FEL is crooked

[Grouse Feathers]

Thank you for the compliment D2, I find the greatest pleasure in learning new things and in sharing them. My biggest source of frustration is no hand strength left, and coordination is going down the drain too. I would like to have had more practical experience growing up, and I envy those whose parents taught them how to do stuff from the ground up. But I can still climb up on my bota .

Being a recent owner and reader of OTT since December I had no idea you are a women. Your knowledge and experience is no indication, you may not be a Wolfman, but few of us are. You are certainly a capable and knowledgeable tractor operator.

 

[Tooljunkie]

There is always something to learn.
"If you dont learn something new every day, its a wasted day"
I remember this from my childhood, but dont recall where i got it.

Your determination is inspiring. Keep it up.

 

[lreops]

Not sure how they fill tires, if the tractor is on a lift, no weight on the tire, the level in the tire may rise above the valve stem when the tire is supporting the tractor. Air pressure might fill the top and push the level below the stem, but low air pressure would fill less volume and might allow liquid above the stem. Stem at 12:00 for all cases.

Exactly, need to jack tire off the ground. If it still squirts out, probably overfilled.

Ron

 

[sheepfarmer]

There is always something to learn.
"If you dont learn something new every day, its a wasted day"
I remember this from my childhood, but dont recall where i got it.

Your determination is inspiring. Keep it up.

Thanks guys ( you do know guys is a gender neutral term right? Called all my students " guys" as in ok guys, heads up, there is a quiz next week...

And so on to today's question, Kenny said that the front axle "pivots", and either I don't understand what he is driving at with that word, and several other people have mentioned it as a source of the tippiness of these tractors, or my tractor isn't built that way. There is a cross piece from the drive shaft that is rigidly connected, or at least the outside housing is, but the wheels turn at the ends of that shaft. It still is tippy because they are capable of turning very sharply very suddenly, and the cross piece is relatively shorter than the back axle. When I think of pivot I think of tractors with the two little tires close together, like a tricycle, but I wondered if there are some tractors with kind of an intermediate design?

 

[D2Cat]

On most tractors, in the center of the front axle, up high under the engine, on the frame is a large "pin" (like a horizontal bolt) that hold the entire front axle to the tractor. The axle pivots on that pin. That pivot is what makes the tractor "tipsy" to some degree!!

 

[bxray]

I'll try, I lost Photoshop along with all the rest of my software with the virus episode, and I haven't scrounged up something else yet. Native file size of tablet photos is too big. Need to solve problem on general principles. What views are you interested in seeing?

There is a free replacement for photo shop to get you by.

Try
www.gimp.org

Ray

 

[Kennyd4110]

There is a free replacement for photo shop to get you by.

Try
www.gimp.org

Ray

That's what I use! But there are simpler programs for just reducing the size (and most forums auto size the pics anyways nowadays).

 

[bxray]

Auto parts stores rent yooks.
Autozone is free rental.
Just buy some oil.
Rent a 22mm 6pt socket and a 24" wrench.

Ray

 

[sheepfarmer]

Thanks Ray and Kenny, I took a quick look at Gimp, and it looks cool. I found that the resizing was easy enough with a picture management tool in Windows 7, but I do a fair amount of image analysis, or used to, somehow get less done now that I am officially retired, so will be looking for something to bridge the gap. Image J also free is pretty great for measuring things. BTW the only files the ransomeware didn't encrypt were tif. Those of course were backed up in a bunch of places.

 

[Kennyd4110]

And so on to today's question, Kenny said that the front axle "pivots",

Raise the front end off of the ground (with the FEL), then see if you can't raise and lower one wheel up and down several inches easily by hand-like a see-saw so to speak. This is the "pivot" I was speaking of. There is a large kingpin that the front axle rotate's, and it should have a grease zerk on it as well for regular service.

Because of this "pivot", front filled tires or front wheel spacers are not effective for stability until AFTER the stop is reached (the axle can't pivot anymore), or unequal pressures will not show up in the frame/FEL since one side can be lower-and the axle can be unlevel while the frame is still level.

