[Kennyd]

The following was sent so me by Bob, AKA netsurf1 who was having trouble posting pictures-so he asked me to post this for him.

Disclaimer: KBOGH does not authorized or approve of this method, but it is an option if you have the technical ability to do it this way and fully understand the risk's involved. We still recommended welding hooks on if you have a heavy duty bucket that has the double-walled top section.

All text and pictures from this point forward is Bob's from emails he sent me:

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I received my 2012 JD 3320 a couple of days ago.


I fabricated stainless steel spacers 30 mm long. These spacers keep the two metal plates from compressing toward each other when grab hook hardware is tightened.


I purchased some of your grab hooks and shackle eyes. I have a 300CX loader with the heavy duty bucket (double thickness at top of bucket). I marked and drilled 1/2 inch diameter holes through both pieces of metal at the top of the bucket. I then increased each hole diameter in the top plate to 11/16 inch.


I installed the spacers. The spacer rests on the bottom plate. The top of the spacer is flush or even with the top of the top plate.


I then installed your grab hooks, shackle eyes, and backing plates. I used silicone RTV between all mating surfaces to prevent water from getting between the metal plates. I used 1/2 inch X 13 UNC 316 Stainless Bolts (3 inches long), belleville washers, flat washers, and nuts. Care must be taken to keep your drill perpendicular to the metal plates while drilling or use a magnetic base drill to insure you are keeping the drill straight.


I would recommend your products to anyone looking for high quality grab hooks. Your service and speed of delivery were excellent, also. If my installation does not prove strong enough in the future, I can weld the grab hooks on, which is a nice feature of your grab hooks. I believe they would perform great welded or bolted to the loader bucket.

 

[netsurfr1]

Ken, thanks for offering quality products and service as well as your assistance in posting this information.

 

[59ApacheDriver]

Very nice install, they are a great upgrade, I love mine, as it makes the bucket able to do so much more work. Except for maybe the cost, I don't know why JD does not include them with their buckets! :thumbup1gif:

 

[Kennyd]

Except for maybe the cost, I don't know why JD does not include them with their buckets! :thumbup1gif:

I can answer that with one word:

Liability


No OEM that I know of offers hooks, not even the big boys like Caterpillar or Case.

 

[has15]

I can answer that with one word:

Liability


No OEM that I know of offers hooks, not even the big boys like Caterpillar or Case.

Kenny is correct about liability. You can how ever get OSHA approved lifting hooks on the newer backhoes and excavators, but as in any lifting device from hooks to rigging, they use a 3x safty factor meaning if you are lifting 100lbs, the rigging and lifting devices have to be rated for 300lbs. If you are using man lifts and baskets it is a 5x safty factor.:drinks:

 

[andy b.]

My chain is rated for 4000+ lbs, and my FEL will only lift a little over 1000, so I'm good! :thumbup1gif:

 

[Superglidesport]

For anyone who may be installing hooks on JD HD buckets, as Kenny states in his post above, bushings are required to bridge the space between the top upper and lower edges.

When I installed Kenny's hooks on my 61" HD bucket I fabricated bushings @ 1 5/32" long from 3/8" I.D. black pipe. I cut them to size using a Rigid pipe cutter and drilled the top bucket hole @ 5/8" diameter which allows the bushings to drop right in. The 3/8" pipe I.D. is actually a close 1/2" so I ran a tapered reamer through each bushing to size them for the bolts. I sprayed everything with Boeshield T9 to prevent rust. Dropped the bushings in from the top and used 1/2" Grade 8 bolts, washers and prevailing torque nuts to complete the installation.

 

[KD7CAO]

I guess I am confused on how these bushings are being used. For my installation I just mounted the hooks on top and the eyes underneath so that they were sandwiching the top of the bucket. It is far stronger than what my bucket can lift. When installing I opted to put them in line with the arms of the loader. It has worked well for most everything. I do wish I had one in the center for lifting a single point item though as I have a tendency to lift one side of the tractor otherwise.

 

[Kennyd]

I guess I am confused on how these bushings are being used. For my installation I just mounted the hooks on top and the eyes underneath so that they were sandwiching the top of the bucket. It is far stronger than what my bucket can lift. When installing I opted to put them in line with the arms of the loader. It has worked well for most everything. I do wish I had one in the center for lifting a single point item though as I have a tendency to lift one side of the tractor otherwise.

Please review the pictures in the first post, and this text from the FAQ page on the website:

Q: What if the top of my bucket is double-walled?
A #1: Some heavy duty buckets have a double wall construction on the top, and bolting hooks to them could damage the bucket by compressing the wall’s together, and you would not be able to properly torque the bolts. If you have this type of bucket construction, then these hooks may not be the best option and you should consider having the hooks welded on.

In summery, KBOGH/BoltOnHooks LLC does not recommend or endorse the use of the bolt on products for these heavy duty, double walled style buckets.
A #2: One customer, Bob from IN recently did an install on his 3320/300cx/HD Bucket with custom made spacers. You can read the details here on the GreenTractorTalk forum. Bob knew the potential issues and assumed all responsibly in this application. We cannot offer this solution due to the difference's in the buckets.

Your 1 series does not have this "double walled" bucket, so no bushings are required. Oh, and we have plenty of everything in stock :thumbup1gif:

 

[KD7CAO]

KennyD I had reviewed the pics but it still was not making sense... so on the double walled buckets I assume their is an air gap between the plates and thus the need for the bushings? Most that I have seen the two plates are tight to each other and welded making one much thicker plate.

