5 point hitch?

S854

Member
Just picked up a BB and am trying to hook it up conventionally (no quick hitch)...

At first, it wasn't as difficult as I was lead to believe... things were lining up... until I got to the last "bar" on the back...you can see it resting on the ground just to the right of the red lift arm...
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This is the side I connected first... lift arm and auxiliary bar (what's the name of that thing, anyway?) are connected with the pin...

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I have the BB over to the left as far as I could get it... which "almost" lined up the holes... but no joy...

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I have both lift arms pinned but the last bar (which connects to the axle just inside the tire) is "too long"... the holes just won't line up...

Am I supposed to be using these "auxiliary bars" with the BB or just the two lift arms (with chains to limit side-to-side movement) and the top link?

Learning... learning... learning...
 
That is not a 5 point hitch it is simple stabilizer bars use to keep what you have on the 3 point from swaying side to side. With out the stabilizer bars any thing on the 3 point will swing side to side and some times it can cause the arms to hit to rear tires which can be very bad
 
I don't have a box blade, but I do have a 6' blade, and I only use one bar to stabilize it. I have 4 stabilizer bars like you have that are all the same length, and I can rarely use one on each side. The problem with your box blade is the lower points are not quite wide enough, maybe try to put the stabilizer bars on the outside. It will move it over, and you maybe able to put the other bar on, all though when I use my blade with one bar it offsets it some like the way your BB is, and it hasn't hurt my tractor using it that way. You could either make, or buy some adjustable bars which would make hooking up the bars a lot easier.
 
I use one fixed stabilizer bar and one adjustable one, seems to work pretty well and you can tailor it to the amount of "stabilization" you want. You could use two adjustable ones but I think that would be overkill. If all 3pt implements were the same width you could get by with two non adjustable ones.....but they're not.
 
Thanks for the answers guys... I was getting ready to start tearing the back end of the tractor apart...:shock:

I did a quick web search and came up with a couple different adjustable bars...

One is similar to the top link... an eye on each end and a long turnbuckle type section in the middle...

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The other is a couple sections of chains with eyes on one end of each chain and a shorter turnbuckle joining the chains...

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Same thing? Just a different approach? One "better" than the other? I'm leaning toward the "top link" approach as it might give a bit more strength when I'm pushing the BB...

Next question... and the answer seems rather obvious... but with one adjustable and one fixed length stabilizer I would use the fixed length on the side that would allow the BB to be centered on the tractor and the adjustable bar one the other side?
 
The adjustable one you show looks like the one I use. The difference between that and a top link, aside from the hole diameter is that the ends are angled properly to align with the pins.
My preference would be to use the fixed bar/adjustable bar setup. The stay chains are also important to keep things from swinging too far when you're not using the stabilizers. I see you have stay chains hanging from either side of your PTO shaft but they are not connected.
 
Stabilizer bars as well as LIFT ARMS should not be MISS MATCHED.

Stabilizer bars as well as LIFT ARMS can be purchased in various different HOLE CENTERS to HOLE CENTERS...not good to mix up:


Bob....Owner MF FE 35 X and TEA-20.....LIFT AREMS as well as STABILIZER BARS can be mixed up...causing a HITCH PROBLEM:
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Pretty normal that you can't get both non adjustable bars on. I have a set of them also, it's a HUGE pain to try to get them both on, and oftentimes it's impossible. I run with one bar, haven't picked up an adjustable yet.

I had both on my flail mower, took a lot of messing around to get them both on there. I ended up making one look akin to a pretzel when I lifted up and backed into some brush. I still have to straighten it at some point, just no motivation to fire up the torch for one small job.
 
Hi, the genuine MF and Ferguson stabilizer bars used in the UK are
different in that they are parallel all the way whereas the US ones
appear to be wider at the ends. This is a problem that we have on this
side of the pond too. Whilst the dimensions of the 3-point linkage frame
are supposed to be fairly standard different manufacturers do make their
frames to different sizes causing the problem if you are trying to fit
two. I have never encountered any problems when fitting Ferguson or MF
implements to Ferguson and MF tractors. One bar should be quite
satisfactory.
DavidP, South Wales
 
(quoted from post at 13:10:59 04/05/18) At your leisure try measuring the center to center of all FOUR ARMS in Question:

Thanks...
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I haven't measured center to center... but the first thing I did was measure the overall length of each of the arms and while I didn't get a precise measurement (round ends are difficult to measure) they were very close... nowhere near 1 1/2" different... just looking at them the centers seem to be about the same distance from the end of each bar...

I just did a quick fitting of each of the stabilizer bars... one at a time... with the left side fitted the BB is just a little off center to the right.... with the right stabilizer fitted the BB is way off to the left side...

When I get a chance I'm going to remove both stabilizers and compare them (they're bolted to the tractor and it's like 24 degrees, 18 mph wind and snowing... :lol: ) I'll also try to get a more precise measurement on the lift arms...
 
I think there is a chance that your problem is the pins on the yellow implement. They point inwards when normally pins point out. Given that the line up is close
but not close enough the change in the triangulation by reversing the pins may do the job. Let us know the result.
 
P.S. You can see in your first photo that the implement is not centered but offset to the left side. I believe that reversing the pins to point outwards should resolve that which is the symptom of your problem. Good luck.
 
