Reinforcing front axle of a YM 1700

[deepNdirt]

I recently installed a FEL on my Yanmar 1700 2-wd, when the idea of me putting a FEL on the tractor I started asking around some tractor folks if what might need to be done, some just flat told me that "I couldn't use a loader without power steering", some said "too small of a tractor for a loader", some told me that "these tractors have weak front axles" and i had best be careful with the extra load on front might bend the axle,
and others say it will be OK, as usual confused again, So! now that I have the FEL ((Installed)) I have used it a little and found the steering thing not to be a problem at all, just be sure its moving before trying to turn it, and really once its moving along i couldn't tell it from as it were before the loader, I can however tell when the bucket is full of dirt that the rearend is very lite as it will spinn easy, and even with the box scrap attached, I will just find something heavier to hitch to the rear,
before i installed the loader i went to extra precautions to reinforce the tractor itself, I fabbed up a frame from 2 x 2 angle iron that runs along the tractor from front bumper all the way to the rear with cross members underneath and bolts in at front side and underneath at both rear and midway, i'm very confident the tractor is much better reinforced,
But I'm a little concern about this front axle,
the front axle looks to be made from stamp 2 x 3 channel and a steel plate weld inside bottom of channel, more or less forming a hollow rectangle tube, I've been thinking of cupping a larger channel iron over top of the bottom of the axle and welding in, but my concern is once I start welding and heating up the steel is this going to perhaps weaken the axle? rather then reinforcing it? or should hope for the best? and simply use it until it bends/breaks and then repair it? I have to hand it to the Japs for building a great diesel engine but more thought should have been put into the rigidness of the tractor itself,
The picture are of where I built the frame to reinforce the tractor for the weight of the loader.
and BTW if anyone is interested in doing this to their Ym 1500 or 1700 I have all the trial & error worked out, and would be glad to share these plans,

 

[rhett]

hi deepNdirt,

Reinforcing the axle will not hurt it. I do not think it is necessary though.

The weakest points of the 2wd front ends are the wheel bearings. They should be checked frequently, a sign of wear is the wheels wobble or if you jack up the front axle and find the wheels have excessive movement. The next point that might be prone to failure would be the kingpins (shafts the bearings ride on).

This question would have been better asked in the Yanmar sub forum where it might get more attention and responses from owners that have tractors like or similar to yours. I do have a front end loader, would like to, just cannot justify the cost (I'm broke).

Your idea to reinforce the entire length of the tractor is most definitely an improvement that will help relieve stress on the bell housing. I will suggest you add some more angle to form tubing like support braces, it would be much more rigid that way. Angle bends and flexes pretty easy. Also if you think about it, the stress is concentrated towards the top of the bell housing when rear ballast and front end weight is applied, so the more rigid the bottom brace the more effective it will be.

Great looking installation! Only suggestions from me, I hope more people will chime in with advice and/or correct me if anything I stated is incorrect.

Good Luck
Watch those bearings
Rhett

 

[deepNdirt]

would putting more weight on the rear help take some weight from the front?
I'm thinking not! it'll just distribute more weight accross the tractor..correct?
But I suppose if a ballast was extended way out the back of the 3pnt lift it would somewhat counter the weight wouldn't it? but would it at all lighten the load from the front axle? or possibly put more stress on the middle of the tractor? these things may or may not be any concern, I'm just wanting to do the best to make the tractor last me, and I never used a FEL on a compact tractor before, I'm told this loader weighs over 750 lbs empty and the tractor weighs 1800 lbs, if half of the tractors weight 900 lbs.along with the loader 750 lbs. with a bucket full of dirt 400 lbs. is total over 2000 lbs on the front axle. this is my concern, what Ya'll think?

 

[MJPetersen]

A counter weight on the 3pt will add weight to the overall rig, but it will transfer weight from the front axle to the rear. Think of the rear axle as a fulcrum. Say the weight on the front axle is 700 lbs at 4 feet from the center of the rear axle. If you hang 1400 lbs 2 feet behind the rear axle then you will have 0 lbs on the front. If you hang 400 lbs 2 feet behind then you will have 500 front. So you can work out the specifics for your tractor. Think of your tractor like a balance beam with the rear tires the fulcrum and it will make sense to you.

