700J dozer blade mount

[Dieselfixer]

Hi all.
Just wondering if anyone here has used the conversion kit that JD is offering for the blade mount on the 700J. The machine is a 2005 and it has some play between the ball & socket on the blade mount. The conversion kit comes with a different retainer and shims and it cost $910.
I would hate to buy this and still have the play in the mount.

Thanks...

[LeonardL]

Yes, I have used these kits. They are a pain in the butt to install but if you take your time and do them exactly the way Deere says to do them, then you will be the better for it. It is time consuming to do, so if you are planning to use the machine you might want to plan it that way.
We liked the fact that you could then take shims out as they wore in to place.

[Dieselfixer]

Thanks for the reply. I bought and installed the kit yesterday and was very pleased with the results. Tightened the blade up very nicely and as you said I can remove shims as it wears. I hope the split ring is what wears and can be replaced after all the shims are removed to tioghten it again. I wonder if JD makes a kit like that for the 750J dozer as I have 1 of them with play in the ball mount. Something I will have to check in to.

[LeonardL]

I was under the impression that these kits were available for all the J series dozers with the 6 way blade. I could be wrong on that...

[digitup2]

The 750J has a ball on blade kit and a socket on blade kit as well as a shim kit for factory [ socket on blade ]We installed a ball on blade kit and this works best .We have two 550Js with BoB kits as well .It is back bladeing that kills them as some operators have to back drag and crank the blade around at the same time this just eats the ball .Also the [250$]ball is a lot cheaper to replace early and you save the socket that gets less wear that is if you can catch it early .Digitup.

[LeonardL]

We installed several of these "Ball and Socket" kits as well. We had mostly 450Js through the 650Js. Most if not all of the damage came from back dragging. One of our old operators called it "Pussying!" He had one direction and that was forward. We never had to change his machine though either. I know that back dragging is an unwelcome necessity though and you can't really get around it. But it is what causes most of the damage if not all of it.

[digitup2]

I have two operators that will not back drag every one else do what they want they both run new 550 Ks the 550Jsare still here and I am going to keep them around for a while as I don't like the K series my self yet the older 550Js are still here and there blades have little to no paint off the blade back even and the ball and sockets are like new.We have silicate sand to the north of us and it will take out ball and sockets very fast I put these two up there for this reason only I know it really depends on the operator but that sand is hell on track chains as well so we still see significant track wear so the pads and chains are both changed when doing the u/c .Digitup.