Swinging Implements

[Elivv]

I'm new to tractors and mindful of the messages about safety, and I have a wife who is sure my old 49 8N side-mount 12 volt is going to kill me, so I'm taking my time. I have a five foot brush hog, and had the PTO shaft safety shield replaced, leaving only the purchase of one pin so that I can attach the top-link. Anyway, I decided to try moving the hog to another building, figuring it could ride on its big wheel. I hooked up the lift arms and (moving slowly) pulled it out of the barn, but it insisted on swinging side to side so much that the lift arms hit the tires! There are limiting chains on the lift arms but it's obvious they need to be shorted. So, if I pull a few links from those chains, would this work? What keeps YOUR hog from swinging side to side? Does that top-link remove the tendency for it to swing?

Eli VV

 

[HCooke]

Never tried to move one without using the top link. How long are your chains? Typically they have seven links in them. I use sway bars to keep some implements from moving side to side. Sorry don't have a picture of a brush hog and sway bars. Someone else will post one.

 

[douglloyd]

Eli,

I use steel straps that connect from the lower pins on the mower and reach forward to a spot just under the rear axle. Your Ford should have these pins, or you can get them. Works great!

Doug

 

[Bob]

Here's a picture of a my 424 IH tractor set up with modified adjustable swaybars made for the Ford N's.

NO more sway.

<img src = "http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/27Grainfield/424IH/424xStabilizers.jpg">

 

[GB in MT.]

[b:e98a5485c9][i:e98a5485c9]
Eli;
This might also help you,....and yes you need to set the length on your
Chains!!!

Gary[/i:e98a5485c9][/b:e98a5485c9]

 

[oldtanker]

The sway bars are cheap, I got a set and installed em yesterday. 37 bucks and change from Fleet Farm.

 

[souNdguy]

while the chains should keep the arms out of the tires.. you really should invest in sway bars and brackets as the others said.

soundguy

 

[Elivv]

Excellent! Exactly what I needed. Thank you all!

 

[Hobo,NC]

(quoted from post at 17:05:07 09/20/10) I'm new to tractors and mindful of the messages about safety, and I have a wife who is sure my old 49 8N side-mount 12 volt is going to kill me, so I'm taking my time. I have a five foot brush hog, and had the PTO shaft safety shield replaced, leaving only the purchase of one pin so that I can attach the top-link. Anyway, I decided to try moving the hog to another building, figuring it could ride on its big wheel. I hooked up the lift arms and (moving slowly) pulled it out of the barn, but it insisted on swinging side to side so much that the lift arms hit the tires! There are limiting chains on the lift arms but it's obvious they need to be shorted. So, if I pull a few links from those chains, would this work? What keeps YOUR hog from swinging side to side? Does that top-link remove the tendency for it to swing?

Eli VV

Let say you had every gismo available to stabilize,,, the only thing miss'n was the top link,,,,, tars not to big etc,,, yes its very possible the mower would still hit the tars...

Even with a top link if its set to long its possible for the deck to hit the tars,,, if that happen you would need to shorten the top link,,, that would cause the deck to lift away from the tars instead of up into the tars like what happen whit no top link

Check chains,,, check chains need to b just right (OEM spec),,, no modifications needed,,, if to short they will flex (pull in the lift arms) when the lift comes up,,, put it in a bind and in short order break the lift arms...

I have NEVER been able to clobber up a set of check chains that work,,, its sum'n you better off buy'n... If the lift arm does not hit the tire then they probably are OK,,, that would depend on tire size and spacing tho... a good test is with no implement raise the lift,,, if the arms do not hit the tire,,, the arm does not flex when the lift is at the top of the lift and then no slack in the chains you are good...

WARNING all I know I read on the Internet,,, do it enuff and you can become a guru also,,, not responsible for damages,,, I read it and just pass it along,,, proceed with caution