Here is a pic I found on Google, obviously not your setup but it should be similar in design. Note pin "C":

 

[Grouse Feathers]

On most tractors, in the center of the front axle, up high under the engine, on the frame is a large "pin" (like a horizontal bolt) that hold the entire front axle to the tractor. The axle pivots on that pin. That pivot is what makes the tractor "tipsy" to some degree!!

Thanks for your explanation I had never thought about how the front end was suspended. From your question sheepfarmer about the wheels pivoting, the pivoting is not for steering, but to keep all four wheels on the ground on uneven terrain. Probably on all 4 wheel drive tractors, one wheel off the ground not good for traction.

 

[sheepfarmer]

I'll have to go look!

 

[sheepfarmer]

Thanks D2, Larry, now it makes sense, the plane of movement is vertical. Couldn't see the pin, too much stuff up there, but looks designed to allow axle to move relative to driveshaft. Bet that's why there are all those grease fittings under there ...

Ron, I looked at where Kubota recommends you jack up the tractor in the rear, and it may be a cold day you know where before I try that out. In the owner's manual they have exactly 3 sentences on how to do it.

"Before jacking up the tractor park it on firm and level ground and chock the front wheels". Ok.
"Fix the front axle to keep it from swinging". Huh? How?? must be that pin???
"Select a jack that withstands the machine weight and set it up as shown below. "(Arrow points to the receptacle for the draw bar). Seems like it would teeter if balanced on that.

Pretty sparse. I imagine there is more information elsewhere, since this is a major safety issue, but my car has better info on jacking than this. Another learning issue...tomorrow!

 

[Tooljunkie]

Can do one wheel at a time. Front wheels blocked and transmission in neutral- on level ground.
As im sitting here wondering why.
As the fluid and air pressure becomes less, the tire deflates and collapses under the tractor's weight. Causes fluid to rise in tire.

Dealing with fluid filled tires is a hassle, but a necessary evil for some. The air pump powered by the car battery is going to take a long time. Possibly burning it out. A small 110v compressor witha tank would be better.

Unless im misunderstanding, the idea here is to get fluid below valve stems in order to check tires and increase/lower pressure to get bucket to run level.
Checking tire pressure requires using a guage specifically for fluid filled tires.

 

[sheepfarmer]

Hi TJ, yes you have the problem correct, how to add air to right rear so it is same size as left and bucket is level. No I didn't know that a special type of gauge is required for filled tires but I do now! thank you. I have a little compressor, but no tank. However crawling over the 3 pt hitch to get to the valves in a jacked up tractor is beyond me. Also doubtful I have an adequate jack. Why are the tires mounted so the valves are on the inside anyway? They are on the outside in the front. Will talk to dealer tomorrow. He is a good guy, and I imagine the thought of a customer crawling around a jacked up tractor would give him (more) grey hair.
Thanks!

 

[Grouse Feathers]

Hi TJ, yes you have the problem correct, how to add air to right rear so it is same size as left and bucket is level. No I didn't know that a special type of gauge is required for filled tires but I do now! thank you. I have a little compressor, but no tank. However crawling over the 3 pt hitch to get to the valves in a jacked up tractor is beyond me. Also doubtful I have an adequate jack. Why are the tires mounted so the valves are on the inside anyway? They are on the outside in the front. Will talk to dealer tomorrow. He is a good guy, and I imagine the thought of a customer crawling around a jacked up tractor would give him (more) grey hair.
Thanks!

Your wheels are probably reversed for more width and stability, that puts the valve stems on the inside.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Get a Gauge for fluid filled tires, then the valve can be at any angle to fill and check it.
It's not an issue of pumping it up with it below the fluid the air will go right past the liquid.

 

[sheepfarmer]

Ok NIW, that makes sense, but I was more worried about the beet juice gumming up the compressor even if I had the compressor blowing air out the end before I attached it to the valve stem. Or making the valve stem leak. A non-issue? I just have one of those little units from tsc.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

It won't hurt it if it's running and blowing air before you attach it to the valve stem, so yes a non issue.

 

[D2Cat]

Just a point for others who may read this thread. The pivot pins location and function is the reason you have to be sure to block both sides of the engine to the frame when you separate the engine from the transmission (split the tractor). This prevents the engine "flopping" to one side or the other when it's pulled apart from the rest of the machine.