor up 5” you need to work out how the lift system is going to lift it or let it down that extra 5” 

 

With the regular tractor height and the scooping from the back it seems like it would work in most uses. 

Edited November 12, 2024 by oliver2-44

[b00mhower 33]

Just now, oliver2-44 said:

If you raise the front of the tractor up 5” you need to work out how the lift system is going to lift it or let it down that extra 5” 

I won't be using the tractor lift. Depending on which is gonna be easier for a proof of concept I'll either plumb in the small 2 way hydro cylinder I have (via aux pump) or linear actuators, or both.

 

The tractor lift is staying dedicated to the sleeve hitch because ideally I'd like to be able to dump/scoop and grade/rip/spread what have you in one operation 

[ebinmaine 70,534]

On 11/11/2024 at 8:43 PM, b00mhower said:

If you're willing I'd greatly appreciate it. Currently seems fairly straightforward but I've been bit by that thinking before lol

 

Here's what I use for doing a front 5 lug conversion. 

@wallfish 's method is perfectly fine too.  

I went this direction because I knew I'd be running the tractor heavy all the time and also because someone offered to bore the spindles for me.  

 

[b00mhower 33]

12 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

 

Here's what I use for doing a front 5 lug conversion. 

@wallfish 's method is perfectly fine too.  

I went this direction because I knew I'd be running the tractor heavy all the time and also because someone offered to bore the spindles for me.  

 

Excellent! Thank you. 

 

Hopefully by the weekend I'll have the plow mounted again and some sort of direction worked out for the time being. 

[b00mhower 33]

Update 

 

Finally got a wild hair and finished up a very sloppy, shoddy, crude, and somewhat ineffective proof of concept

 

Blade goes up, blade goes down

 

Total material cost somewhere around $30 but I am not satisfied which is why this is version 1.0. My next revision should see a faster actuator, better brackets than just the junk I had on hand, and ideally less mess in the background 

[ebinmaine 70,534]

9 hours ago, b00mhower said:

My next revision should see a faster actuator, better brackets than just the junk I had on hand

 

I like the concept. 

 

The brackets you've made may be fine given a little reinforcement and a good strong upper connection. 

 

A shorter throw actuator with higher speed should get you where you want to be.  

 

Do you have good access to the engine?

Will there be a lockable but easy to open bottom swing pivot in the bracket? Or... will the lower hood hinge be removable? 

 

Will the bottom of the connection (plow side) have a pivot so the plow frame can freely swing when contacting snow/ice piles?

If not, that WILL break the actuator. 

A good heavy spring would serve a double purpose there of being the pivot while also allowing the plow to contact the tractor axle without stressing the actuator. 

 

 

Looking forward to seeing version  2. 

[b00mhower 33]

5 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

 

I like the concept. 

 

The brackets you've made may be fine given a little reinforcement and a good strong upper connection. 

 

A shorter throw actuator with higher speed should get you where you want to be.  

 

Do you have good access to the engine?

Will there be a lockable but easy to open bottom swing pivot in the bracket? Or... will the lower hood hinge be removable? 

 

Will the bottom of the connection (plow side) have a pivot so the plow frame can freely swing when contacting snow/ice piles?

If not, that WILL break the actuator. 

A good heavy spring would serve a double purpose there of being the pivot while also allowing the plow to contact the tractor axle without stressing the actuator. 

 

 

Looking forward to seeing version  2. 

Initially my bottom bracket (tractor side) was going to pin on to the frame and lock in to the mule drive quick tach but after some poor trig I just talked it all in place. V2.0 will go back to pinned on for engine access 

 

If I spend a tad more it looks like I can triple the stroke speed of my actuator by sacrificing some pushing weight which is probably fine 

 

I'm not overly clear on what you mean by lower mount pivot?

 

 

[ebinmaine 70,534]

5 minutes ago, b00mhower said:

 

 

If I spend a tad more it looks like I can triple the stroke speed of my actuator by sacrificing some pushing weight which is probably fine 

 

As long as you have the strength to lift the plow AND a Margin of error.  

 

 

5 minutes ago, b00mhower said:

 

I'm not overly clear on what you mean by lower mount pivot?

