TRACTOR PARTS Allis Chalmers Case & David Brown Farmall & International Ferguson Ford & New Holland John Deere Massey Ferguson Massey Harris Minneapolis Moline Oliver & Cockshutt Kubota / Yanmar

TRACTOR MANUALS

Allis Chalmers	Case	Farmall IH	Ford 8N,9N,2N	Ford
Ferguson	John Deere	Massey Ferguson	Minn. Moline	Oliver

Tractor Talk Discussion Forum

Tapered box steel for ROPS

Welcome Guest, Log in or Register

Author

Josh in Pa

08-15-2006 07:29:32

Report to Moderator

I'm looking into building a roll-bar and canopy for my Oliver 1655 because they are very hard to come by. The uprights are tapered box steel, and I am unsure how to construct them. My only idea has been to take a rectangular section, slice a thin triangle out of it, and then weld it back together. This way it would be say 2"x6" at one end, and 2"x4" at the other end. Anyone ever done this before? Thanks for any tips,
Josh

[Log in to Reply] [No Email]

buickanddeere

08-15-2006 14:55:52

Report to Moderator

Re: Tapered box steel for ROPS in reply to Josh in Pa, 08-15-2006 07:29:32

You can't build a rops for less money than Deere sells rops re-trofits. Don't know if Agco does the same favor for thier customers or not. Try Lorin in Quebec or Safe-t-cab. As for building your own rops and counting on it providing protection in case of a incident? Don't. When very experienced and educated engineers tip tractors over. They get suprised where the rops or the tractor it's self breaks. A failed rops is worse than no rops at at. Makes it more difficuilt for emergency responders to remove bodies too.

[Log in to Reply] [No Email]

Don-Wi

08-15-2006 09:41:48

Report to Moderator

Re: Tapered box steel for ROPS in reply to Josh in Pa, 08-15-2006 07:29:32

You could go to a weld/Fab shop and have them make the channels out of 1/4" or thicker sheet steel. I'm pretty sure that's how the originals were done, cut a sheet to the right size and then fold the 90 deg. bend on it.

I know you're probably looking to do it cheaper, but if you're concerned with it actually having to hold something, that's the way I would go. The fewer the welds the better.

Donovan from Wisconsin

[Log in to Reply] [No Email]

Josh in Pa

08-15-2006 09:54:37

Report to Moderator

Re: Tapered box steel for ROPS in reply to Don-Wi, 08-15-2006 09:41:48

Do you mean to make the whole box, and then run one weld, or make two channels and then a weld on each side to join them? Making the box and using one weld would be a really slick looking job, but I'm not sure how you could bend a complete box. I'm not familiar with metal working though. I followed your progess on the 1600, sure hope my 1655 looks that good someday. Josh

[Log in to Reply] [No Email]

Don-Wi

08-15-2006 23:22:26

Report to Moderator

Re: Tapered box steel for ROPS in reply to Josh in Pa, 08-15-2006 09:54:37

You'd make each pillar out of 2 halves, welded together. I could look at the rops on our 1855 tomorrow but I'm pretty sure that's how it was done.

Donovan from Wisconsin

[Log in to Reply] [No Email]

JDknut

08-15-2006 09:06:48

Report to Moderator

Re: Tapered box steel for ROPS in reply to Josh in Pa, 08-15-2006 07:29:32

I designed and had fabricated one for my White 2-85 out of rectangular tubular stuctural steel, A500 grade, yield ~50,000 PSI. All welding was ultrasonic grade full-penetration, low hydrogen. You need it for the low temperature toughness. It wasn't worth it to mess with tapering it and all that jaxx. Total cost about $550 in 2000, plus a few bucks for my fire chief to help me set it on my White with his Deere 7210.

[Log in to Reply] [No Email]

nballen

08-15-2006 08:44:36

Report to Moderator

Re: Tapered box steel for ROPS in reply to Josh in Pa, 08-15-2006 07:29:32

Might be better (easier, cheaper, simpler) to just leave the full 2x6 section. Unless you are REALLY worried about being top heavy (I just don't see that on a 1655) the extra weight won't hurt you a bit. My gut sense tells me that the extra weight you pull out of the ROPS won't save you anything, especially since you are buying stock sections and having to cut and reweld.

When a manufacturer buys steel by the pound, and can save some weight by fabricating a special section for dozens (or hundreds) of units, the savings add up to be worthwhile. For a single unit (what you are building) you don't recover the cost of making that special shape.

Nathaniel

[Log in to Reply] [No Email]

buickanddeere

08-15-2006 19:37:48

Report to Moderator

Re: Tapered box steel for ROPS in reply to nballen, 08-15-2006 08:44:36

The taper on the posts of a rops is designed in to allow it to spring gradual and flex some to absorb the crash energy. Otherwise the welds at the rops base, the clamps, the tractor axle housing of belhousing may snap. Very similar to how leaf springs are staggered in length. Initially a little pressure causes some deflection but as the weight/pressure on the springs increases, the spring rate increases.

[Log in to Reply] [No Email]

Josh in Pa

08-15-2006 09:27:48

Report to Moderator

Re: Tapered box steel for ROPS in reply to nballen, 08-15-2006 08:44:36

I'm not at all worried about weight, but I would like to have it look as original as possible. I have located a few originals to measure and photograph, and think that I can build one very close to the originals. It might not be as easy or cheap, but to me its worth the extra effort.
Josh

[Log in to Reply] [No Email]

Gerald J.

08-15-2006 07:56:00

Report to Moderator

Re: Tapered box steel for ROPS in reply to Josh in Pa, 08-15-2006 07:29:32

If you don't have a press brake to fold up the pieces from flat steel, that's how you get there. You might not need to start with 2x6 split down the middle, but maybe 2x2 with one face cut off with a filler wedge.

Or maybe just a bit heavier and with less cutting, leave the tubing pieces 2x2 and space the bottom ends and put in filler wedges. That middle web won't do much for fore and aft bending strength and will add weight but it will make it stronger side ways. And those two sides left inside not being cut of saves a whole lot of work.

Gerald J.

[Log in to Reply] [No Email]

[Options] [Printer Friendly] [Posting Help] [Return to Forum] [Log in to Reply]

TRACTOR PARTS	TRACTOR MANUALS

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today. [ About Us ]

Home | Forums

Copyright © 1997-2023 Yesterday's Tractor Co.
All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy

TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.

Yesterday's Tractors - Antique Tractor Headquarters

Website Accessibility Policy