Tractor over-turn video clips

[davesisk]

Hey folks:

Check out these mpegs. This brings new perspective to over-turns, both side and backflip. This doesn't even look like that much of a slope!

http://www.me.psu.edu/sommer/projects/tractorFY1/

It seems to me it would be awefully hard to get a PT to do a backflip. I think it's also quite a blessing that these have very low centers of gravity. It's certainly possible to flip a PT onto it's side, but I don't believe it's as easy as it is with the two tractors in these videos.

I'd love to see similar video footage of loader-related overturns...there's certainly one way that would be very easy to flip a Power-trac and that's carrying loads high rather than low. Imagine carrying a load high. It would become dangerous in one of two cases that I can think of:

1) Starting down an incline foward with the load high.
2) Turning with the load high (thus shortening the wheelbase, shifting the center of gravity forward).

In both of these cases, I'd expect the machine to tip forward, then fall onto it's side. Thoughts?

I just moved and spread 20 cubic yards of topsoil last weekend, all of it down an incline. I always carry loads low, and in this case, I backed down the sloped area each time. Still watching these videos makes me want to retrofit a ROPS to my old Pt-1418.

Dave

 

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</font><font color="blue" class="small">( 1) Starting down an incline foward with the load high.
2) Turning with the load high (thus shortening the wheelbase, shifting the center of gravity forward).

In both of these cases, I'd expect the machine to tip forward, then fall onto it's side. Thoughts? Dave
)</font>


<font color="red"> Surprisingly, nothing that dramatic usually happens!!
This is my PT-425 going down an incline with a 700# load held high when I suddenly decided to stop and go back up!! (The load was held high to prevent the bucket from hitting the ground at the bottom of the berm.)
The PT was completely stable with the bucket on the ground, even with the rear swung fully to either side, and with me on or off the seat! (Reversed Wheels may have helped!)
Slowly lowering the bucket allowed the rear to gently settle back on its tires!

PS: However, results may have been different if the ground had been soft, the PT was going across the incline at an angle, or the wheels had been in the OEM position!!
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[davesisk]

He he...this is one of those cases where I'd back down a hill, partner!

I actually wouldn't call your load height "high". By high, I meant full dump height. You know, that seems to be the default position for any new or curiosity users to carry a load...up as high as it'll go! I would tend to the think the result might have a higher probability of being quite different if the load were carried at full height. I feel strongly enough about it that I don't have any intention of giving it a try just to see. Tractors and SUV's aren't designed to operate greasy side up! /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Dave