loader subframe (project diary)

[Renze]

Hey guys i made some photos:

Thanks to Crystalman for a series of photos of his Tanco loader on his 6748. It gave me a good idea of what i need to build.


I had 10 meters of UNP 180 (70x180 mm heavy C-beam) which i took from the scrapbin of my former employer.
I decided to use these, as steel prices have doubled in 2 years. 1.10 Euro per kilo is a bit much, if you have an altenative around in the barn...

This is how i bend them: Cut the upper and lower flange, fill it under with some round bar of the right size, and then drive over it with the tractor. when adding small pieces of underlayment at a time, i could bend them nice...

This is the effect after tack welding the upper and lower flange: The beam needs a 30 mm offset because the rear axle housing is wider than the front end casting.

The other one needed an extra offset to clear the under cab mounted fuel tank. I still need to cut out a part of the upper flange to get enough clearance, and weld an extra strip of metal to bring it back to original strength.

One beam is longer than the other in this picture, the part is cut off after bending. If i would have cut it off before bending, there would be not enough leverage to bend the 150 mm short part.

The axle bars completed. (they just need a drilled plate, to attach to the rear axle)
You can clearly see the extra offset in the right hand beam, to clear the fuel tank.

A part of the connection part, where the axle bars are bolted to the front bars.

This is an example of how the connection part will be welded to the axle bars. I will drill holes and connect with 4 M16 bolts.

Notice that i welded this part from 2 pieces of beam: I needed to get 40 mm higher to connect it with the front frame. I put the weld right through the middle (neutral line) of the workpiece, so that afterbending due to the heat of the welding, are eliminated because they equal up in the middle.

 

[markku]

Wheew what a job!

I wouldnt have mind to do that like you do, newer. But I am a lazy man!!! (maybe this is why i dont newer have euros in my pocket....)

Tip: when your frame is ready weld the U-bar other side close with flat steel. You get doubled the bending forces with very small work and euros. About 6 to 8 mm flat steel will be enought...

Keep going, it is very interesting to follow your project!

 

[Renze]

Markku, i allways like to see projects like this, when others are doing it...

There is a compact tractor board which also has a section of home made projects...
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/postlist.php/Cat/0/Board/buildit
Just one thing: They make only implements for "toy" tractors....


The loader frame, yes i decided to do this right !! When my tractor breaks in half, i wont get a second chance....

I calculated that i should lift 3000 kg at the loader, before the frame will deform... The loader can lift max. 1500 kg.. And next to that, the tractor itself can also take up some stress..

The plate inside the U, i kno what you mean... But it is not necerssary, it is already strong enough. Though i am thinking of welding an extra plate in the area where the vertical mounting beams are welded, because that is the main stress point.


$$$, yes my neighbor is taking cheap stuff from everywhere.. his motto: if you dont keep your eyes open (to see cheap opportunities) you'll have to keep your wallet open !! (to buy expensive..)

The loader itself cost me only 425 Euro... a complete loader with bucket and brackets go for 2000 to 2500 Euro... enough to earn when i do some work myself...

 

[treaney]

Good stuff Renze! This is quite a project you are undertaking. I'm looking forward to seeing the finished result.

Have you considered adding hydraulic damping to the loader? For an example go to http://www.stoll-jf.de/, select language, products, front loader and select Comfort drive in Accessories.

I wonder if we could make our own low cost hydraulic damping ciruit for fitting to our tractors using the spheres from a Citroen Xantia with its Hydractive suspension?[/]
http://www.citroen.mb.ca/Documents/Car/7.html

What do you think folks? Can we do it?

TomZ
Tom

Comfort-Drive
The front-end loader is equipped with gas accumulator.
After a stop valve has been opened, the hydraulic fluid from the circuit "arm-lifting" is connected to the diaphragm gas pressure accumulators. The hydraulic fluid, when exposed to pressure variations during the drive on the road, can thus smoothly be suspended and elimated inside the gas pressure accumulators. The comfort drive can be deactivated for loading works with the frontloader by turning the stop valve.

 

[Renze]

Tom, i had been thinking of using a coil spring from an old Volvo parts wrecker i have around, and a hydraulic ram, to make a damper....

But, a gas belly of a Citroen BX could be very cheap sourced from one of the local car wreckers !! I hadn't thought of that...

A damper would double the speed at which someone can safely drive a fully loaded loader tractor over rough terrain...

I will ask a garage about the operating pressures in Citroen spring system...

 

[zjakopovic]

Hey Renze,
Idea with Citroen hydroaccu is ok, but I'm not sure that working pressure of balls is 200 bar ???