You can get the adjustable ones like this from ebay.
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Our 6640 Ford/New Holland came with a beefier version of these from the factory. They are better than any other stabilizer bars out there, and they are so easy to adjust.
 

John Deere D , the rods you have posted look suspiciously like the lift arms from a Ferguson ' Auto Hitch ' . It is a T bar arrangement that uses rods like these to lift and lower a towing hook . Like these the ends are cranked and the holes at either end are of different diameters .

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I use a 6ft. piece of pipe to shift implement to align stabilizer bars while leaving top link till last.
 
(quoted from post at 20:34:32 04/05/18) P.S. You can see in your first photo that the implement is not centered but offset to the left side. I believe that reversing the pins to point outwards should resolve that which is the symptom of your problem. Good luck.

I just tried reversing the pins and connecting the stabilizer bars outside the clevis... it got me closer but no amount of pushing/pulling/pounding/begging would get the last bar to line up...

I have ordered an adjustable bar for this application (and future implements)... I decided on the solid version (versus the chain/turnbuckle style) and am hoping it's more solid than it's $17.97 price tag first suggests... :?
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I think that's the easiest answer and for me the one that makes the most sense. I don't think any of my implements have the same geometry so it doesn't make sense to me to have a set of stabilizers for each one. As others have pointed out, one is probably just fine but I like to have two for extra stability and less chance of breaking things.
 

It can be a pain to get two solid bars on with different implements.

The adjustable one will end all your problems. Just hook up the solid bar first then adjust the other one so it fits the pins. Check to see if your implement is centered behind the tractor. If it's not, you can move it either way by now adjusting the adjustable bar.

Always hook up the stabilizer bars with the implement up in the air. Just shove the implement towards one side or the other to get the solid bar to line up with the pins then hook up the adjustable bar.
 
A couple of points:

1) is your left hand bar actually a genuine stabilizer bar? Should have slightly cranked ends as per John Deere D's pics.

2) If you have a genuine stabiliser bar made of the right stuff (ie very hard non-bendy steel), your set up will work just fine with just
one.

3) If you do use two and the geometry of your pins is even slightly out (ie if the brackets on the underside of the axles - these have oval
mounting holes for adjustment - are slightly out of position) lifting the linkage can do big damage. I always ran with just the right-hand
bar hooked up (45 years operating a MF 135 with a whole variety of implements)

Jim
 
(quoted from post at 05:13:04 04/06/18) I use a 6ft. piece of pipe to shift implement to align stabilizer bars while leaving top link till last.

It's a lot easier to hook up the implement and lift it up in the air. You can then use your foot to swing the implement from side to side to get the stabilizer bars on.

Lots easier than trying to move that implement with it sitting on the ground.
 
Don't know if this helps but I use two stabilizer bars routinely on a six foot rotiller and they both fit per the CaryC method. Are the pins on the axle bracket mounted in the same holes on both sides? Either that or your bars are two different lengths. Hope you get it figured out. :)
 
(quoted from post at 19:57:26 04/06/18) Don't know if this helps but I use two stabilizer bars routinely on a six foot rotiller and they both fit per the CaryC method. Are the pins on the axle bracket mounted in the same holes on both sides? Either that or your bars are two different lengths. Hope you get it figured out. :)
The tractor is relatively new to me (got it last September) and have only plowed snow with the front blade... this BB is my first attempt to hook something to the back...

Lots of things on the tractor are attached with a bolt and double nuts (the stabilizer bars are attached this way)... is this good or bad or no problem?

Another thing I suspect is... somehow the right side lift bar was pretzeled in the past... there’s a newer arm on that side and the adjusting link has a noticeable wobble as I crank it up or down...

Dunno if a past “wreck” is the source of my issues or not... but once it warms up a bit I plan on removing the arms/bars and having a closer look...
 
(quoted from post at 21:39:18 04/06/18)
(quoted from post at 19:57:26 04/06/18) Don't know if this helps but I use two stabilizer bars routinely on a six foot rotiller and they both fit per the CaryC method. Are the pins on the axle bracket mounted in the same holes on both sides? Either that or your bars are two different lengths. Hope you get it figured out. :)
The tractor is relatively new to me (got it last September) and have only plowed snow with the front blade... this BB is my first attempt to hook something to the back...

Lots of things on the tractor are attached with a bolt and double nuts (the stabilizer bars are attached this way)... is this good or bad or no problem?

Another thing I suspect is... somehow the right side lift bar was pretzeled in the past... there’s a newer arm on that side and the adjusting link has a noticeable wobble as I crank it up or down...

Dunno if a past “wreck” is the source of my issues or not... but once it warms up a bit I plan on removing the arms/bars and having a closer look...

Having bolts and nuts on the stabilizer bars is not actually a problem. But Lynch pins are relatively cheap. I've probably got at least a dozen extra pins in my tractor tool box for spares. Lynch pins are lots faster to use than bolts and nuts.

I use two stabilizer bars on my box blade and on my Woods M5 mower.
 

Just received the new stabilizer from the guy in the brown truck... the end with the lock nut is canted just a bit while the other eye is straight... the bent end goes on the implement and the straight end to the tractor? (Makes sense as it would be easier to lock it in place... but ya never know)
 
Pretty sure mine is the other way around but I think there is only one way to easily put it on. It will make sense when you try it.
 

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