Tractor tipping point

[dieselcrawler]

I deal with slopes every time I'm on my tractors, like this, and worse. This is about 20°, I've side hilled up to about 30°-35°, and I d@mn sure don't like it. But the tractor can do it, and I go as slow as I can in those situations. I can do 45° going up and down, but that's as far as traction will let me go.



I've taken steps to make life safer, and reduce the risk of a rollover. All 4 tires are loaded. Rears are spaced out 4.5" on each side beyond the widest factory settings, with spacers I built.



I also added front ballast, with a 5' cutter on the back, and no loader, the front wheels won't stay on the ground. So I always have the loader on... in addition, I carry a 5' long piece of railroad track in the bucket, for even better front wheel traction. It has tabs welded to it, and a bolt into the bucket side on either end to keep it in place. Last thing you want is that much weight moving around. It's visible here, behind the start of the next step, a full cage ROPS/ FOPS.



I realize that adding weight up high makes a rollover more likely, but in this case, I'll take the payoff of added protection in a rollover and it helps keep brush out of my face in the woods. The factory ROPS was not modified in any way, and I trust my fabrication skills to have added protection due to triangulation of the tubing, and not just added more stuff that might injure me.



What I can't post a picture of is years of offroad driving experience. The seat-of-the-pants-o-meter is calibrated pretty good, and having been on a tractor since I was 8 years old, in trucks since 10, mud trucks and other offroad play toys since my teens, the situational awareness that let's you know when the uphill side is getting 'light', helps keep the rubber on the dirt. Having wheels in the air and dirt coming in the window when the ol truck is laying on its side teaches you something... as does catching a 4wheeler (atv) with your face (it hurts, eating thru a straw for 7 weeks isn't fun). All the advice in the world can't replace that 'knowing' that things are still ok, or yikes, that's sketchy.

Good luck, and be safe. Hope my input was helpful.

 

[Snowback]

Great advice from all above. Please just be very careful on sidehills where there may be divots or ruts. That front axle connection point is easy to pivot around if not paying attention.

I've worn this video out and it may already have been linked above, but I always share it with new friends. Tractors are very safe and stable when operated properly. ie: loader low when moving and whatching for ruts and divots/rotten stumps on sidehills.

Be safe and enjoy your tractor!

 

[brown40]

The 3 point and implement have to be remembered--they also belong "low and slow", and influence how your machine behaves. A backhoe is great ballast--but it raises the CoG of a machine more than a similarly weighted bushhog, box blade, or ballast box does. No implement or a light one (you always need counterweight--whether using it or not) throws your former tipping point out the window. You should have a "go to" implement for your counterweight when you do loader work--compact, heavy and short, preferably. Anything heavy works to add weight to the rear axle and decrease the front axle forces, but the more mass there is above the axle the more counterproductive it is for dynamic situations. If you are working a consistent slope in a set pattern, you can offset the 3 pt to the "high side", and shift the force towards the high tire--of course then if you backtrack, you've shifted the weight downhill. Low and slow.

 

[zzvyb6]

I deal with slopes every time I'm on my tractors, like this, and worse. This is about 20ｰ, I've side hilled up to about 30ｰ-35ｰ, and I d@mn sure don't like it. But the tractor can do it, and I go as slow as I can in those situations. I can do 45ｰ going up and down, but that's as far as traction will let me go.




What I can't post a picture of is years of offroad driving experience. The seat-of-the-pants-o-meter is calibrated pretty good, and having been on a tractor since I was 8 years old, in trucks since 10, mud trucks and other offroad play toys since my teens, the situational awareness that let's you know when the uphill side is getting 'light', helps keep the rubber on the dirt. Having wheels in the air and dirt coming in the window when the ol truck is laying on its side teaches you something... as does catching a 4wheeler (atv) with your face (it hurts, eating thru a straw for 7 weeks isn't fun). All the advice in the world can't replace that 'knowing' that things are still ok, or yikes, that's sketchy.

Good luck, and be safe. Hope my input was helpful.

I think the mods you have made to the ROPS won't help you very much with rollover protection. Pitchover, yes. Without cross bracing, your square frame will matchbox and fold over. In the last thread (not shown here) the rolled tractor's ROPS has been cross braced. It stood up well to the dynamic load. A simple match stick model will show you this.

