Wheelie bars

[Anonymous-0]

Was thinking about going to a few local tractor pulls this year. Neighbor says I need wheelie bars if I am going to pull now. I told him that if I had to put wheelie bars on the tractor that I would just forget pulling because I am not putting wheelie bars on the tractor. Was wondering if there are classes that don't require wheelie bars? Thanks

 

[Luther]

I pull dead weight here in Luther Mi. and other towns around here. Most do not require wheelie bars

 

[Bouncer]

Most stock classes do not require them. There are also some pulls that will let you run without them, but they will automatically flag you if your front end reaches a certain height. Myself, they are there for your protection. So if you can run them, why not?

 

[Slow burn]

Wheelie bars are for your safety, why would you not put them on?

 

[gtx1967jewison]

Wheelie bars are actually ILLEGAL where I pull, nobody has them up here. We use long chains on the sleds(trucks) & blow the horn if front comes up more than 18".

 

[mightymolinekid]

I've found that it's best to call whoever is in charge of the pulls you are going to and ask them what the rules are. If they say you don't need wheelie bars, then you don't. All of the pulls I've been to around here in the stock/improved stock classes recommend them but don't require them. They also aren't requiring fenders, but I have them on because I like having them...

 

[Anonymous-0]

Why would a safety device be illegal? I wonder if someone needs to rethink that position?

 

[RandyB(MI)]

A good 30% of the ones I've seen will NOT stop the tractor from going over if it gets far enough to need them. They are not a substitute for common sense.

 

[Bouncer]

I agree with you. There is a pull local to me in Southern Indiana that will not let me pull my stock class tractor with wheelie bars on it. Instead of taking them off, I didn't pull. They said it made the tractor "souped up". I just thought to myself how ignorant can a person be.

 

[showcrop]

(quoted from post at 16:00:01 07/09/12) Why would a safety device be illegal? I wonder if someone needs to rethink that position?

Just as any organization that inspects a tractor and judges it safe to pull is liable for the safety of the puller, a lawyer could make a case for wheelie bars providing a false feeling of safety. I have wheelie bars on my pullers, although I make it a point to not use them, but I see a loss to the pulls that are held at county fairs, when the local guy can't bring his out.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I have seen it more than once when a tractor hits a sticky spot and abruptly the front picks up,(i'ts happened to me also)and the tractor bumped the tip bars, all the common sense in the world can't prepare one self for that