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Legacy 3 point hitch build


huffy

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I decided to build 3 point hitches for my Legacy and Sunstar. I started with the Legacy. Though I'm straying from the OEM design, here's a schematic and a couple pictures of Josh's to showing what the OEM hitch looked like:

Schematic.jpg

3 point pic 3.jpg

3 point pic 2.jpg

I started by making the main frame for the hitch. I forgot to take pics while I was bending it, but basically I just tack welded some pieces of angle to my work bench to make a form, then heated and bent the bar around it. The tops of the main frame have to be cut at an angle to match the angle on the back of the tractor frame so that it can set in far enough for the bottom to line up with the holes on the tongue:

cutting angle on uprights.jpg

Upright mockup 1.jpg

The OEM design uses plates on top of the main frame. But I didn't have any plate, and didn't want to buy any, so I used some bar stock that I had and went this route:

bench mockup 1.jpg

Factoring in all the pilot holes, there's a ton of drilling to be done to make one of these. This is boring out for the rock shaft:

Drilling the uprights.jpg

Here's a test fit on the tractor with the rock shaft in and a mockup of the lift arms:

Lift arm mockup - back closeup.jpg

Lift arm mockup - R side arms up.jpg

Schematic.jpg.bc54e5e46dfb2033b9d2e7473d92b122.jpg

57e05967bc432_3pointpic3.jpg.c22b04912082c266997517beb2ae6c20.jpg

57e05967d1010_3pointpic2.jpg.f996bc9c5f524f8fbce0b87dc349f137.jpg

57e05967ea7c6_cuttingangleonuprights.jpg.1d79f46cc6c8b55c26c4963db0170714.jpg

57e059680ceaa_Uprightmockup1.jpg.aa78eec4d81ed531ed375b7be7f2ffbb.jpg

57e0596823446_benchmockup1.jpg.41daed482fb0e73344b7486ad814da83.jpg

57e0596834d42_Drillingtheuprights.jpg.c0b7d67fac55bfd8ba94509e99dee1cf.jpg

57e05968bf941_Liftarmmockup-backcloseup.jpg.1ce374f585d26a9a0f4aa39adb62412a.jpg

57e05968d95b6_Liftarmmockup-Rsidearmsup.jpg.351e7ae231d08984c3986726054f05a2.jpg

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Here it is on the bench after I rounded off the ends and cleaned it up a bit:

Bench mockup - with filing done and arms on.jpg

For some reason, Simplicity got cheap with their design for the 3 point hitch on the Legacy's and omitted bearings that could be changed for wear. I didn't like that, so I got some heavy duty bushings that I pressed into shaft collars that will be welded on the inside of the frame:

Arms - pressing in bearings.jpg

Arms - test fitting shaft collar with bearings.jpg

Comparing this pic with the schematic for the OEM, you can see how my design significantly increases the surface area within which the rocker shaft rotates. That should help reduce wear. And, of course, the bushings can be changed out as needed. I also removed the set screw from the shaft collar and drilled a small hole through the bearing. I'll put a grease fitting in the set screw hole so that I can keep the rock shaft greased:

Bench mockup - close up of shaft collar with bearing pressed in.jpg

Since Simplicity failed to include any bushings for the rock shaft, they also simply welded the lift arms to the shaft instead of making them removable. I want mine to be removable so that I can replace the bushings if needed. So, I'm welding shaft collars on the outsides of the arms and am going to see if I can find a machinist that will cut key slots for me. If not, I'll simply weld on the outside of the shaft collars. That way, if I want to remove the arms, I can just grind off the welds without damaging the arms, replace the bearings, and then weld them back on. I also put bushings (they're not washers) between the frame and the lift arms, which is something that Simplicity also didn't do:

bench mockup - close up of shaft collar on arm.jpg

Last night I cut the brackets that will hold the top adjusting arm. The original OEM design just used two bars that stuck straight out. But, as you can see from the pics of Josh's, the L design is necessary if you attach a rear 540 rpm PTO's. I don't have one of the PTO's, but am hoping I find one someday so I'm going ahead and using the L design:

Turnbuckle brackets.jpg

Threading the lift rod:

Threading lift rod 1.jpg

Threading lift rod 3.jpg

Cutting the bracket for the end of the lift rod:

Lift rod end - cutting.jpg

All I gotta do now is weld it on:

Lift rod end - fitted to rod.jpg

That's as far as I've gotten for now. I'll post more pics if I can ever find time to work on it some more.