 

 

 

At the bottom of the actuator. 

What makes the connection between the plow/frame and the actuator? 

 

 

[b00mhower 33]

23 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

 

As long as you have the strength to lift the plow AND a Margin of error.  

 

 

 

At the bottom of the actuator. 

What makes the connection between the plow/frame and the actuator? 

 

 

As is I've got a safety factor of 5 or 6 or so. I don't have an exactly weight for the plow frame and blade but I can carry it by myself and I'm no hoss 

 

The connection is two angle plates welded to the frame and a 5/16 pin through the angles to the actuator 

[ebinmaine 70,534]

28 minutes ago, b00mhower said:

As is I've got a safety factor of 5 or 6 or so. I don't have an exactly weight for the plow frame and blade but I can carry it by myself and I'm no hoss 

 

Excellent 

 

 

28 minutes ago, b00mhower said:

The connection is two angle plates welded to the frame and a 5/16 pin through the angles to the actuator 

 

There's been a few threads where folks talk about the way the plow frame moves side to side at the front  while in use. Sometimes quite a bit. Like several inches without exaggeration. 

 

Some have built front stabilizer bars & brackets to alleviate this. 

 

I'd be extremely cautious about using the actuator mount itself as the direct connection to the plow frame.  

 

I believe you'll need a pivot there to account for the difference in side to side motion between the plow frame and actuator.  Every actuator I've seen or heard of has nearly all its strength in the push/pull (as it should) and can be very weak when moved side to side.  

 

 

A spring perhaps, or a short length/ loop of strong cable. 

 

[b00mhower 33]

5 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

 

Excellent 

 

 

 

There's been a few threads where folks talk about the way the plow frame moves side to side at the front  while in use. Sometimes quite a bit. Like several inches without exaggeration. 

 

Some have built front stabilizer bars & brackets to alleviate this. 

 

I'd be extremely cautious about using the actuator mount itself as the direct connection to the plow frame.  

 

I believe you'll need a pivot there to account for the difference in side to side motion between the plow frame and actuator.  Every actuator I've seen or heard of has nearly all its strength in the push/pull (as it should) and can be very weak when moved side to side.  

 

 

A spring perhaps, or a short length/ loop of strong cable. 

 

Hadn't considered that. May do some kind of stiff rubber dogbone for the plow connection since that would still allow me some down pressure/maintain depth of grade 

[ebinmaine 70,534]

8 minutes ago, b00mhower said:

Hadn't considered that. May do some kind of stiff rubber dogbone for the plow connection since that would still allow me some down pressure/maintain depth of grade 

Excellent idea 

[Bar Nuthin 933]

1 hour ago, b00mhower said:

May do some kind of stiff rubber dogbone

Perhaps a couple of exhaust hanger isolators on each side. If you could rotate the lower shaft 90° - even better.

[wallfish 17,452]

6 hours ago, b00mhower said:

I don't have an exactly weight for the plow frame and blade but I can carry it by myself and I'm no hoss 

You seem to use the same exact scale as I use! LOL

Play it by ear, trial and error, find the weak points and fix'em later. Try to anticipate and engineer to that. Plus, crap gets scattered everywhere when working on stuff like that so it makes a mess.

Using an actuator for the lift, have you considered moving mechanical linkage instead of direct connections? You could gain some mechanical advantage but it will sacrifice speed or use a stronger actuator with different leverage to gain speed. Maybe that lingage could absorb the side to side load and movement. Extend the plow frame out the back and use weight behind the fulcrum point of the frame to assist in lifting plus it adds counter weight for better steering under heavy front loads, etc. Just throwing $- it against the wall to what sticks.  

Old 12v powered hydraulics off a Jeep?

[b00mhower 33]

19 minutes ago, Bar Nuthin said:

Perhaps a couple of exhaust hanger isolators on each side. If you could rotate the lower shaft 90° - even better.

Good idea! I still have some of those hanging around 

[Bar Nuthin 933]

21 minutes ago, b00mhower said:

Good idea! I still have some of those hanging around

Maybe box them in on all four sides about halfway up so they're forced to spring back into position