L3830 Rops Bolts

[philztoy]

Trying to fix some things over the winter. My L3830 was bought used with 1000 hrs. One of the folding Rops bolts is missing. I tried finding just a generic replacment but none of the generic metric or standard bolts I bough would thread into the nut on the ROPS. I kind of wondered why no-one had fixed this problem... but I checked with the dealer and a set of one side of ROPS bolts was I think $75. granted it wired the upper and lower ones together but even the dealer suggested I go buy a bolt or weld a new nut on. I might just bite the bullet as I never found something that fit. Of course the nuts on the tractor are getting rusty which doesn't help.

My green tractors have pin and clevis foldable ROPS set ups which are easy and quick.

Does anybody know what bolt Kubota uses in this tractor L3830?

Has anyone found a quicker linch pin solution so the folding Rops is more user friendly?

I hate to leave it without a bolt since without the bolt it many not be good roll over protection.

Let me know what you think.

Phil

 

[nickelplated5s]

Drill it out and use a pin and clevis.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Try West Kentucky Tractor parts, (Tractor salvage)
http://wkytpstore.com/

 

[philztoy]

Thank you I will check for the part at the Kentucky place. If not I may drill out the nut or just cut it off.

Does the Kentucky place have a lot of Kubota parts generally?

 

[philztoy]

No dice (but quick reply) from the Kentucky supply place:

"I don't sell bolts apart from my ROPS. They go with them.

West KentuckyTractor Parts..."

Apparently I am going to need to find somebody with half a ROPS (who is still alive) and doesn't need the other half.

 

[olthumpa]

If you can get the size and thread count, a place like this should be able to help you.

http://www.kljack.com/products/FASTENERS/GRADE 8.aspx

Good luck

 

[85Hokie]

No dice (but quick reply) from the Kentucky supply place:

"I don't sell bolts apart from my ROPS. They go with them.

West KentuckyTractor Parts..."

Apparently I am going to need to find somebody with half a ROPS (who is still alive) and doesn't need the other half.

Can you take the OTHER bolt out on the other side? And then measure the TPI on it ....of take it to a hardware place and see if you can find another?

just an idea, do you have a fastenal near by???

 

[philztoy]

My recollection is the other side is wired. There was a reason I didn't do that it has been awhile since I approched the problem. I bought a few bolts that seemed to fit the TPI pattern in both metric and US I think I even had a nut that fit one of the other bolts from the other side but I couldn't thread it into the one on the ROPS. So I kind of bought every bolt that was close and no luck. I need to revisit it again and look a little closer.

I dealt with this when I bought the tractor a couple months ago and kind of left it alone since then, so I don't accurately remember the exact nature of the failed attempts. Just trying to pick up some mainenance items over the winter.

I don't think there is a fastenal around here but I will check.

Phil

 

[BadDog]

I've run into this on several things. Kubota likes to use non-standard tread pitches. In one case (my ROPS mount) I found that the local bolt store stocked what I needed only in SHCS, so I converted. In a more recent experience, I had to buy bolts in 2 packs of 10 from Kubota to fit the odd-ball threads holding the front axle frame to the engine block. Nobody had that pitch in anything but "non graded", and special order quantity was 200. Not sure if it's some POS MBA trying to get his bonus by gouging owners with fastener lock-in, or if it's that in Japan the range of "standard" fasteners is different, but it's really starting to tick me off...

 

[philztoy]

Thanks baddog. I thought I was crazy but I think it is a weird Nagasaki payback thread! lol.

In any case I looked at it again and had all the bolts but the one side ROPS up bolt. I took the hinge bolt out and it seemed to fit the welded on rusted nut on the ROPS up nut. I had to crank it through the rusted nut pretty had with some penetrant oil but it is now in. Then I put a standard nut and bolt through the hinge bolt and I am ROPS ready. Unfortunately, I couldn't crack the ROPS up bolt rusted on the other side so I don't have foldable ROPS capability yet. Maybe the penetrant oil has leached in enough overnight and it will crack today.

 

[RIDETOEAT]

You were on the right track replacing it by what ever means, it is the most important safety device on you tractor. Roll over death stats are huge and ROPS has made a big difference. If you cant make it or find it cheap, just pony up. My best friend has lived without his dad since he was 18 Yo. from a roll over.