long needed seat time, gone wrong

got some long needed seat time Sunday and it ended in disaster. had not been out to mow all summer. 2 of us went out on our N's to mow the hunting property we lease. anyway, at days end I was mowing in 5 to 6 foot tall grass around my stand and hit a stump that was about 16 inches tall. bent the left front rim, and the radius arm, and sheared the hitch pin on the center link at the mower end as it hit the stump and flipped the mower up. I was standing at the time looking for the stumps. I got thrown forward against the steering wheel and then almost off the tractor as the rear wheel went over. can the radius arm be straitened? if yes, how is it best done? not bent real bad, about 1.5 inch bow.

(quoted from post at 21:17:59 09/03/13) got some long needed seat time Sunday and it ended in disaster. had not been out to mow all summer. 2 of us went out on our N's to mow the hunting property we lease. anyway, at days end I was mowing in 5 to 6 foot tall grass around my stand and hit a stump that was about 16 inches tall. bent the left front rim, and the radius arm, and sheared the hitch pin on the center link at the mower end as it hit the stump and flipped the mower up. I was standing at the time looking for the stumps. I got thrown forward against the steering wheel and then almost off the tractor as the rear wheel went over. can the radius arm be straitened? if yes, how is it best done? not bent real bad, about 1.5 inch bow.

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ou didn't say whether radius arm was oval tube or I-beam. I have straightened the tubular with a hydraulic press, but if yours is bent so bad as to have a crease in it, that won't come out. Use wood block spreaders to prevent having the press put a crease in it.

JMOR it's the tube type and is not kinked just bowed over the full length. was thinking of taking it to a place in town that builds leaf springs and straitens axels.

RADIUS ROD STRAIGHTEN

The easiest way I have found to straighten the radius rods is to attach my four foot rigid pipe wrench to the front axle with the handle pointing straight up. I then connect my five ton chain come-along to the rear trumpet housing with a chain or the chain on the come-along and then hook the other end to the pipe wrench handle and start pulling on the pipe wrench.

The radius rod will bend right back to it's original straight shape with no distortions at all. Usually have to go just a little past straight so that when the tension on the come-along is released and it relaxes the radius rod will then be straight.

Thinking that the front pivot pin and or bushing has anything to do with the bent radius rods is not true. The radius rods are bent when the front wheel hits an immovable object or a bank or hole and the axle is pushed back with the spindle housing. This actually bends and twists the axle too but it is strong and flexible enough to withstand the stress. The radius rod is not.

You can substitute a long heavy piece of angle iron with a bolt through it and the end of the axle instead of the 4' pipe wrench.

Zane

Thats the best way and worth the aggravation factor.

that loader frame is stout, what was he Useing it for- pushing rail cars? Off you'r subject but I have just purchased a trailer very simular to the one pictured, what manufacture is this? A five bolt Chevy rim will fit the axil pattern but it isn't wide enough for the tire to have proper clearance to the frame rails. I'm asking because I need to find a few rims and don't know what to look for. Thank You.

Your lucky you stayed on the tractor, I've often thought of the tragedy it would be to fall off a tractor and fall right in front of that big wheel.
I usually don't stand up on my tractor but have had my wheel hit a small rock and bounced me off the seat, scary.

Stan
9N 222933
2N with 8N motor 8N345567
8N 146710
8N 179555
8N 197904
8N 199000
8N 254079
8N 362039

got a hyd jack, wood and chain?

Soundguy, thanks, had not thought to do that. that would be a very simple fix that would only take a few minutes to do. but was also not sure that it could be bent back without breaking it.

heybuddriver, ya, reality sunk in after I got stopped and thought about what happened. could have been ugly. can fix steel, but cant fix dead.

they 'usually' repair ok if not creased.

bend back past true so that when it relaxes it will relaxe to 'true'.