Bent Stabilizer Bars

[tsh3]

> with the 3pt all the way down, they'd swing inward by their own weight.<

Dave,
This might be the problem. If you raise the 3pt with them swung all the way in,
the stabilizer bar may be catching on the drawbar or clevis if you have one attached.
The stabilizer will bend, then pop free as the 3pt comes up.
Raise the 3pt while watching. That's what I had to do to figure it out on my B7500.
BTDT

Steve

 

[MikePA]

What is the right way, i.e., correct order for connecting a 3ph implement? I have been doing the following;

1. Remove the pins from the stabilizer bars.
2. Connect the top link.
3. Slightly raise the implement, not necessarily off the ground. Just enough so I can move it back and forth a little.
4. Connect the bottom links, extending the arms if needed.
5. Drop pins back in stabilizer bars.
6. Raise implement and verify the lower arms are locked in.

 

[Bird]

Mike, as long as everything is hooked up properly, I don't think there's any right or wrong order in which to do it. I figure doing it in the same order every time, regardless of what that order is, just decreases the chances of forgetting something. Personally, I start with the pins removed from the stabilizer bars and the 3-point raised, back up to the implement, lower the 3-point (lets the lower links down to the level of the pins on the implement), hook up both lower links, then hook up the top link, then the PTO driveshaft (if it's an implement that has one), then raise the implement just enough to clear the floor so I can swing it from side to side for the proper alignment behind the tractor, and then put the pins back in the stablizer bars.

Now you make me wonder when you say you hook up the top link and slightly raise the implement before hooking up the bottom links. How do you raise it? The 3-point power is just to the bottom links.

Bird

 

[MikePA]

Hmm, now you have me wondering too!

I'll double check my procedures?

I checked. I must have connected the lower arms cuz I sure didn't lift it with the upper arm! /w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by mikepa on 10/17/01 05:36 PM (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[DaveM]

Bird and the rest of you sleuths,

I'm back in the "I don't know why or what has bent both of my stabilizer bars" boat! I have not had my stabilizers unpinned since I last used the rotary cutter and at that time the bars were not bent. Last night I looked closely at the entire 3pt system and still nothing jumped out to explain what's happened. The connection point at the lower links does NOT pivot and does not need to. The shaft connected to the rear frame section is where both the lower links AND the stabilizer bars pivot and that's appears to be all that's needed. With the bars pinned in the position where I normally keep them I was able to easily lift the lower links to their highest position by hand. I felt and saw no binding or stress anywhere. I also reread the 3pt section of my manual and it does not instruct one or have any warnings about setting the pins with the 3pt in it's highest position. Also, I haven't been able to completely straighten the bars by standing/bouncing on them. I'll have to remove them and beat them back to straightness if I ever want to move them all the way together.

As for how I connect 3pt impliments, much like Bird, I start at the bottom and work my way up but I connect the pto shaft (if applicable) before I connect the top link. I agree that doing it the same way all the time will minimize the chances of forgetting something.

Still Stumped!

Dave

 

[accordionman]

i am in the same "boat" with everyone else, my stabilizers are also bent. my tractor is
a L3000DT, the book does not tell you how to adjust these. it tells you what the
adjustment should be, " tight, or loose" with whatever implement,. after reading these
post i am like a lot of other people, ( confused.) should these be adjusted in the down position,
or in the lifted position? the purpose of the stabilizer bars is to prevent sway, is this correct?
accordionman
william l. brown

 

[Anonymous Poster]

<font color=blue>...should these be adjusted in the down position,
or in the lifted position? the purpose of the stabilizer bars is to prevent sway, is this correct?...</font color=blue>

Mr. Brown,

My experience has been mainly with utility/farm size tractors... and on everyone I've had/used... as you raise the implement, the anti-sway chains/arms get tighter... mainly for transport position of moving the implement at higher speeds and greater distances, you certainly don't want any implement oscillating/swaying back and forth as it's extremely dangerous...

With any tractor's 3-point hitch, after the implement is hooked up, I would raise the implement slowly observing for clearance, binding, tightening of all the connected components etc.. I would take the position/rockshaft control through its full range.

You'll observe through this range where "things" tighten and loosen up.

Most cases, people tighten the stabilizer arms/chains while the implement is on the ground, raise it a little and go to work... sometime later, forget and put the implement in the raised position and now it's too tight and bend the stabilizer arms or worse maybe break the casting on the tractor if the conditions are just right.

The bottom line is you have to see what's happening, you can't guess for clearance or binding... those stabilizer arms bent because they were forced beyond their normal travel... and you have to find out how/why...

 

[accordionman]

JOHN,
i guess what has confused me is the fact that on my old tractor the
stabilizer bars are not adjustable. they are made of 3/8"X 2" flat steel,
with a hole drilled on each end. one end goes on a pin mounted under
the axel, and the other end goes on the pin with the lift arms.
i thank you for your information.
call me william.
accordionman
william l. brown

 

[SynergyDPM]

Typically what bends the sway bars is too much slack. When under load, moving forward, and turning the implement (like a blade or box scraper) will tend to 'slide' to the inside. If there is too much slack the lower arm may push against the inside sway bar....it's not meant to take compression, only tension. The same is true when backing up and pushing.

When attaching an implement you normally have them loose in order to get the lower arms over the ends of the pins (on the implement). After everything is connected, raise everything up to the transport position then adjust the sway bars evenly so there is only slight play back and forth. Tighten them down.

Should work fine...and you shouldn't have any problems.

Good Luck.

Dave

 

[Anonymous Poster]

<font color=blue>...one end goes on a pin mounted under the axel, and the other end goes on the pin with the lift arms...</font color=blue>

Mr. Brown,

On my Massey 135, it's just like that as well... it pivots on the axle pin in full range... however like the other poster indicates... taking turns can bend the steel sideways, but not with the position control...