Don't worry td, I have thick skin ....... and BTW you wouldn't weld a total failure of that lever - it's cast ........ the recommendations on the drawing are for weld-repairing casting defects on a new lever, not for field repair.
Back to Page 1 for a moment if I may. The simple fact is that a ROPS is a safety item and you mess with it at your peril, or at least you do since you Colonials have developed your "I'll sue the a$$ off you because I can and a jury is going to award me a gazillion dollars in damages" culture which the rest of the ambulance-chasing world has taken up with gusto. I agree that welding the fire extinguisher bracket on the ROPS most likely didn't affect its structural integrity, but would YOU like to be the person in the seat if it went over and the ROPS collapsed on your head, or would you like to be the person who did the modification that resulted in someone's serious injury or even death..? There are certain things I personally would not mess with and the case that generated the OP is one of them.
When it comes to structures I'm much more willing to experiment. The caveat here is understanding how it was put together in the first place. Years ago we were told that a broken lift arm main plate couldn't be welded because the factory procedure required putting the entire structure in an oven to stress-relieve it. what did we do..? built an oven big enough for it that's what. I'll see if I can find some photos.
I have no problems cutting frames apart but I do like to know a little bit about the metallurgy first and how it was put together. If you understand how it was put together in the first place then coming up with a plan to fix it is generally speaking a relatively simple process. Judging by the number of posts on HEF asking for advice regarding welding repairs for stuff that has been welded before and then (ohmigod who would have believed it) re-cracked leads me to believe that there are a large number of folks walking around this planet who should not be allowed within a mile of any structural welding repair because they are a danger to themselves and others......