Traction Traction Lock

[dannyk]

How about going straight BACKWARDS with the traction lock? It seems to work with my B7500. The reason I occasionally need to do this is that I have front weights attached. When I am mowing straight down a small hill with the mmm and want to back up, sometimes the rear wheels spin for lack of traction. Any reason I shouldn't use the traction lock to back up the hill, going straight back, of course?

 

[btolle]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Let me see if I have this straight. When you make a turn without the traction lock engaged you’re inside wheel turns slower then you’re outside wheel right? But when you have your traction lock engaged you’re inside wheel turns at the same speed as you’re outside wheel. If this is true this would explain why my inside wheel was tearing up the grass as the wheel is spinning at the same speed as the outside wheel?? Also if the above is true I can see where damage would happing if this was on a hard surface(cement)beacuse there is no give /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

)</font>

Correct.

Bill Tolle

 

[wushaw]

Ericbx, sheering of metal would probably be the likely sound if you were to break it.

Dannyk, You won't hurt a thing engaging diff lock in reverse, I've done it many times.

 

[HGM]

You WOULD definitly hear a noise. Without having firsthand knowledge of your specific differential design, I will just speak on the generic side. I personally doubt there would be just a pin failure, the weak link is more likely the axle, as I believe it is more of a moving sleve to link the axles. It is designed to handle the load and maintain equal traction to both wheels. If one slips, thats fine, thats why its there. If one needs to slip and traction wont let it, something will break. If it is a pin, it would just quit working. If its an axle, it wont move.

Again, its fine, just drive it. But dont use the lock on pavement,at least while turning.

 

[ericbx]

So if one wheel is spinning you stop the tractor and engage the diff lock pedal give it a little gas and both wheels will engage, right? when I press it down and give it gas I can feel the pedal drop a little further. I guess this is the pin engaging?? Just as a test I was on solid ground going straight and stopped the tractor pressed the diff lock pedal down gave it a little gas and could not get it to lock(pedal would not drop further). I assume that the pin won't line up since both wheels are turning together. I'm just trying to get a better understanding on how this system works. This is all new to me.

 

[valleydweller1]

That's kind of the feeling that I got with mine. I can push down on the pedal, but it doesn't go down all the way. After a little bit I can feel it "drop in" and then I can look down and see both tires spinning together.

 

[RobJ]

I just looked up the parts on my L2500, you can download a parts manual at tractorsmart.com for free (if they have your model). On the L2500 the diff lock operates a shift fork, shift fork operates a round washer piece that rides on the outside of the diff ring gear carrier. Looks like maybe some sort of pin that locks the carrier to the perhaps the axle shaft. Really hard to see. Either way the part is on the left side which is usually the diffs weak side, still may not mean much. Outside of that I can't really say. I don't have a service manual for mine. I have no idea how it is on yours but a download of the parts manual is a fun thing to have anyway.

 

[HGM]

Yep, thats the theory.

Think of it as having two splined shafts pointing at each other (axles) with a collar that can be moved to connect them together. This would be the "pin" feeling as the teeth line up. Which stands to reason, if they arent lined up while trying to engage it going in a straight line, it wont be able to slide over and spline them together until you have some wheel speed diferential. Not knowing what they actually use on your tractor makes it tough to say for sure, but the theory is the same and always has been to my knowledge. If you have ever been inside a manual transmission, it's like a shift fork and blocking ring moving to lock the gears in place.

I'll see if I can find a picture to illistrate it better.

 

[ericbx]

thanks for the input. It all makes sence. I have one other question. Is one of the axles always locked. Looking in the parts diagram I have it looks like there is a collar that the diff pedal operates to lock only one axle??

 

[HGM]

I'm not sure how to describe that so it makes sense........

The differential design is constructed so the pinion gear drives the ring gear. If both wheels have equal traction and or are traveling the same distance(straight line) they will turn together. If you ar turning or have unequal traction, the side gears(splined to the individual axle shafts) will walk around themselves inside the diff allowing the outside turning wheel or the one with least traction will recieve most power. This is where the lockcomes in, it will mechanicaly connect both axle shafts and make them trun as one.

This has some really good illistrations and descriptions. Might be an overload because it goes into viscous couplers and clutch type limited slips as well as 4x4 and so forth.. Good reading though. Differentials