Broken tie rod - Kubota tractor

[Box of frogs]

Because I like to treat my tractor like it was a bulldozer sometimes I break stuff.


Last year I blew the seals in the bucket cylinders, today I snap a tie rod like a twig.
In my defense, these tie rods look under sized to me but I’m no engineer.

I’ll order the part tomorrow and hopefully I will be up and running again next weekend.
The job looks straight forward enough and I have done tie rods on a dodge before. I’ll post some pictures of the job when I get into the guts of it next week.

I found a decent place in Alabama (BESHEARS) that has everything Kubota!
I have a new rim assembly and tire ordered through them already. I’ll just add another part to the tally.

BoF

[Box of frogs]

Maybe some techie mod can fix the pic.
I can never get that shit right
Thanks - BoF

[Sparkyprep]

Box of Frogs- How do you like your Kubota tractor? I am batting around the idea of buying a new L3902. Would really like some real-world input on the durability and power of these tractors. (I know you broke a tie rod, but I consider that normal if you abuse it.) Any thoughts?

[SOCOM42]

Because I like to treat my tractor like it was a bulldozer sometimes I break stuff.


Last year I blew the seals in the bucket cylinders, today I snap a tie rod like a twig.
In my defense, these tie rods look under sized to me but I’m no engineer.

I’ll order the part tomorrow and hopefully I will be up and running again next weekend.
The job looks straight forward enough and I have done tie rods on a dodge before. I’ll post some pictures of the job when I get into the guts of it next week.


BoF

Yup you do look like you beat on it.

IF it were mine it would have been MIG welded real quick in the shop, with a 4150 rib attached.

That thing is real long and thin from what I see, it should have bent before snapping.

The thing may have had a piss poor heat treatment job on it, or it is a cheap casting.

You must have really jammed the wheels together real hard.

[Box of frogs]

Yup you do look like you beat on it.

IF it were mine it would have been MIG welded real quick in the shop, with a 4150 rib attached.

That thing is real long and thin from what I see, it should have bent before snapping.

The thing may have had a piss poor heat treatment job on it, or it is a cheap casting.

You must have really jammed the wheels together real hard.

I think its a undersized part for the tractor - I was pushing over some trees and bush hogging.
I had the bucket too high on one particular tree about 3" in diameter and the weight of the tractor was all pressed down on the tree and the tie rod. Totally my fault. Should have come in lower with the bucket and held the trunk to the ground till the front axle passed over.

BoF

[Box of frogs]

check your PM inbox

BoF

Box of Frogs- How do you like your Kubota tractor? I am batting around the idea of buying a new L3902. Would really like some real-world input on the durability and power of these tractors. (I know you broke a tie rod, but I consider that normal if you abuse it.) Any thoughts?

[Box of frogs]

Part ordered today. I had to sit down for this one 460.00 for the complete assembly.
OUCH !!!

Took the broken pieces off after work.
About 25 minutes time and it was done
15 minutes of that was getting the carter pins out of the crown nuts (not sure if that’s the correct term)
The pin heads were buried and facing away from me.
Need a 22mm wrench, dikes, small screwdriver to start the pins out, small hammer to gently tap the tie rod out of the housing.
Keep the broken ends and count the exposed threads on the adjustment connection so your alignment will be the same in the new piece.
I used the bucket to lift the front axle enough to hand turn the effected tire so I could get to the nuts easier.
BoF

[SOCOM42]

Part ordered today. I had to sit down for this one 460.00 for the complete assembly.
OUCH !!!

Took the broken pieces off after work.
About 25 minutes time and it was done
15 minutes of that was getting the carter pins out of the crown nuts (not sure if that’s the correct term)
The pin heads were buried and facing away from me.
Need a 22mm wrench, dikes, small screwdriver to start the pins out, small hammer to gently tap the tie rod out of the housing.
Keep the broken ends and count the exposed threads on the adjustment connection so your alignment will be the same in the new piece.
I used the bucket to lift the front axle enough to hand turn the effected tire so I could get to the nuts easier.
BoF

Cotter pins and castle nuts.

There is a fork for removing the ball joints, works like a wedge.

I have three different sizes, have had them for 50 years.

You were lucky to get them off without one, not so easy on a truck or car.

[Box of frogs]

Cotter pins and castle nuts.

There is a fork for removing the ball joints, works like a wedge.

I didn’t have a pickle fork for popping out the ends.
Fortunately they came out easy enough.

BoF

[SOCOM42]

I will tell you a small story.

During my first week in sunny California in 1965,

I had just got off a freeway and stopped at the traffic light at the bottom of the ramp.

Light turned green and I proceeded to turn left while starting to move.

All of a sudden I had no steering!!!!!!!

Got out looked underneath, the pitman arm had broke in half!!!!!

Had it been a few minutes earlier I would have been doing 55 plus with NO STEERING AT ALL!!!

Found a pay phone and called a Ford dealer nearby, told him the problem, did I buy the car from them? no.

Told me to take it to the dealer I got it from, I told him that would be impossible, why he asked, they are in Massachusetts.

He said, OH, OK take it to him, it was towed there.

The car was only 3 months old at the time, under warranty.

The lord must have been looking out for me that day, again.


The car was a Galaxy 500, with a 406 engine with dual quads from the factory, four speed tranny.

Replaced the factory shifter with a Mickey Thompson speed shifter.

Had torsion bars installed that I had made.