Pulling stuck vehicles out of the ditch with a tractor

[WranglerX]

Same gears going forward and in reverse (mostly) see no different, except reverse gears **seem** lower....

 

[NoTrespassing]

I was amazed the couple of times I pulled cars/trucks with my little tractor. My neighbor put his 4x4 in the ditch and another neighbor tried to pull him out with his Toyota 4x4. It wouldn't budge it. I hooked up the L3710 with rear chains and in low gear I pulled him out with the engine barely above idle.

 

[bcp]

I've read that in conventional differentials, the gear teeth are not as strong in the reverse direction. True? False?
???

Bruce

 

[DarkBlack]

I've read that in conventional differentials, the gear teeth are not as strong in the reverse direction. True? False?
???

Bruce

The teeth strength themselves should be close enough either direction… close enough to not matter for pulling a stuck vehicle with torque limited to tire traction.

Two things of consideration would be that on 4x4’s, often the front differential is sized smaller than the rear differential. When pulling in reverse you’re shifting weight to the front tires giving them more traction , which creates the possibility of more torque on the undersized ring and pinion.
The other difference is the pinion gear will be under axial force in the opposite direction, and you’ll be axially loading the second pinion bearing, which is usually a smaller roller bearing

 

[Rhorn4400]

I won't pull anybody I don't personally know and then I prefer to hook to their rear trailer hitch. Too much plastic on front of most cars to attach even to tow points need tow truck type chain to be safe on front pulls. Also remember your tractor has better traction pulling forward from tow bar not from front
Pulling backwards

 

[5030]

It's not a towbar, it's a DRAWBAR....

 

[JRH02]

The teeth strength themselves should be close enough either direction… close enough to not matter for pulling a stuck vehicle with torque limited to tire traction.

Two things of consideration would be that on 4x4’s, often the front differential is sized smaller than the rear differential. When pulling in reverse you’re shifting weight to the front tires giving them more traction , which creates the possibility of more torque on the undersized ring and pinion.
The other difference is the pinion gear will be under axial force in the opposite direction, and you’ll be axially loading the second pinion bearing, which is usually a smaller roller bearing

And another thing regarding the front axle is the steering and lockouts. The axle at the lockouts is a weak point. All that torque through the transmission, transfer case, differential reduction, U-joints or CV goes out the the wheel at the lockout spline. BANG! Oops. Dang it! It also depends on stupidity like knowing I should've gone to get the tractor....

As tough as they are I've got a FJ40 Landcruiser at the shop with yet another busted front axle. It always happens in 4wd low range reverse. Parts are getting harder to find every year. Of course the posi in the front is a death blow (wink). And its just a Chev 250-6. Definitely not HP related.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

Not paying attention to irrigation ditches led to a contractor's stuck here.

All it took to free the Furd and its trailer was a gentle tug from a GM pickup. No reason to use the tractor.

 

[Dftodd]

I've pulled my service truck out of my yard last winter with the tractor.

Wife wasn't too thrilled about having to drive the service truck at 5:30 am while I dragged it with the tractor

But that little 2,000lb tractor got that 18,000lb truck out

Thankfully I just slid off the side of the driveway into some soft stuff that caused the truck to lose traction and sink a little.

So it just needed some help to get moving again.

I had 5 loads of SB2 brought in after that. No more issues getting in and out of the driveway anymore.

 

[CobyRupert]

We want to be good people and help someone in need, but don’t want liability: always have the stuck person attach the tow line.

Run the line under the blade to the drawbar. If line gets tension, it will lift the blade as it needs to, a 3pth has no downforce.

 

[4570Man]

Whether you are driving a Tractor, truck or car… I don’t think you should try to “unstuck” anyone by pulling from the front of your tractor/vehicle (by going in reverse).
Something about being really bad for the gears.

Just something I heard a while back and it’s always stuck with me.

You’re not going to hurt the transmission gears but the front axle driveline is substantially weaker than the rear and you load the front axle a lot more going backwards.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

If any of mine or somebody else's vehicle is actually stuck, not just temporarily immobilized, I won't use a tractor or the vehicles with 8,000 lb. or 18,000 lb. winches.

Instead, the 10-ton crane, or the front 20K or rear 45K winches, should get the job done. Shouldn't even be necessary to tie the M936 to something to prevent it from moving. Not when it weighs some 40,000 lbs.

 

[tacticalturnip]

I carry one of these in my rig all the time. Only mine is made out of solid aluminum, weighs very little. Better safe than sorry.

View attachment 1736747

I do the same.

 

[tacticalturnip]

It's not a towbar, it's a DRAWBAR....

Why can't I draw with it?

 

[bcp]

Why can't I draw with it?

I do. You can, too.



Bruce

draw​

/drô/​

intransitive verb​

1. To cause to move after or toward one by applying continuous force; drag: synonym: pull.

 

[Racer4]

Many years ago, a paving contractor used to park his equipment at my neighbor’s field for the winter. One spring, I was taking the snowblower off my dad’s JD 325 garden tractor and the paving guy comes over and wants me to pull his tri-axle dump out of where it was parked. He was stuck in the soft field. I said no way, of course. Never looked at that guy the same again.

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

My brother (at 15 years of age) had a 56 Chevy Bel-Air 4 door with a continental kit. He got stuck on a posted impassible when wet road.
He took the John Deere 70 to pull it out, only two mistakes.
1. He hooked a chain onto the continental kit.
2. Had the tractor in a high gear when he hand clutched it into motion.
Result was no more continental kit.
We still laugh about that.

 

[tacticalturnip]

I do. You can, too.



Bruce

draw​

/drô/​

intransitive verb​

1. To cause to move after or toward one by applying continuous force; drag: synonym: pull.

Well played!

 

[BackRoad]

If any of mine or somebody else's vehicle is actually stuck, not just temporarily immobilized, I won't use a tractor or the vehicles with 8,000 lb. or 18,000 lb. winches.

Instead, the 10-ton crane, or the front 20K or rear 45K winches, should get the job done. Shouldn't even be necessary to tie the M936 to something to prevent it from moving. Not when it weighs some 40,000 lbs.View attachment 1775694

Mr. Too Many, you might kindly consider starting a thread with pictures of all your exotics. The Unimog, the tow trucks, your Franken-grader...what else is in your stable???

There's not many with the kind of toys you have!

 

[Too many Kubotas]

Thanks. I like machinery, and building stuff. Plus I'm better at buying than selling, much better, so it adds up.

There's four Unimogs by the way. Two with loaders and backhoes, one with forklift and crane, and one with dozer and trencher. Only one wrecker (tow truck) though, unless you count the shortened M1008 as one. All it does is tow.

Then four tractors (five if counting my home built one), two with backhoes, a skid steer, and a couple of Jeeps that also get to work at times.

Five 3-point blades and two box blades, not counting the Frankenblade and two towable box blades. Oh, and two harrows and a disc, plus three mowers from 5 to 10', and a land plane.

Almost forgot the three dump trailers. Plus a few regular ones.

I'm sure I'm forgetting a few things, but you get the idea...it'd be a lot of photos. But since you asked nicely, here's one from yesterday when I remodeled the garden a bit and moved three micro trailers around with the Unimog's crane.