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.