Homemade Tiltrotator - How hard can it be ??

[Will_c]

searching for rotaries for you @Will_c , I just tripped over some ideal rams for creating an S type hitch, which's been a bit of a stumbling block for creating one

Hi @V8Druid

Looking into trying to find a rotary union it appears they are very expensive! . For the time being, I’m going to adapt the hydraulic quick hitch to operate manually, using a locking bolt to tighten the jaws. That will allow me to progress with the tiltrotator build and leave the option open to add hydraulics later if I come across a suitable rotary union at a sensible price.

 

[doobin]

Hi @V8Druid

Looking into trying to find a rotary union it appears they are very expensive! . For the time being, I’m going to adapt the hydraulic quick hitch to operate manually, using a locking bolt to tighten the jaws. That will allow me to progress with the tiltrotator build and leave the option open to add hydraulics later if I come across a suitable rotary union at a sensible price.

Honestly, I'd just hit up @CPS for a price for a manual S30 hitch. I've had two off him, one for the micro and one to weld onto a backplate for the multione.

 

[V8Druid]

Hi @V8Druid

Looking into trying to find a rotary union it appears they are very expensive! . For the time being, I’m going to adapt the hydraulic quick hitch to operate manually, using a locking bolt to tighten the jaws. That will allow me to progress with the tiltrotator build and leave the option open to add hydraulics later if I come across a suitable rotary union at a sensible price.

oh yeh .. eye-wateringly so ... put in a search into ebay for Roemheld 9284036 (will have to find the part no. for a two gallery unit for you) - they do come up but have to be actively looking.

What hitch are you proposing to put under the slew ring ? presume you'll de-cheek it and weld straight on to the underside plate
what slew unit are you thinking of using? ... got a dimensioned sketch of it ... be interested in seeing how much room you're going to have for a rotary coupling
remember it's one thing making components fit/nest, but you have to plumb them and need sufficient room for that too

 

[Will_c]

oh yeh .. eye-wateringly so ... put in a search into ebay for Roemheld 9284036 (will have to find the part no. for a two gallery unit for you) - they do come up but have to be actively looking.

What hitch are you proposing to put under the slew ring ? presume you'll de-cheek it and weld straight on to the underside plate
what slew unit are you thinking of using? ... got a dimensioned sketch of it ... be interested in seeing how much room you're going to have for a rotary coupling
remember it's one thing making components fit/nest, but you have to plumb them and need sufficient room for that too

I’m planning to use a second-hand Geith quick hitch that I picked up earlier in the year for a different project. As you quite rightly said, I’ll cut the sides off the hitch and then either:

• Weld it directly to the underside plate, or
• Design it so it can be bolted to the underside plate

I’m leaning towards a bolted arrangement, as it would allow easier alignment and removal in the future, but I’m still weighing that up against simplicity and build height.

The IMO slew drive I’m looking at using has an internal diameter of 88 mm

 

[doobin]

I’m planning to use a second-hand Geith quick hitch that I picked up earlier in the year for a different project. As you quite rightly said, I’ll cut the sides off the hitch and then either:

• Weld it directly to the underside plate, or
• Design it so it can be bolted to the underside plate

I’m leaning towards a bolted arrangement, as it would allow easier alignment and removal in the future, but I’m still weighing that up against simplicity and build height.

The IMO slew drive I’m looking at using has an internal diameter of 88 mm View attachment 78513

If you bolt it use fine thread nuts and bolts. Better clamping force.

 

[Will_c]

I’ve been today to pick up some steel stock to use for the build, so I can finally make a start on the fabrication.
The first components I’ll be manufacturing are:

• The connection for the quick hitch to slew drive

First job will be getting the slitting discs out and cutting the sides off the quick hitch, so I can get everything square and parallel before reattaching it to the underside plate.

I’ll post some photos once I’ve got the hitch prepped .

 

[V8Druid]

I’m planning to use a second-hand Geith quick hitch that I picked up earlier in the year for a different project. As you quite rightly said, I’ll cut the sides off the hitch and then either:

• Weld it directly to the underside plate, or
• Design it so it can be bolted to the underside plate

I’m leaning towards a bolted arrangement, as it would allow easier alignment and removal in the future, but I’m still weighing that up against simplicity and build height.

The IMO slew drive I’m looking at using has an internal diameter of 88 mm View attachment 78513

less the grease nipples - you are going to struggle to find a rotary to fit in that hole .. and to attach yon geith
where did you pick up the drive from? and if you don't mind sharing, at what sort of cost? dinky little unit

 

[V8Druid]

If you bolt it use fine thread nuts and bolts. Better clamping force.

most UNF/MF are also higher tensile strength than std 8.8s

 

[Will_c]

most UNF/MF are also higher tensile strength than std 8.8s

My current design uses 14 M12 x 1.75 pitch bolts which clamp the hitch to the underside plate with 18mm thread engagement - using 12.9 bolts

 

[Will_c]

less the grease nipples - you are going to struggle to find a rotary to fit in that hole .. and to attach yon geith
where did you pick up the drive from? and if you don't mind sharing, at what sort of cost? dinky little unit

I’m still yet to find a slew/drive unit at a sensible price — they seem to be expensive wherever they’re sourced from. It looks like it will be the most costly component of the entire build, but there doesn’t really seem to be a way around that if I want a compact and reliable drive

 

[V8Druid]

I’ve been today to pick up some steel stock to use for the build, so I can finally make a start on the fabrication.

First job will be getting the slitting discs out and cutting the sides off the quick hitch, so I can get everything square and parallel before reattaching it to the underside plate.
View attachment 78516

don't get too tight - gonna need some plumbing room ultimately

 

[Will_c]

There’s going to be a fair bit of work involved to turn these pieces into the sizes and shapes I need.

Any suggestions on the best methods for manufacturing?

 

[V8Druid]

There’s going to be a fair bit of work involved to turn these pieces into the sizes and shapes I need.

Any suggestions on the best methods for manufacturing?

View attachment 78517

some indication of what they're going to have to end up looking like'd help - any drawings ?

 

[Will_c]

I’m still working on the design, but this is my current thinking, with the tilt cylinder shown in roughly the position it needs to be for the tilt to work as intended 36 degrees tilt

 

[Quattromike]

It's not really a question of what's the best way, it's more a question of what's available to you

 

[Quattromike]

It's not really a question of what's the best way, it's more a question of what's available to you

 

[Will_c]

I’ve got the hitch side plates cut off now and added a 2 mm relief on each side to get everything nice and parallel, which should also make alignment a bit easier.
Next job is to run the grinder over the remaining old welds to clean everything up

 

[Will_c]

Continuing on with the build, I’ve now made the new brackets that will be welded back onto the quick coupler, along with an adapter plate that will bolt to the slew ring.
Unlike some of the self-builds I’ve seen online, I’ve managed to counterbore the mounting holes on the underside of the slew ring so that all the fixings can be used, rather than leaving bolts out due to head clearance.
The photos below show the parts made so far.

 

[Will_c]

 

[Lancs Lad]

View attachment 78624View attachment 78625

Class! . Bit of after hours down the uni then?