From the left & counter clockwise - the vertical piece of 3/4 ply is a spacer I used for alignment, The black strap is the supplied piece (didn't like it), the MDF was made to fill the frame rails, then I made 2 blanks from 1/4 plywood and drilled one for the bolt spacing. My XT3's frame rails has both of the 3/4" holes bur because the Sleeve Hitch frame is just a touch bigger, left to right width, then the back-step I will probably only use only the first bolt.
Laid out in the background and then the foreground is the 3x36x3/16 strap to replace the supplied pieces. I'll need to shorten the bolts (they are 3/4 x 3") and the flat washers are to fit inside the frame rails as spacers.
Next - the tractor rails to show my configuration versus the supplied components
Yes I've got to agree.
So long as I don't get in over my head, dealing with challenges is fun (andAnd I can be a bit of a masochist). It helps that this install is nearly identical to the same thing I bought and installed on a Craftsman GT 15 years ago.
But an end user shouldn't have to put out this much effort for a "made to fit" item.
When I saw your pics I said out loud "Da.. Thats a LOT of holes."
I fitted a manual sleeve hitch (dont know what it fit) I got in a trade to my 3240 and I had to deal with the hitch to frame channel arms like you are.
I marked where the 3/4" holes go thru, hole sawed the arms to 1 1/8" and welded small pieces of 3/4" ID pipe in place which fit inside the channel. 3/4" pins thru the frame. Made for a clean install.
This is exactly why I went with the OEM sleeve Hitch and the Johnny Products electric lift Kit so No Fabricating would be Involved except Enlarging a Hole on the Kits Bracket. The OEM sleeve Hitch also Uses Pins and Not Bolts In the Rail frame so the OEM Hitch is very fast to remove Take 3 spring Keys & Pins off, disconnect electrical connector, remove hitch:thThumbsU
Assembled and alomst ready to fit. I still need to shorten the bolts by 3/4" or so. That wants putting the assembly on the XT3 to be certain nothing interferes. Would be nice to have the bolt heads on the inside of the frame rails but the fuel tank occupies that space. Would be even nicer to have the hex nuts captured on the inside of the frame rails. That would be version 3.0.
That looks good and straight. You could always do 3/4" pins instead of the bolts for a cleaner look. I actually made my pins out of concrete form stakes and flat washers welded on the outsides.
I wish I had taken a pic of mine when I did it. I hole sawed 1 1/8" (or 1 1/16". Whatever the OD is on the pipe) holes in the arms and welded pieces of 3/4" ID pipe in them that spanned the inside of the outer frame channel.
They would probably have been fine even w/o welding them as much area as they cover.
(Laid off most work from a bum foot, fractured a metatarsal on a piece of loose gravel! Finally back to being active.)
I choose to make bushings out of a piece of galvanized conduit left over from wiring the barn. Cut off 7 pieces (need 4) to approx length with 4" grinder and custom/shortened them with a bench grinder. Inside diameter loose fit on 3/4" bolt, OD is slip fit in the arms I cut. Picture coming.
The rationale for bushings is that the lift plate is slightly out sized in comparison to the XT3 back plate. So the lift plate and arms will be self-centering in the rails.
So, my _opinion_ is that properly used the load on the blade, and therefore my XT3's rails will be directly fore and aft.
Well I hope so. Realisticly there will be some left/right deflection. Couple that with the lift plate's cheeks not being exactly in-plane with the rail inner surface all I can do is maximize the bearing surface of the pins in the rail holes. Hence the bushings. Elaborate? 'Bet your sweet bippy. But I have the time and can afford the effort. Lacking access to custom machine shop I am fascinated by what _I_ can do.
That looks good and strong Chuck. If you get any lateral twisting or walking you can always weld or have welded the bushings in place. My hitch arms are centered inside the framerails with the bushings welded in cuz I didn't want to cut the arms off and weld them narrower.
Fitted the rails on the XT3 yesterday. Hmm, right hand side rail has transaxle control linkage in the way. Drat!
Well I kept be that possibility in the back of my mind when I was choosing the strap length. I'll put jackstands under the rear and pull the wheels off today. Grab some pics when I do.
I wonder if it might be a better idea to have the straps on the outside of the rails? But then I'd want them to have an "S" bend. Hmm.
I'm guessing its the front hole? On my XT3 I have just the back 2 holes with 3/4" pins for my winch sleeve hitch. I've lifted 300lbs of box blade with weights on it and no issues. I'd just leave that bolt out and not worry about it.
I looked back at your picture. Your XT3 is 2016 & mine is 2018. The rails on mine have 2 holes - hence my design.
I am, now, leaning toward your solution, shortening the straps. I'll know better today.
Here's a Google Earth aerial of our back yard circa 2015 (we bought the place in Spring 2018). The Cyan-ish outline is the previous owner's rock garden. Sometime after this picture they filled the rock garden with sand. Badly.
The Brindly Box blade and Electric lift was purchased to finish removing the river rock. I got some bids on digging it out and hauling it off, or digging another hole and burying it. It's "River Rock" - smooth trash, my opinion. Rather then pay to dig and haul I'll scrap and fill with top soil. We need to smooth the horse pasture anyway, right?
Then the fun began.
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