 

[56FordGuy]

On JD's heavy duty buckets, the top is actually a piece of hollow tubing. The thickness of the tube varies depending on the size of the bucket.

 

[brethopkins]

Making Custom Inserts is the Key on HD Bucket

I did not know I had a heavy duty H165 loader bucket. But I am very happy I do. That said, I embarked on installing the BoltOnHooks.com hooks as instructed and quickly realized the top rail was a double-walled top plate/beam. Emailed with Ken at BoltOnHooks and he directed me to this thread. I a posting now with some pictures to calm the nerves of those who found themselves like I did partially down the installation road with my full-on-American-attitude in tow that I was doing this and not going to be stopped until I was happy with the bucket upgrade I wanted. So here are some pictures and my comments.

You can buy everything mentioned below at Home Depot, Lowes, etc. Location dictates I use Home Depot.

First, follow the instructions and drill your 1/2 inch holes as directed by BoltOnHooks.com straight through the top and bottom plates. Drill them as straight through as possible. Pay attention. No special tools required, just good work practices.

Second, use a tapered metal bit and enlarge the TOP hole ONLY to 11/16 inch using the tapered drill bit. Not difficult and takes just a few minutes. You are taking some material away, but will be "replacing" the material with the 3/8 inch black pipe inserts. The 3/8 inch black pipe has an outside diameter of slightly under 11/16 inch.

Third, the key is to manufacture inserts from 3/8 inch black pipe as mentioned above. Because the air gap in the top wall is highly variable, +/-1/32 inch (does not sound like much, but it matters), you need to make each of the four inserts needed (if you are installing more than a pair of hooks, you need 2x for each hook setup) individually. The 3/8 inch black pipe is very strong and has an inner diameter very close to 1/2 inch which is what you want to pass new 2 1/2 inch Grade 8 bolts and get the setup back to the necessary strength your HD bucket and hooks deserve. The inserts CANNOT site above/proud of the top plate. Neither do you want the insert to sit much or at all below the top rail. You want it just perfect level. Slightly lower is okay, but just slightly. Never above the top rail. That is a big no-no and bears repeating. You want the hook setup to sit flat on the top and bottom plates and carry the hook load all the way through the buckets top rail with no slip, slide, twisting, or movement of any kind. I used a traditional 10 inch DeWalt cut-off compound miter saw with a metal cutting blade to cut the inserts to the perfect length.

Use a 1/2 inch tapered drill bit to bore out the black pipe insert its full length so you can pass your 1/2 in bolt through it. This boring process is not difficult using a good drill, WD40 as cutting oil, and quality Milwaukee 1/2 inch tapered drill bit. Again, just a few minutes per insert.

Forth, I chose to use Great Stuff Fire-rated orange foam to fill the air gap through the enlarged top holes to seal out water and bring it all together inside the beam. This is optional, but consider doing something to keep potential water from making it way into the top rail. I pumped in about half a can worth. The orange stuff starts curing fairly quickly, so I dry-fit everything and then foamed one side and bolted up that side using a 3/4 inch wrench and 1/2 in air-impact driver. Then did the other side.

Upon final inspection, you should not see any top or bottom rail dimpling, bending, crimping, etc. and should not see any air or light through the base plates of the bolt on hook or bottom 1/2 inch clevis plate. I then proceeded to get to work and yank some red oak trees I could not get with just the pulling/towing clevis at the rear of my machine. I need to both lit and pull/rock some of these logs and the bucket was the ultimate answer.

All the best.

 

[dieselshadow]

Great write-up Bret! Perhaps you can post pictures directly instead of pdf files? It makes for quicker and easier viewing for the members. :thumbup1gif:

 

[Kennyd]

Thanks for the great write-up and pics Bret!

 

[Petron]

For those who may still be asking the question. Here's a view of the double wall & how it sits in relation to the hooks

 

[boss30264]

Thanks for heads up

I installed my homemade lifting eye on my heavy duty double wall bucket on my 3720 but didn't even think about comprising the strength of walls . I welded my spacers in place for added strength and to keep water from getting in between double wall .Thanks for great posts and pictures.

 

[Old Cajun]

Just adding my 2 cents.

Have a HD bucket for 4066r, mounted Kenny's bolt on hooks and loop/clevis hookup the way others have.

Found some ready made spacers/bushings at Lowes.

They have some 5/8" OD X 1/2" ID 1 1/2" long spacers.

(At the end of the bolt and nut isle in the specialty drawers.)

Needed 1 3/16" spacers for my bucket, scribed them with scribe tool once holes were drilled.

(Drilled holes using 1 1/2" square tubing used as drill guide, really important to get top plate and bottom plate
drilled perfectly true.
Drilled the 1/2" holes in the square tubing on my drill press.)

Reamed out the top plate holes only with a 5/8" drill bit so bushings would fit, but
rest on the lower plate's 1/2" hole.

Cut the bushing/spacers to proper length using Dremel tool and cutoff disk.

(Clamped Dremel tool to workbench using ratchet wood clamp, used a piece of aluminum angle iron as a rip fence
perfectly parallel to cutoff disk.)

Used Permatex Ultra blue silicone form a gasket to seal hook plate, loop plate, nuts and washers to prevent any water from
leaking between plates.

Torqued up grade 8 bolts to 119 Ft lbs.

No problems. :yahoo: