Wrong top link???

[ebluvr72]

Finally got the tractor running, but having issue with getting the mower to level out or stay directly behind the tractor. I bought a Category 1 top link, as that was what was recommended. With the top link attached, the front of the mower front edge to drop lower than 6 inches off the ground. I really need it to be lower than this. Is it possible the top link is too long? When I extend it the front comes up higher, so I assume a shorter one would help. Am I missing something here?

Also, the mower seems to want to swing right or left as I drive. Is this just a matter of shortening the chains? New to this tractor business, so sorry about all the questions.

 

[ericlb]

if your tractor doesnt have sway bars you need to get them in order to keep the mower or any other implement tracking directly behind the tractor or climbing up the rear tire during a sharp turn the chains allow you to keep the same height when you raise and lower the mower and take some of the load off the hydraulic system, but no nothing for side to side movement

 

[ebluvr72]

(quoted from post at 10:07:48 03/22/16) if your tractor doesnt have sway bars you need to get them in order to keep the mower or any other implement tracking directly behind the tractor or climbing up the rear tire during a sharp turn the chains allow you to keep the same height when you raise and lower the mower and take some of the load off the hydraulic system, but no nothing for side to side movement

I have sway bars, but the mower still sits either way to the left or way to the right. Never directly behind. I'm guessing this must be normal then.

 

[TheOldHokie]

(quoted from post at 11:48:15 03/22/16) Finally got the tractor running, but having issue with getting the mower to level out or stay directly behind the tractor. I bought a Category 1 top link, as that was what was recommended. With the top link attached, the front of the mower front edge to drop lower than 6 inches off the ground. I really need it to be lower than this. Is it possible the top link is too long? When I extend it the front comes up higher, so I assume a shorter one would help. Am I missing something here?

Also, the mower seems to want to swing right or left as I drive. Is this just a matter of shortening the chains? New to this tractor business, so sorry about all the questions.

Disconnect one end of the top link and use the 3pt lift to set the front deck height. If you can't get it right the problem is not the top link. If you can get it right adjust the top link to match the mower position and reconnect. If the top link can't be adjusted to match the mower you need a different top link.

TOH

 

[TheOldHokie]

(quoted from post at 13:22:36 03/22/16)

(quoted from post at 10:07:48 03/22/16) if your tractor doesnt have sway bars you need to get them in order to keep the mower or any other implement tracking directly behind the tractor or climbing up the rear tire during a sharp turn the chains allow you to keep the same height when you raise and lower the mower and take some of the load off the hydraulic system, but no nothing for side to side movement

I have sway bars, but the mower still sits either way to the left or way to the right. Never directly behind. I'm guessing this must be normal then.

Not if you have the sway bars installed correctly.

TOH

 

[Den N Ms]

Ebluvr72As others have said you need to have two sway bars on the 3 point.Also adjust the mower so the front is at least 1" lower than the back,otherwise you will be cutting the grass twice and that will eat up your horsepower. Adjust the top link and even get a stay chain setup if need be,to set the front higth.

 

[Caryc]

(quoted from post at 10:22:36 03/22/16)

(quoted from post at 10:07:48 03/22/16) if your tractor doesnt have sway bars you need to get them in order to keep the mower or any other implement tracking directly behind the tractor or climbing up the rear tire during a sharp turn the chains allow you to keep the same height when you raise and lower the mower and take some of the load off the hydraulic system, but no nothing for side to side movement

I have sway bars, but the mower still sits either way to the left or way to the right. Never directly behind. I'm guessing this must be normal then.

As was said, you must not have the sway bars hooked right. If they are hooked correctly, your mower will sit directly behind your tractor and remain there with no side to side swinging.

Not the best picture below but it does show where the sway bars hook up. One end on the bracket on the bottom of your fender mounts and the other end on the lift pins on the mower.

You see one of my sway bars where the long arrow is pointing. This is an adjustable bar. It works the same as your adjustable top link. The bar on the other side is a plain flat bar. The adjustable one makes it a little easier to hook the bars up and gives you a little fine tuning to center your mower.

 

[Caryc]

I know someone has a clearer picture of how sway bars hook up. Hopefully they will come along and post it.

 

[ebluvr72]

(quoted from post at 11:12:32 03/22/16)

(quoted from post at 10:22:36 03/22/16)

(quoted from post at 10:07:48 03/22/16) if your tractor doesnt have sway bars you need to get them in order to keep the mower or any other implement tracking directly behind the tractor or climbing up the rear tire during a sharp turn the chains allow you to keep the same height when you raise and lower the mower and take some of the load off the hydraulic system, but no nothing for side to side movement

I have sway bars, but the mower still sits either way to the left or way to the right. Never directly behind. I'm guessing this must be normal then.

Can't get the picture to open. Can you email it to me at [email protected] please?


As was said, you must not have the sway bars hooked right. If they are hooked correctly, your mower will sit directly behind your tractor and remain there with no side to side swinging.

Not the best picture below but it does show where the sway bars hook up. One end on the bracket on the bottom of your fender mounts and the other end on the lift pins on the mower.

You see one of my sway bars where the long arrow is pointing. This is an adjustable bar. It works the same as your adjustable top link. The bar on the other side is a plain flat bar. The adjustable one makes it a little easier to hook the bars up and gives you a little fine tuning to center your mower.

 

[crawlerjohn]

The best way on a N series Ford in my opinion.

 

[Caryc]

I don't know what you mean by "the best way". It's the same way my hook up is, except my limiter chains are hooked to the lugs in the rear end casting instead of the top link pin.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Cary,


finest, greatest, top, foremost, leading, preeminent, premier, prime, first, chief, principal, supreme, of the highest quality, superlative, par excellence, unrivaled, second to none, without equal, nonpareil, unsurpassed, peerless, matchless, unparalleled, unbeaten, unbeatable, optimum, optimal, ultimate, incomparable, ideal, perfect;

 

[HFJ]

i made a set of sway bars for my 2N. my finish mower still wanders back and forth some, but not nearly as much as it used to.

 

[Caryc]

(quoted from post at 12:13:19 03/22/16) Cary,


finest, greatest, top, foremost, leading, preeminent, premier, prime, first, chief, principal, supreme, of the highest quality, superlative, par excellence, unrivaled, second to none, without equal, nonpareil, unsurpassed, peerless, matchless, unparalleled, unbeaten, unbeatable, optimum, optimal, ultimate, incomparable, ideal, perfect;

Thanks for all the adjectives. I could have gotten them from the thesaurus in "Word" but you seem to have missed the point.

I don't understand why his set up was all those adjectives better than mine. Perhaps you'd care to enlighten me?

 

[crawlerjohn]

I see nothing wrong with your setup. The picture I showed has a pivot attached to the back of the third link so the mower won't hang you up while crossing a ditch is the only difference. Also it was just my opinion. John

 

[Danny in CO]

Check your brackets under the fender mounts. These should line up with the lift arms. My guess since you say your mower sits off center is that you have 2 brackets for the same side of the tractor. The pins in the brackets are offset from center, one for the right side and one for the left side. Also, are your sway bar the same length center of holes to center of holes? They should be.

 

[Caryc]

(quoted from post at 13:12:43 03/22/16) Check your brackets under the fender mounts. These should line up with the lift arms. My guess since you say your mower sits off center is that you have 2 brackets for the same side of the tractor. The pins in the brackets are offset from center, one for the right side and one for the left side. Also, are your sway bar the same length center of holes to center of holes? They should be.

If that's the case, one adjustable sway bar as you see in my picture might take care of the problem. The adjustable sway bar works the same way the adjustable top link works.

 

[Caryc]

(quoted from post at 13:10:57 03/22/16) I see nothing wrong with your setup. The picture I showed has a pivot attached to the back of the third link so the mower won't hang you up while crossing a ditch is the only difference. Also it was just my opinion. John

Ok, sorry, I didn't notice that. Here's another option for situations where the mower might go up and down due to uneven terrain.

This is a sliding top link that the previous owner of my 8N must have made himself. it works very well. If you were strong enough you could lift my mower up by the back and the top link would shorten and then return to the bottom position when you set it back down. It's actually a pretty neat thing. I've never seen another one, even a home made one.

 

[ebluvr72]

(quoted from post at 11:31:42 03/22/16) The best way on a N series Ford in my opinion.

It would appear I am missing quite a few pieces.

 

[crawlerjohn]

Do you have these?
Untitled URL Link

 

[Ultradog MN]

Amazing!
All this talk about sway bars and not one
mention of wrecked tires or pants wetting.
I personally don't like sway bars on a
mower. It makes for one looong, STIFF unit
with zero flex anywhere from the bumper on
the front of the tractor to the tail wheel
on the back of the mower.
I like a bit of flex between the mower and
tractor. Let's you sashay the mower a few
inches from side to side and keeps you from
hitting obstacles with a quick whip of the
steering wheel. There are many myths that
get started here and then perpetuated by
people who have little or no experience on a
tractor and soon enough they become the Holy
Grail of truth. I say try your mower without
sway bars for a while and then decide if you
think you need them. You may like it without
them. Save yourself some dough too.

 

[R Geiger]

I ran mine a few years without them before I got any. I would not go back to not using them. Much better for me and my conditions. Wide ope flat field they may not be needed.

 

[Caryc]

(quoted from post at 14:29:12 03/22/16) Amazing!
All this talk about sway bars and not one
mention of wrecked tires or pants wetting.
I personally don't like sway bars on a
mower. It makes for one looong, STIFF unit
with zero flex anywhere from the bumper on
the front of the tractor to the tail wheel
on the back of the mower.
I like a bit of flex between the mower and
tractor. Let's you sashay the mower a few
inches from side to side and keeps you from
hitting obstacles with a quick whip of the
steering wheel. There are many myths that
get started here and then perpetuated by
people who have little or no experience on a
tractor and soon enough they become the Holy
Grail of truth. I say try your mower without
sway bars for a while and then decide if you
think you need them. You may like it without
them. Save yourself some dough too.

You're certainly entitled to your opinion but to insinuate that people that use sway bars do so because they have little or no experience with a tractor is just plain stupid.

If one does not use sway bars just be sure that your check chains are in good order with nothing worn that may give way and let your mower swing into your bar tread tires.

I'm happy for you but I wouldn't use my mower without sway bars on it.

 

[TheOldHokie]

(quoted from post at 17:36:20 03/22/16) I ran mine a few years without them before I got any. I would not go back to not using them. Much better for me and my conditions. Wide ope flat field they may not be needed.

I've mowed a bit without some sort of sway control and all I can say is the cut looked like a drunk was running the tractor. :roll: I prefer the mower locked as soildily as I can get it so it stays where I put it. That way the mower can't decide all on it's own to go for a walk-about sideways towards your nice pretty new parked car/truck :idea: I don't even think about leaving home without them.

TOH

 

[Ultradog MN]

Lots of inexperienced people here who simply
repeat what they've heard till it becomes
gospel. I just don't want new people to
think that sway bars are required for
mowing. I'll bet of the billions of hours
that have been put on Ns since they came out
most of them were done without the use of
sway bars. It's nice to teach people about
them of course - so they can choose to use
them or not. There are advantages to doing
it both ways.
As for stupid; what's stupid to me is
getting onto a tractor without first
checking it over and then breaking something
because of one's innattention or lack of
understanding.

 

[R Geiger]

Inexperienced people, I believe should use the sway bars, at least until they get a feel for the mower that they are swinging around behind them. Even more important is the use of an overrun coupler. Experienced or not all N users should have one for there tractor/mower.

 

[ericlb]

can you post pics of your setup? i mow with my ford all the time, and my 5 foot brush hog and 6 foot finish mower,both track directly behind the tractor, as does the blade, box blade, harrow, rake ect

 

[Caryc]

(quoted from post at 15:36:49 03/22/16)
Lots of inexperienced people here who simply
repeat what they've heard till it becomes
gospel. I just don't want new people to
think that sway bars are required for
mowing. I'll bet of the billions of hours
that have been put on Ns since they came out
most of them were done without the use of
sway bars. It's nice to teach people about
them of course - so they can choose to use
them or not. There are advantages to doing
it both ways.
As for stupid; what's stupid to me is
getting onto a tractor without first
checking it over and then breaking something
because of one's innattention or lack of
understanding.

It would be my guess that most of the N's were used without sway bars because they the first ones and probably subsequent ones didn't come from the factory with sway bars on them.

If people didn't know about using them, of course they used their mowers without them. When I first got my tractor with the mower on it, it didn't have sway bars either. The reason was because I didn't know what they were until I found out on this forum.

Just because the N's didn't come with them factory installed doesn't mean that's the way they should be used.

 

[Caryc]

ebluvr72,

Can you possibly post a picture of the set up on the back of your tractor? That way we may be able to be more concise about what is causing your problems.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I'm in the fence repair business & I strongly advise against the sway/stabilizer bars!
More $ for me.

 

[ed will]

Hi, about sway bars, you could put a small bolt
through a couple of links on lift bars just to shorten
sway temporarily. Ed Will

 

[Ultradog MN]

Yes.
Sway bars were optional. So we're
headlights. I assume farmers were smart
enough to put those options on their
tractors if they thought them worthwhile.
Same with Shermans.
If sway bars were commonly used, far more
original brackets would be available on
ebay, etc. But they weren't commonly used so
original brackets sell for a pretty penny to
collectors. Likewise on the later tractors.
Original brackets for those are even less
common.
I have an original set of Ford brackets on
my 3000. They are the only set I have ever
seen. There are aftermarket, angle iron
style brackets available that fit both the
Hundred and Thousand Series. Yet of the many
hundreds of those models I have seen and
dealt with there were maybe 5 - 10% of them
that had sway brackets installed.
Use of sway bars is a relatively modern
phenomenon. They are used mostly by people
who have more money than experience. They
are not required and in some ways they are a
hindrance.
I am not telling you not to use yours. If
you like them that's fine with me.
But they are not de rigueur.
And I will continue to debunk the myth that
they are.

