Help with SMTA or 400 front bolster

mattofvinings · May 24, 2017

I am scheduled to go pickup my grandfather's SMTA from NE Iowa and relocate it to SE Michigan next month.

I'm working on tie-downs and discovered this pic, I would like to duplicate this technique if possible. I'm wondering if someone knew about these vertical holes thru the front bolster, what is the diameter, and is it a thru-hole where a Gr5 nut+bolt would work as the pin? I don't have the tractor near me to figure this out currently. It appears from image searches that the 400 has the same casting on it. Thank you in advance if you can help.

Brownie450 · May 24, 2017

A 3/4 inch drawbar pin fits through nicely.
If you are using a bolt & nut, should be 6 inches
long to allow for a nut & washer.
Jim

mattofvinings · May 24, 2017

Excellent, thank you very much sir!

Brownie450 · May 24, 2017

When we had one of our tractors stuck in mud, we had
a chain with an elongiated link just for these pulling
holes.
Stick the link between the holes & put a drawbar pin
through the holes & link, & ready to go.

Those holes were used to pivot each side of a [I believe]
468 cultivator on our 450D. The cultivator frame had a
notch & eye bolt that tightened after half of the cult.
was mounted.
Jim

mattofvinings · May 24, 2017

I guess this means that something like a 5/16 or 3/8" chain won't wrap behind the pin, within the pocket in the casting? In the picture it appears the person has just looped a regular chain around the pin.

If there's no room, I think I'll probably punch some holes in a piece of heavy (3/8" or 1/2" flat bar) and then a slot for a 3/8" grab hook to take hold.

D beatty · May 24, 2017

I have hitch on front and 3/8 chain would not go around bolt in front corners. I bolted a G70 chain with hook to frame with high strength
bolt with large washer on back of frame.

hadley · May 25, 2017

(quoted from post at 02:30:04 05/24/17) I am scheduled to go pickup my grandfather's SMTA from NE Iowa and relocate it to SE Michigan next month.

I'm working on tie-downs and discovered this pic, I would like to duplicate this technique if possible. I'm wondering if someone knew about these vertical holes thru the front bolster, what is the diameter, and is it a thru-hole where a Gr5 nut+bolt would work as the pin? I don't have the tractor near me to figure this out currently. It appears from image searches that the 400 has the same casting on it. Thank you in advance if you can help.

My question is how did this guy ever keep this thing on the road? Obviously a bumper pull trailer and there could not have been hardly any if any tongue weight on the trailer with the tractor loaded that far back on trailer.

mattofvinings · May 25, 2017

Seems pretty far back!

This is what I have for now, 13/16" hole for the 3/4" pin, a 1" x 2" slot for the chain's grab hook. Bent roughly at 45 degrees. 3/8" thickness.

mattofvinings · May 25, 2017

Its 2-1/4" dia on the end, hopefully that's OK, I will take my angle grinder just in case! :shock:

Help with SMTA or 400 front bolster

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