Is Full Time Use of 4WD a Problem?

[k0ua]

So I guess the lesson is, if you are gonna use rear ballast, use enough to get meet the potential front load, otherwise you really arent helping things.

Correct?

Well normally you would have many hundreds if not thousands of pounds on your rear axle, and any weight you added on the 3pt would remove weight off of the front axle, but if that was not the case, as in Richards example of the rears in the air then you just added enough until the rear tires just touch, then you really havent helped, as the majority of the weight you added is still adding to the front load.. until you add enough to be greater than the weight on the rear axle. It is a dynamic thing like LD1 stated, with a graph looking like a curve. I am no Mechanical Engineer, but that is the way I understand it. I have been in the situation of having 750 lbs on the 3pt, and having the rears in the air and the bucket up with a load and the bucket sinking toward the ground as the tractor rotated around the front axle.. NOT GOOD. as the weight of the load in the bucket, and all of the tractor weight including my ballast was on the front axle. And the 3pt ballast hanging further out was acting like a lever with the front axle as a fulcrum.. but hey it was a 'bota.. it took it...

 

[murphy1244]

Who was the misbeliever till they went on the scales to prove this?

 

[k0ua]

Who was the misbeliever till they went on the scales to prove this?

Texas Jim

 

[Bluegill2]

Don,,,, if the normal crowd gets in this discussion it'll be You and I against the World!!!!

Yep Richard, seems we had a long thread not too long ago. Some folks have a hard time wrapping their head around this!

 

[wmonroe]

I did not understand this scenario.. I agree with the other two. Can you reword this in some way to make it clearer to me? edit:.. never mind,. took me a while.. I believe I got it and am good with it.

I had to read it twice also.

Took me a few minutes but I agree with all three scenarios.

 

[ovrszd]

Ain't it nice when we can all come together. Cept Texas Jim....

Then when I begin to think we're all bonding you guys (LD1) start using words I don't understand.....

 

[WaxMan]

Waxman is being overly generous saying that I answered any questions in regards to this subject. Heheheheheh.


Since this subject has been touched on several times,,,, I'll open a new can of worms.

In regards to rear ballast. It's been stated that by adding weight on the 3pt you can reduce the load on the front axle. I say only under specific conditions is this true. (Can't believe I'm sticking my head in this noose)

Here's one scenario. I've got a load on the FEL that is raising the rear tires off the ground. I add 3pt ballast to the point the rear tires now have weight on them. Did I reduce the load on the front axle??? Only if the 3pt weight exceeds the weight currently displayed on the rear tires. If the 3pt weight is less than the current weight on the rear tires I only added to the load on the front axle.

Here's a second scenario. I've got a load on the FEL that is raising the rear tires off the ground. I add 3pt ballast, but the rear tires are still in the air. Did I reduce the load on the front axle. Not at all. Actually I raised the load on the front axle. Now the front axle has to fulcrum the previous load plus the added weight on the 3pt. I only increased the stress on the front axle and it's components.

Here's a third scenario. I've got a load on the FEL that doesn't even come close to raising the rear tires off the ground. I add 3pt ballast. Did I reduce the load on the front axle. Yes I did. I created the fulcrum action talked about earlier. Now the 3pt weight is offsetting the weight on the front axle,,,, using the rear axle as a fulcrum.

Okay ladies,,,,, discuss away..... But think before you reply... :laughing:

So I guess my pilot light won't help,

Went by a truck on the side of the road full of firewood 2nd of Jan 190.00, ok looks nice and gray and seasoned, deliver it. Had to pay cash only before he dumped it.
He dumps the load half the load stays in the truck frozen together. Throw some wood up there it all come down. Frozen from the 2 inches of rain we got the week earlier, I was so pissed, how is this going to dry in the middle of January when is wet and frozen? Looked like frozen shrimp.
So I stacked the wood on four pallets, I was going to bring one pallet at a time into the garage to defrost with fans so we could use it.
My back wheels, loaded tires, 1/2 loaded tires (I found out they were only filled to 9 oclock) just about off the ground and very hard to steer. I don't believe I had it in four wheel drive .
I see now thats a No No using the forks with that much weight on the front? I only lifted 6 inches off the ground. to move it 100 ft I guess I always have to have the backhoe on when using the pallet forks?

I was surprised it was so hard to steer. I guess ovrszd what you said makes sense now, never thought of it before. So not only the pallet weight was on the front wheels but also most of the weight of the tractor? It was trying to do a hand stand.
ovrszd Your like a scholar, I mean that in a good way:thumbsup:

As for the wood I complained the next day told him to bring another load of dry wood, and I will load the first load back on the truck,and he can have it back. We agreed not to load back on the truck and I pay him for the next load in the spring.
He dumps the next load just as wet, delivered at night . Never never never again buy wood in January from an unemployed roofer. Is it covered yeah it's covered 16 inches yeah 16 inches except all these 24 inch logs I have now. Now I got two cords of wet frozen usless firewood.

 

[LD1]

Then when I begin to think we're all bonding you guys (LD1) start using words I don't understand.....

What word was that??

 

[TexasBoy]

Yep Richard, seems we had a long thread not too long ago. Some folks have a hard time wrapping their head around this!

Oh I understand completely what everyone is alluding to. But like I put in my prior post, the key here is to be sure you have adequate rear-ballast. I realize its not a perfect science but knowing this upfront what your potential heaviest front-load might be, would help the decision making and build/add ballast accordingly. Like you guys have all said, if you dont put enough and the rear tires rise, that front axle assembly is taking it all !

 

[ovrszd]

What word was that??

Oh I'm sorry,,, I thought it was you that talked about vectors and dynamics, it was actually dragoneggs. Yours was an "arc", I actually understood that!!!