Mike

 

[Soundguy]

weight on the rear will help with steering.

the front axle itself should be plenty beefy.. it's the axle pin that will wear.. and there is not much you can do about that except replace it when it does.

plenty of old tractors with no power steering have loaders.. in fact.. all my old fords with loaders don't have power steering..and I move round hay bales on the front loader...

go figure?


soundguy

 

[deepNdirt]

I've been using the front loader quite a bit, first 1/2 load of dirt drove around done OK then worked up to a good heaping load of red clay, I add some more weight to thr rear to counter weigh the load,nothing has bent so far, the most I can tell is the front tires are smiling, I could ad more air but I'm afraid might bust the tubes as i already have 45 lbs.psi in them, I thought of going to a larger heavier duty tire although I cannot find anything larger then the 4.00 x 12 in ag tire, I have found a 1,040 lb payload trailer tire size 5.20 x 12 however not sure if I can get by with a hwy tread tire in the dirt & mud and how well it would hold up? I have also thought about steping up to a 13" or 14" wheel although cannot find the correct 4-bolt pattern with the large center hole,............. while I'm on subject of wheels let me ask this question, when I purchased the tractor the wheels had been reversed for the wider stance which is Ok by me, But now that I have this extra weight on front would it make since to turn them back around so's not to put so much force on the axle shafts and bearings? I think by turning them back around might cause some diference in the handleing while cornering as the weight of the loader will be well over the wheel span,.... and if I could by chance find a wheel that is not offset but center of say a 5 1/2- 6" rim wouldn't this give a ballance on the axle shafts and bearings?
Thanks for all the input

 

[Soundguy]

most of us dish our centers out and set our wheels wide for safety when using a laoder.. makes a huge difference. Ocasionally on 4wd units you will see warnings not to dish or wident he stance on the front.

soundguy

 

[Jim2]

Wow, that looks like a little too much loader for that little tractor. How much lift is that loader rated for anyway?

My old Powerking is running on 4 x 12 triple rib 4 ply (I think) ag tires in front with a loader. The manual for that tractor recommends 52 psi with a loader. I've been running it that way with no trouble for several years.

And, I would definitely turn those front rims around to give it a narrower stance if I could! The wider setting really doesn't do much for you anyway. If you're on uneven ground where tipping is a hazard, the front axle more or less acts like a tricycle anyway. By the time you've tipped that far, it ain't coming back!

Jim

 

[deepNdirt]

Wow, that looks like a little too much loader for that little tractor. How much lift is that loader rated for anyway?

My old Powerking is running on 4 x 12 triple rib 4 ply (I think) ag tires in front with a loader. The manual for that tractor recommends 52 psi with a loader.
Jim

Little too much? I suppose I could have got one with a 36" or 42" bucket id I were buying new, But I picked this one up used at less than half price of a new one, it came froma Mitsubishi tractor about the same size but 4x4 as my tractor, I think it wsa 26 hp as mine is a 22 hp. so I've been told, the person I bought it from stated it was a 23 hp,... But never the less it seems to work alright so far...
Not sure what you mean about "How much lift is loader rated"? but lift hight is 8.6
and lift weight is 1100lbs...... although I'll never put 1100 lbs to this tractor,
actually I was told to stay under 1000 lbs and it'll be OK, But I can't emagine what i would need lifting of 1000 lbs.?

 

[Soundguy]

You'd be surprised what chores you can find to do with a mobile crane.

however.. unless you put quite a few hundred pounds of rear ballast on a yanmar 1700.. you'll not get 1000# of fthe ground in a front bucket. 1000# hay bales make my 33-45hp fords light int he rear and they have 2x the weight of that yanmar, plus a few hundred pounds of ballast. I think you may find that 400ish or so may be a practical max..

soundguy