Hydro lift link

[sqrlgtr 1,160]

Made a new lift link for the 1257 with the HY2 unit. Wanted something with a little adjustment to it. Still needs a little paint but works good with dozer blade.

[JoeM 9,097]

Looks plenty strong too! 

[ri702bill 10,336]

Excellent use of hexstock instead of round rod. Don't forget to add a dab of grease on the Clevis pins.

You need to tighten the lower jam nut; the threads are in tension and if left that way vibration and weight will strip the threads engaged between the clevis and link over time.

How much thread engagement do you have there as shown? Should be at least 2X the thread diameter... If that joint fails, the blade suddenly drops.

[ebinmaine 75,073]

1 hour ago, JoeM said:

Looks plenty strong too! 

 

 

What's the source or name of the end pieces? 

 

 

[ri702bill 10,336]

Eric - those are clevis rod ends. McMaster should have them. Beware of cheap cast versions.. Only slightly stronger than cream cheese..

[sqrlgtr 1,160]

@ri702bill yeah that pic was still in adjustment stage , that is a 1/2-20 thread and is 2 1/2" long so guessing I ended up with 1 1/2" thread engagement. I got it adjusted now with jam nuts tight. Can pick wheels off of ground and still have plenty of ground clearance with plow in raised position. I made it with left hand thread on one end and right hand thread on other so all you have to do is break jam nuts loose and turn hex stock to make longer or shorter. 

@ebinmaine Mcmaster was the source for the clevis rod ends. They were 9/10$$'s a piece if I remember correctly. I did have to "massage" them a little to fit lift shaft and plow bracket

Edited 4 hours ago by sqrlgtr

[ri702bill 10,336]

2 hours ago, sqrlgtr said:

I made it with left hand thread on one end and right hand thread on other so all you have to do is break jam nuts loose and turn hex stock to make longer or shorter. 

Nice - a true turnbuckle type of adjustment, like an old automotive 3 piece tie rod. Being a 20 pitch thread, I would have skipped the LH version & gone with two RH ones. One full rotation of the clevis is .050 inch movement - being symmetrical, a half turn is only .025 inch..... Set it once & forget it.

I did just that with my plow angling rod. Heim ends are 1/2-20 RH thread. Adjust once & done.

 

 

 

[ebinmaine 75,073]

4 minutes ago, ri702bill said:

Adjust once & done.

 

Same here. I don't have any left thread taps so all my ends are RH. 

Assemble. Adjust. Reassemble and tighten up. Done.  

 

 

[ri702bill 10,336]

13 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

 

Same here. I don't have any left thread taps so all my ends are RH. 

Assemble. Adjust. Reassemble and tighten up. Done.  

 

 

Do you have to use a LH drill bit to tap a LH thread?? No.

It's been my experience that left-handed components (drills, taps, hardware) can either be more difficult to locate, or cost more than the common RH counterpart. Or both.

One big reason I avoid them is my lathe has no provision to single point cut LH male threads. Tapping LH female threads is fine.

[ebinmaine 75,073]

11 minutes ago, ri702bill said:

 left-handed components (drills, taps, hardware) can either be more difficult to locate, or cost more than the common RH counterpart. Or both.

 

 

Agreed. 

I've considered getting LH taps but the cost was a deal breaker, literally. 

 

RH (standard) taps I've inherited extras of.  

[sqrlgtr 1,160]

I did use right hand Heim joints on my plow but liked the idea of adjusting lift without having to remove link from machine. I can cut LH threads on my lathe but if had no way of cutting left hand I would have used right hand hardware also. I had factory lift links but one was just a tad too short and another was just a tad too long hence the idea of an adjustable one . I can swap it back and forth between different machines also, but will probally build at least one more .