Actually there are not a lot of VARIABLES to any vehicle rollover. Just a wide range of variable VALUES for these variables (parameters). Side hill angle, total CG height, front and rear track, tire sideforce capability, roll angle and roll velocity pretty much make the call. A few other minor ones, but optimize these and you'll be safe.

You can roll over ANY vehicle, it just takes skill, practise and opportunity.

 

[dirt ditch]

If your tractor has a ROPS, wear your seat belt...If you are running an old tractor without rops, and are not experienced, or even if you are, and working on hills, always tell someone where you will be and when you will be there. If possible, have someone there with you. More people are found dead under a tractor or in the bottom of a ravine, but only after several hours had past since they were supposed to be home for dinner.

This just happened last week. a DOT worker in western Kansas lost his life when the commercial mower he was running rolled over on top of him.
He "was wearing the seat belt when his mower flipped, but the roll-bar was put down."
www.kwch.com - KDOT worker killed in Western Kansas mowing accident

 

[Deezl Smoke]

This just happened last week. a DOT worker in western Kansas lost his life when the commercial mower he was running rolled over on top of him.
He "was wearing the seat belt when his mower flipped, but the roll-bar was put down."
www.kwch.com - KDOT worker killed in Western Kansas mowing accident

Always sad to hear these stories. But ya, even the videos put out by the manufacturers will state to not wear the seat belt without the rops. Seems many of the stories are of either the young and inexperienced, or the old and complacent. But it will happen when one least expects it. I know our state highway mowers are some really good operators. They can mow right up to the field crop and not touch one blade of the crop yet get every spear of any weed. But man do they run on some steep, unknown slopes by the over passes. I know I would never do it. Hats off to them.

 

[Turbys_1700]

I've run tractors all my life. Back in the 60's we never thought of roll overs and the inherent danger associated with tractors. Most of our property was rolling but nothing like what you see in the mountains. We had to be careful on the terraces and ditches in our fields but other than that they we were fairly flat. When I bought my FORD 4610 SU last summer the first thing I looked for and was a factory ROPS. I found one from a gentleman that restores Ford tractors. I had to widen the rears out to put it on. Basically had to switch the left rear to the right and the right to the left. With the low ground clearance of the SU, loaded rears, and seat belt I certainly feel much safer.

I've really never come close to tipping a tractor over but I know from experience that things can happen. I have noticed that my Workmaster 50 is much more stable on side hill mowing than my old 1720 was. The weight difference is quite large on those two tractors. I do have one area that I have to mow vertically. Too steep for side hill mowing. Further compounding the issue is that my tractor garage is at the bottom of the hill. Requires me to keep the FEL bucket low to the ground and back down the slope in 1st or 2nd at low RPM to brake the tractor.

 

[JulianKo]

That is one amazing discussion. I feel I am learning just by reading (don't have to have the bad experience to learn)..
A lot of it is common sense, but there were things in the posts I wouldn't have thought of... Like the effect of popping a tire while sideways on a hill. I also did not realize that the front axle on a tractor does not contribute as much to stability as on another vehicle.

I was curious about where is the center of gravity on those machines.. I imagined it should be the PTO... When one knows this, it is easy to calculate the maximum static grade.

On another note - how can I check whether my tires are filled with liquid?

 

[bcp]

I read an article long ago that said the side-to-side/vertical COG was usually very close to between the operator's ankles when the feet were on the footrests. Modern tractors with 4WD and floors may be different.

Bruce

 

[CobyRupert]

On another note - how can I check whether my tires are filled with liquid?

Several ways:
- Take one off and try to lift it.
- With valve stem near bottom of tire, push in valve and liquid instead of air will squirt out.
Then you next question will be, "Well how full are they?"
Usually, I think they're filled about 1/2 way between the axle and top of the tire (~75%)?

- You can tap on the sidewall of the tire and you will hear the difference when there is air behind it versus liquid. The air will "ping" more.
- Look on a damp morning when dew will form only on the part of the tire that is liquid filled, there will be a distinct line.