I hate when that happens!
 

Just got in from plowing our shared private road. Just 4"-5" of light powder. The 1872 super will move out pushing snow down the road. Unfortunatly I was moving pretty good along the edge of the road when I hit a mound of frozen dirt I had peeled up last time I plowed when it was wet. Just about launched me. Did I mention it's about 16 degrees here right now? That mound of dirt might as well been solid concrete. I shattered the lift arm off the end of my rock shaft. I had to finish plowing with the plow down and no way to lift it. Got it back in the garage and took a look. That pie shaped piece of 3/8" plate steel was hanging by a thread. Guess I know what I'll be doing this week. It's supposed to snow again next week. I think I may remove 2 of the 4 HD springs on that 54" haban plow as it doesn't give much. I'd rather have it flip over a little to easy than not easily enough.
Here is the pics of the lift arm on(or off) the rockshaft.
Before as it should be.
http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w...re131Small.jpg

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w...re134Small.jpg

What's left of it.
http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w...re159Small.jpg

Where it used to be attached.
http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w...re160Small.jpg

Man...that sucks!! I bent up one of my undercarriage mounts on mine because I forgot to unlock the pin on the plow and it didn't trip when I hit about the same thing! :Explode:The chains really dug in too , and I doubt that helped any. Good thing I have an extra bracket lying around.

Hey Squatch, how's that dusting of snow we were suppoed to get in Northern Maryland? Whew!

squatch:

I feel your pain. Done that once. Now when that happened, it rivaled a ride at Cedar Point......:biggrin2.gif:

Lucky for me......all that happened was that I bent the Sub Frame. Was fortunate enough to pound it back into shape.

Got a better look today. I thought maybe I had just busted the weld between the arm and the shaft. Ha, see the last picture above. I shattered the end of the shaft. It broke off at a 45 degree angle and is still attached to the arm. Can you say good weld penetration. That's gonna be a PIA to get that stub out. Not much to grab and I'll bet it's rust welded to the rock shaft in the middle of the frame. I'll probably have to drill and tap it and use some pipe sections and big washers as a puller. Pull it out by tightening the bolt I tapped in.

Yeah got a little more than a dusting but it was light and fluffy because it was so cold. It's what's under that snow that bugs me right now!

There must have been a crack near the weld in the end of the rockshaft.

That's not a stub shaft...that goes all the way through the rockshaft to the other side of the frame. Can you remove the fenders and weld the arm back on without disassembling it?

If it's anything like any rockshaft I have dealt with, you will not be able to pull it out by tapping a hole in it and threading in a bolt. The last one I took apart would not budge in a 20-ton hydraulic press, and had to be heated in a fire to free it up.

Thanks Matt, That's what I was afraid of. The parts diagram looks like an inserted stub in each end and then pinned. At least there is a chance of driving it all the way through. No likely way to weld it back up. No crack beforehand. Look at that pic again all clean new meat. I hit that jewel hard. The Haban Plow has a HD frame that goes all the way back. That was the only thing there was to give and I hit on the right side of the plow. My lift rod is a HD tube that doesn't have much flex. Probably hit the end of that arm like a heavy swung 12lb sledge and it was cold out. 16 degrees. The lift arm is only welded on one side(backside) and that side came loose shaft bit and all. I was going downhill at top speed on the super which is probably 12MPH and stopped cold. Actually pitched the tractor sideways. That's Probably what kept me from flying.

Just an update. My used replacement rock shaft arrived today. I got the whole deal with the frame cut away around it. Looks to be in top shape. veruy little wear on the pins. I'm going to drop it off tomorrow at a machine shop. They said they could press it apart for me. If They get it all apart in good shape I can just hack out the old one and install the new one quickly.

Soak it in a bucket of water for a couple of days, worked for me.
http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s...term/rock4.jpg

Here's what a 20 ton press will do even after soaking in water.

Scott

I hope they can get it apart. Like I mentioned in a previous post, the last one I had would not budge in a 20-ton press after being soaked with PB blaster for 6 months. I put it in the wood stove one day, and then I was able to take it apart by hand....couldn't have been easier.

The person I got it from said that they normally heat them until red and let them cool then they come apart without too much force. This machine shop is pretty good. He felt confident they could get it done without damage. That's why it's going to them. I'm also going to discuss them building up the little bit of wear on the lift pins with weld and grinding them smooth. Maybe even check out a hard ceramaic coating to keep the wear down. We used to have that done with worn pump shafts. I'll see what they say.

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s...term/rock1.jpg

I just knocked mine out and welded in new ones.

Scott

I got the rock shaft back from the machine shop today. They had to really heat it and they said it took all their 25 ton press could give it to press it apart. But they did a fine job. Even welded up a less than great weld on one lift arm along with adding some weld material where the pins had a little wear from the deck hangers.
He said you realize this isn't going to just slide back together as it is right?
I knew that but does anyone have suggestions for cleaning the bore of the larger tube. I was thinking a small drum sander on an extension rod in a drill or my Dremel. Maybe a round wire brush sort of like a shotgun brush.

I also ordered 4 new tires for the super.
2- 26x12x12 tru-power ags for the rear.
2- 18x8.5x8 v61 ribs for the front.
6- new liquid/air valve stems for these wheels and my 2 rear turfs for snow chains.

I'm planning on filling them all 6 with rimguard. I got a good price from a dealer right over the PA line.

Take a piece of 1/2" pvc and cut a slot in one end about 1 3/4" long. On the other end take a tappered punch that is no more than 1/2" in diameter and tap it into the pvc. Chuck the punch end into a drill. Take a foot long piece of emery clothe, the type plumbers use and fold it in half. Slide the folded cloth into the slot on the pvc and wrap it opposite the direction you want to spin the drill.

You have now created a long flapper wheel to clean the inside of the tube.

It's what I did and it worked well.

Scott

Thanks Scott great idea! I've got all that stuff on the work bench.

Just thought I'd show you folks some pictures of the Scott Murphy bore sander perfected. It worked like a dream to clean the inside of the rock shaft.
1/2" pvc with slots cut with dremel cut off wheel and 1/2" all thread.
http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w...re022Small.jpg

120 grit plumbers sandpaper cloth on roll. fold it over to make it double sided.
http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w...re023Small.jpg

You get the idea. nut the all thread at both ends and tighten.
http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w...re024Small.jpg

Chuck the 1/2" all thread in the 1/2" drill and roll it and insert into the tube to be cleaned. start the drill and work it from one end to the other. Back and forth.
http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w...re025Small.jpg

When one side is worn out. Roll the sandpaper the opposite direction and reverse the drill and start again with fresh cloth.
http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w...re028Small.jpg

Hard to tell from this pic but this baby shined when I was done. And after cleaning the inner shaft they fit together fine.
http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w...re029Small.jpg

Thanks again Scott that was a huge work saver!