Grading Bulldozing With A Box Blade

[CVHoss]

Harv,
Not sure if I'm the one Bird is refering to or not, but I did have a post a while back titled <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.tractorbynet.com/cgi-bin/compact/showthreaded.pl?Cat=&Board=jdown&Number=78484&Search=true&Forum=All_Forums&Words=CVHoss&Match=Username&Searchpage=3&Limit=25&Old=allposts&Main=78484>Tree Stump--1, Draft Link--0</A>
Here's the <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.kansascas.com/images/tractor/MVC-242F.jpg>photo</A> from it.

Hoss

 

[DVerbarg]

Its so much fun reading and learning here on TBN. Although I have not done much "bulldozing" with a blade or box I have bent the anti-sway bars while backing the rotary mower into brush. Many times learn the hard way /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif.

The anti-sway bars (is that the proper term for them?) on the TC40D are tube style "pin in a hole" type. In my ignorant haste when hooking up implements I would put the pin in whatever hole was easiest without taking into consideration the tension vs compression forces, hence my bent anti-sway bar scenario. After that one time straightening the bars (a project of its own) the bars have not bent again despite repeated blows backing implements into stationary objects.

Question: Is there a way to adjust the anti-sway bars to insure that before one bar takes compression the opposing bar will take tension. It seems logical to my challenged mind that if I were boxblading like MarkC mentioned and expected that force to take place on a particular side the anti-sway bars could be adjusted accordingly.

For example: if we are box blading in reverse and expect to hit immovable objects on the right side this would apply force to push the box to the right. If the left arm is adjusted to take the tension force just before the right arm then all is well, left arm takes tension just before the right arm could take compression thus saving the right arm from bending. But if we were to hit an object on the left side, with the arms in the same adjustment, then the right arm would not take the tension before the left took compression. This is what happened to my poor bent arm.

Is there anything I can do besides try to make sure that both arms take equal compression/tension at the same time (Thus avoiding the travel necessary to bend)? Am I off my rocker? (Ok, I already know the answer to that /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif) How do y'all deal with this?

 

[Bird]

That's the one, Hoss. Sorry for my poor memory, and thanks for refreshing it.

 

[MChalkley]

DVerbarg - <font color=blue>Question: Is there a way to adjust the anti-sway bars to insure that before one bar takes compression the opposing bar will take tension.</font color=blue>

That's a good question. I think that if you make absolute certain that there's no more sway in the whole implement than the amount of play allowed by the movement of a clevis on the end of the turnbuckle rod from horizontal to vertical, you won't ever get compression on the "loose" side. I think that's the secret to keeping from mangling the threaded rods - keeping total sway to 1.5" or so, or less. But I'm thinking about the L-series clevises, too - the smaller the 3-point hitch parts, the less sway you can allow before you have a problem.

 

[RPM]

There's not too much you can do about the forces that cause the bending - they're inherent in the design of the 3 point hitch. Let's face it - for the range of implements used on one of these hitches there had to be some compromises!

All the instruction I've ever received was to leave the check chains loose with a plow - take the slop out, but leave loose for a sub-soiler or harrow - and tighten them up for everything else. This is the same advice that Kubota gives in their manuals and makes sense when you think it through.

The other thing you want to remember is that you don't want those links to be too strong. If they are then the weak point becomes the tractor - that's not a good thing. Much better to replace the links than have a major repair on your hands.

Really it comes down to old fashioned care and attention when you're dealing with a compromised design like the 3pt ... I doubt I'll ever have to replace any on my BX, but I would expect to on a larger tractor.

Patrick

 

[DDT]

I reverse doze alot so far had no problems is it LUCK or the LP quick hicth that might keep stress more equall on 3 points???

 

[DavidH]

I reverse doze with my boxblade all the time. Last week I was backing down a hill and bottomed out at the bottom. It bent my left link on my three point. Kubota wanted $59 for a new one, but a two pound hammer and anvil straightened it out fine.

 

[Harv]

Thanks for the link, Hoss. I had skimmed through that thread as it was posted, but now I've gone back and read it more carefully. Sorry 'bout your link arms, but we're accumulating a real collection of both good and bad experiences here.

Not sure I've reached a real conclusion on the matter, but my crystal ball says I'm gonna try reverse bulldozing sooner or later, and whatever happens, I can't say I wasn't warned.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

<font color=blue>…I'm gonna try reverse bulldozing sooner or later, and whatever happens,…</font color=blue>

First to me, “bulldozing“ denotes major ramming, heavy duty “balls-to-the-wall” stress, taking direct aim at that left over tree stump and ….wham…it’s gone…/w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

That- I don’t do in reverse… however... being squared off, I will push snow, gravel, debris, spent/downed trees, etc. {mostly all moveable items}…

The times when I’ve seen the most trouble/damage on tractors is hitting something “offset”, diagonally, lateral sideways, or catching a “fixed” object {non-moveable} on the end of the moldboard… {bent/twisted/broken lift arms/top link/3-pt hitch A-frame… and worst case scenario… shattered tractor rear castings… “A man has gots to know his limitations…” Dirty Harry}/w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

For best results, in reverse… be squared off and go head on, keeping the bulk of your intended moveable object near the middle of the moldboard/boxblade…/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

The same method is used going forward with a loader… sometimes a newbie will “turn” the bucket to give sideways pressure and later wonder how their hefty lift arms got distorted/bent, leaky troublesome cylinders and welds break… on such massive steel…/w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

 

[Harv]

<font color=blue>“bulldozing“ denotes major ramming, heavy duty “balls-to-the-wall” stress, taking direct aim at that left over tree stump and ….wham…it’s gone…</font color=blue>

Yikes!!! Clearly I should have said "heifer-dozing".

Fact is, I was thinking more of cases like that walking path that I couldn't quite get a mirror finish on. I did the best I could using the box blade in the forward direction, but between the normal 3-pt "floating" and that silly hinged rear blade (no lock available), I had to settle with merely <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.tractorbynet.com/forumfiles/5-60412-WalkingPath.jpg>"good enough"</A>.

I guess now I'm just curious to see what kind of results I could get by pushing the box backwards.