 

[Renze]

ZJ, i think to remember that the operatign pressure was about 40 bar in the Hydroactive ?? but i will ask.

 

[zjakopovic]

Depends on ball location. Something about 40 bars on ammortiseurs, and about 100 bar behind hydraulic pump. A friend is chief in Citroen workshop, and need to ask him

 

[Renze]

Project update: I didn't have much time lately, but here is an update plus some photos:

The completed right side beam (with the side offset to clear the fuel tank) and the upwards offset to get to the proper height to mount the front beams.

Another angle. i have just started grinding for the other (straight, left side) beam

These are some papers i used: the left two are measure sketches, the upper right is just a sketch for the poles, the lower right is an Autocad drawings to get the angles and dimensions right.
As you can see, i just use paper as an "external memory" because nobody else understood them...

These are the old forks of the forklift a friend of mine drives at his work... He got new oens, i got them for free...

 

[zjakopovic]

Hey Renze,
How's your project developing these days?
We didn't see a progres for a two months

 

[Renze]

Yes that's right ZJ... i have a new job nowadays, so i needed full attention to work. Next to that, i had to do some work on my car, and it was too cold in the shop to work there.

The company is closed untill January 10th so i have enough full days to get the shop heated. I dont take the effort of heating for 1 hour to work 2 hours in the shop every evening...

Anyways the holidays will be beneficial for the productivity of home jobs..

 

[croc2]

Well how about an update on your Project then Renze

 

[Renze]

Well william, i must admit i havent done anything in the meantime... Had to fix the car, had the flu, had to fix pig fencings... you know how that goes.

Anyways i have taken measurements and will order some custom cut steel to make the uprights off, 200x25 flatbar steel 52.

I have also taken measurements to make an Euro standard toolcarrier, but two dimensions are not complying with each other.

Could you give me the heart distance of the two strips with 20 mm holes, the lower two made of 20 mm steel ? i already got the hooks, it must be 1040 mm heart distance i believe.

 

[Renze]

Gee, it was October when i started the project !!

Anyways, i've been steel shopping this morning, at a former employer of mine. I've made them a new website and i get steel in exchange
Next saturdy i'll go there again and torch out 2 upright consoles for the loader, and 5 sets of Euro hooks...


If anyone wants to make their own Euro toolcarrier frame, you can get the dimensions from me (i've been measuring a few loaders to get the dimensions)
So, next saturday i'll have the parts in house, after that my brother and i will take the 5245 off its wheels so we can work freely around the transmission to fit everything in place. I hope to get some REAL work done then ???

 

[markku]

Renze,

When you have finished your project I WILL offer you bear if you travel to finland someday or i travel to holland! That is quite a project and seemes it is getting done soon!

By the way, is there any place where I can get dimensions for ZTS frame connection points? I should do a support frame like you are doing, but only for side connected machines..... I am too lazy to measure all those points and im going possible cut the frame out of 30mm steel plate and bend it in shape.

Another choice is do this to my Fermec digger, it would be lots of easier because it allready has strong support frame....

Any ideas? But dont say do it like me..... Im just too lazy.

 

[markku]

NO NO NO!!!!!

There is a writing error! I will give a beer for you! I wont offer you for bears!!!

I dont newer read my writings until it is too late

 

[Renze]

Markku, i doubt if bears would like to eat me...

but you say this project is getting done soon ???
...Actually i wanted to get this done within 2 months, i have already loaded the first muck using the old Deutz again !!!

Anyways i have been off the project for some months, now i take it up again and -just-want-to-get-it-done- !!!!! (before the baling season starts)

Hey i've sent you an instant message

 

[Renze]

Well i've just got all my parts:

This morning i cut and bent 2 consoles of 25x200 mm. I've also cut 4 sets of Euro hooks from 40 mm sheet.

You can see the steel i collected last week, strips 50x10 to reinforce the main booms, two shafts of 40 mm diameter for the Euro toolcarrier frame, a heavy strip to weld as a blade in front of my earth bucket, and two punched plates to make a bolt-on connect between the left and right frame.

we'll get the real work going this week.

(by the way, the bent zinc coated pipe is a support for the TV disk receiver my father got for his birthday... )

 

[orange]

and ?????
N

 

[Renze]

Yes, we'll work tuesday evening like maniacs (that cant be too hard for us ) and get the frames mounted.

I've just been too busy, trying to get the hang of my new job, which meant that i was tired as a post horse when i came home from work... Anyways, my brother already has customers for silage transport, so now he wants to get it finished this week too !!