57e0606f43fab_Benchmockup-withfilingdoneandarmson.jpg.862217db311d2ad54ec15f456b86173c.jpg

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57e0606f8435f_Arms-testfittingshaftcollarwithbearings.jpg.c3b38876578cede7f52e166b542f2bfa.jpg

57e0606fa8f3d_Benchmockup-closeupofshaftcollarwithbearingpressedin.jpg.09431ce862ed34408258d67356ae2eff.jpg

57e0606fd4445_benchmockup-closeupofshaftcollaronarm.jpg.8e15db39922c0d5de4a379163f0d4c51.jpg

57e0607007765_Turnbucklebrackets.jpg.c080416f9d1a9d61564ab9d2b4e9d7dd.jpg

57e06070e959e_Threadingliftrod1.jpg.3753c679bdf23a7d3e7e2480ba00c988.jpg

57e060711ec76_Threadingliftrod3.jpg.843c3745d63dd474f434569858414864.jpg

57e060714342e_Liftrodend-cutting.jpg.5a760cd5d6564e33d185d5e3c07518ad.jpg

57e060716b116_Liftrodend-fittedtorod.jpg.6b99a6351cec515803670920fe849aa8.jpg

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Awesome work Chris...I'll be copying the SS design for my 1918 Ultima

The legacy back end looks alot like the Sunstar....? I have yet to see a legacy in person

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:o:O AGAIN!!!

I am humbled by the ability of the membership. I envy the skill and knowledge base of the people who frequent this site. I am lucky if I can rebuild a carb let alone build a 3 pt hitch from scratch!

Very impressive! :I

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Greg:

The Legacy and SS frames are different. The SS frame uses much bigger channel. I think I've got some picks of a SS 3 point somewhere, and will send them to you as soon as I find them.

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Thanks for all the nice comments, guys.

It was boating/golf weather this weekend, so I didn't make any progress on this project. Hopefully I'll find some time one evening this week to work on it and be able to post some more pics.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well, I finally got back around to working on this project again. Aside from a little tweaking and painting, I've about got it done.I tapped for grease fittings for the rockshaft, which the oem version does not have.

tapping for grease fittings.jpg

grease fittings.jpg

I also made one of the plates that holds the trunion removable so that the trunion can be replaced as it wears, which again is something that the oem version does not have.

Trunion.jpg

And, everything on the tractor for the final test fit before I take it all down to be cleaned and painted.

Left side - done.jpg

back - done.jpg

Right side - done.jpg

57e0607ac07a8_tappingforgreasefittings.jpg.aeffda5b70dce80305efdae9e87c1772.jpg

57e0607acfb89_greasefittings.jpg.8278c316f3276b76b7507203298aa061.jpg

Trunion.jpg.30e470f86915d19353f318140832a1a3.jpg

57e0607b72990_Leftside-done.jpg.d561feb3edf1a1e1dec650b43aeaf345.jpg

57e0607b8f52e_back-done.jpg.8c226b8ab20f7cd1ae8308196f88dcb7.jpg

57e0607ba9b6b_Rightside-done.jpg.76c33260dd920bb2de41711575a51de0.jpg

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Chris,

I'm glad to see those "trademark Huffy" zerks. Never can have enough of those! Nice results...

Btw a good source of plate are the side panel from old machines (on the transaxle to BGB). Old rear lift members yield good solid strap steel.

Check a local NAPA for machining, our NAPA in Pennsburg PA has a shop in back.

Nice project,

Wayne

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I forgot to mention before that I owe BIG thanks to Josh Thornton and Steve Levchak. Each of them provided me with numerous pics, measurements, and other info or ideas that I used to fab this up.

Steve's actually in the process of making a 3 point for his Sunstar, which includes a weight rack. I've seen pics, and it's beautiful work. Perhaps he'll post some pics for all to see . . .

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Awesome!

Your profile indicates you are an attorney. Never met an attorney here in the East with your mechanical/fab skills. Definitely a unique combination.

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quote:Originally posted by PhanDad

Awesome!Your profile indicates you are an attorney. Never met an attorney here in the East with your mechanical/fab skills. Definitely a unique combination.


id="quote">
id="quote">Bill:I used to be an iron worker. I went to law school because I got tired of spending 12 hour days 100' in the air welding bridging, etc, in the ungodly GA heat. Now I just tinker a little bit now and then in my nice, cool garage.
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Thanks for the detailed build. I would like to see details of a Sunstar lift build if anyone has those. Again nice work

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Congrats Chris...Nice job for sure! Is that a Cat 0 or Cat 1 like Josh made for his?

I too am awaiting the SS build (so I can copy it) pr8

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Sorry to disappoint you guys, but I think I'm gonna put the SS 3 point build on hold. The HD tiller that I recently bought is the one made for the "Simplicity style" 3 point rather than the traditional 3 point, so I really don't need the traditional 3 point on the SS now.

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  • 3 months later...

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