Bent Stabilizer Bars

DaveM · Oct 16, 2001

Hi All,

I used my brush hog for the first time in a few months and had to adjust the lower links on my B2710 to hookup to the cutter. Normally, I leave the lower links set at the same position all the time because all the rest of my impliments use "clevis"? type hitches with the same spacing. I discovered that the stabilizer bars, left and right, were slightly bent or bowed. These are the flat steel bars that slide in steel channels with holes through both pieces. I had to stand on the stabilizer bars to bend them straight enough to slide in their respective channels. In the past few months I've used my boxblade for a few hours and the rest of the time I pulled and raised my 60" rear mount finish mower. Seems to me that the stabilizer bars don't bear any real weight. That's handled solely by the lower and upper links. Right? The only thing I've come up with so far is that the stabilizers appear to be connected to the lower arms by a threaded bolt, nut and two flat washers. I'd think that this is supposed to be a pivot point so the lower links won't bind when raising and lowering and the 3 pt seems to do that fine. Any ideas out there? What am I missing?

Thanks- Dave

Edited by DaveM on 10/16/01 02:49 PM (server time).

Bird · Oct 16, 2001

Dave, I'm not sure I understand the question, or just what happened. I bent one on mine badly enough that standing on it wouldn't have fixed it; had to take it off and use my 4# persuader on the anvil to straighten it, but that was just my own stupidity. I wanted to let my mower swing to the left into a ditch so I left the little pins out on purpose without thinking about the fact that it could swing so far to the left that the lugs on the R1 tire caught the left lower link and picked up on it./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif However, it straightened out good as new.

Bird

DaveM · Oct 16, 2001

Bird,

Sorry, guess I actually didn't state my question... or at least not well! Why did both of my stabilizers bars bend in the past few months? The last time I used the cutter they were free moving. In fact when I'd remove the pins, with the 3pt all the way down, they'd swing inward by their own weight.

Is that any clearer?

Thanks- Dave

MarkV · Oct 16, 2001

Dave,

I don't know what you are missing, but I seem to be missing it also. I have a B21 and have broke one stabilizer and bent two. On my tractor the stabilizers are a turn buckle afair that hooks to the tractor with a pin that fits eye type ends. The eyes are so elongated that it now takes a punch and hammer to remove the pins. The stabilizer I broke was when a 6' rear blade hung on a rock. I do a lot of box bladeing on our road and would guess that has caused my other problems.

MarkV

Anonymous Poster · Oct 16, 2001

Dave,

Most of the time, you adjust the stabilizer arms/anti-sway chains after you raise the implement in the full transport position...

If they were adjusted in a lower position and someone forgot... then when you raise the implement... something has to give... the 3-point hitch hydraulics have a tremendous force and things bend/break/snap most of the time... before any relief valve goes off... /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

DaveM · Oct 16, 2001

John,

I think you just nailed my problem! I've never done it that way! Because the links would fall inward on their own when not pinned into position... I always kept them spread when backing up to an impliment. Though I'd never given it any thought until yesterday, I assumed that the bars were meant to pivot where they're connected to the lower links. Now, I don't think that's the case! Think I'll have to add another step to my hookup procedure /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif.

Many thanks!

Dave

Bird · Oct 16, 2001

OK, Dave, now I think I understand the question . . ., and still have no answer./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif As you said, they should swing inward under their own weight, and I'm assuming they bowed upward in the center (since you said you stood on them - both of them presumably?), and I'm sitting here trying to imagine a scenario in which that could happen . . . and no luck. John Miller's comment doesn't help me with this (maybe it should; not sure), but I hook up my implements' lower links, top link (and PTO if it has one), then raise them just off the floor so I can swing them side to side to center them, and put the pins in the stabilizers. The pivot points, on both the stabilizers and the lower links, are such that I would expect them to raise or lower together without undue stress on the stabilizers. Hmmm . . ., be sure to let me know if you figure it out, 'cause I think I'm more puzzled than you are./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Bird

DaveM · Oct 16, 2001

Bird,

I think you got it and I hope I do too /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif. I think there's a fair amount "slop" built into the stabilizer system on our tractors and since you've at least raised your impliments a little before setting the pins you wouldn't see the stress I have. I still wonder though if or how much the stabilizers should pivot at the lower links. If they don't pivot at all I'd think a weld at that point would be better than the bolt arrangement that's used. Hmmm?

Thanks Again- Dave

Bird · Oct 16, 2001

Dave, I don't think a weld would do since the outer ends of the stabilizers have to pivot slightly as the lower links swing in and out, but the up and down pivot point is at the front end of the stablilizers, so I haven't noticed (have I overlooked something?) that it makes any difference as to whether the implement is raised or lowered when you put the pins in. On all my implements, I only raise them just enough to clear the floor so I can swing them side to side to get them straight before putting the pins in. Then I raise them all the way for transport, lower them all the way in use, and have never bent a stabilizer that way.

Bird

DaveM · Oct 16, 2001

Bird,

Yes, I realize we need that side-to-side pivot. My point about welding the whole thing to the lower link is that there could(?) also be some pivot for the up/down motion which might explain why there's a bolt, nut and two flat washers connnecting and running through the lower links. Useing a bolt is a perfectly good way to attach this but it could have been done by welding too it seems... if it did not need to pivot. Since it does pivot up/down at the tractor end maybe that's enough. I'm going to look at it again closer and watch what's actually happening tonight. Jeez, I thought John pin pointed the problem but now I'm not sure /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif. I'm also assuming that all stabilizer/sway bars are not designed the same and maybe some need the procedure John explained and others don't. "It's all so confusing..." /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif.

Dave

tsh3 · Oct 17, 2001

> 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 · Oct 17, 2001

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 · Oct 17, 2001

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 · Oct 17, 2001

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

Edited by mikepa on 10/17/01 05:36 PM (server time).

DaveM · Oct 17, 2001

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 · Oct 20, 2001

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 · Oct 20, 2001

...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?...

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 · Oct 20, 2001

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 · Oct 20, 2001

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 · Oct 21, 2001

...one end goes on a pin mounted under the axel, and the other end goes on the pin with the lift arms...

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...