 

[Caryc]

(quoted from post at 18:35:48 03/22/16) Yes.
Sway bars were optional. So we're
headlights. I assume farmers were smart
enough to put those options on their
tractors if they thought them worthwhile.
Same with Shermans.
If sway bars were commonly used, far more
original brackets would be available on
ebay, etc. But they weren't commonly used so
original brackets sell for a pretty penny to
collectors. Likewise on the later tractors.
Original brackets for those are even less
common.
I have an original set of Ford brackets on
my 3000. They are the only set I have ever
seen. There are aftermarket, angle iron
style brackets available that fit both the
Hundred and Thousand Series. Yet of the many
hundreds of those models I have seen and
dealt with there were maybe 5 - 10% of them
that had sway brackets installed.
Use of sway bars is a relatively modern
phenomenon.[b:9c60d474c5][color=red:9c60d474c5] They are used mostly by people
who have more money than experience.[/color:9c60d474c5] [/b:9c60d474c5]They
are not required and in some ways they are a
hindrance.
I am not telling you not to use yours. If
you like them that's fine with me.
But they are not de rigueur.
And I will continue to debunk the myth that
they are.

Ok, I get it now. If everybody had as much experience as you have sway bars would have never needed to be invented. I guess you must be 150 years old to have all that knowledge rattling around in your head. :wink:

 

[Batel]

On my 5 foot Sidewinder I get vibration if I don't have the sway bars on. I remembered that U-joints can't run in two planes so when the tail wheel would raise over hills and such and the mower swung to the side I would get a vibration. Vibration came back last summer and finally realized I'm going to have to tighten up the lift arm joints and such so they're not so sloppy.

 

[64frd4000ind]

I would say that most sway bars went the way of things like lights and running boards, when the tractors were new, they may have had those options, but as they broke down over the years, or had to be removed to do work, a lot of the time they probably never got put back on.

I have seen far more sway bar brackets in 'parts piles' or 'junk piles' than I have on tractors when looking at them. Same goes for running boards on N's especially left side running boards, just about every tractor seems to have one on the right, but the left is missing a lot of the time. I'm sure that if they installed them, they put them on both sides...

Sway Bars as a use, are useful, and a personal preference, just like some guys like a certain kind of seat, doesn't make any seat better than another, but people have preferences. Heck some guys even put a 'pad' on their seat....

A lot of it has to do with what type of control you need/want while mowing, if you have a lot of obstacles or want a clean cut line or if you are just mowing to knock down the weeds and don't care about a little swing or like UD states some prefer the 'feel' of the tractor without the bars.

There are all kinds of ways to set up a brush cutter on the back of the tractor, with sway bars, stay chains, stay bars, to any combination of those. And I'd bet that back in the day, the farmers had the same kind of spirited arguments over which is best just like we have here, its a trait of people in the AG lifestyle... and one that I enjoy quite a bit. I have seen two guys not speak to each other for a week over when was the 'best' day to plant their potatoes in the garden.... same goes for this topic.

If you aren't happy with your setup, check out how some others have theirs, just keep in mind that every one will tell you their setup is the 'best'... take it in stride and try out the parts that you think will solve what you don't like about your setup.

 

[HFJ]

(quoted from post at 10:30:54 03/23/16) I would say that most sway bars went the way of things like lights and running boards, when the tractors were new, they may have had those options, but as they broke down over the years, or had to be removed to do work, a lot of the time they probably never got put back on.

I have seen far more sway bar brackets in 'parts piles' or 'junk piles' than I have on tractors when looking at them. Same goes for running boards on N's especially left side running boards, just about every tractor seems to have one on the right, but the left is missing a lot of the time. I'm sure that if they installed them, they put them on both sides...

Sway Bars as a use, are useful, and a personal preference, just like some guys like a certain kind of seat, doesn't make any seat better than another, but people have preferences. Heck some guys even put a 'pad' on their seat....

A lot of it has to do with what type of control you need/want while mowing, if you have a lot of obstacles or want a clean cut line or if you are just mowing to knock down the weeds and don't care about a little swing or like UD states some prefer the 'feel' of the tractor without the bars.

There are all kinds of ways to set up a brush cutter on the back of the tractor, with sway bars, stay chains, stay bars, to any combination of those. And I'd bet that back in the day, the farmers had the same kind of spirited arguments over which is best just like we have here, its a trait of people in the AG lifestyle... and one that I enjoy quite a bit. I have seen two guys not speak to each other for a week over when was the 'best' day to plant their potatoes in the garden.... same goes for this topic.

If you aren't happy with your setup, check out how some others have theirs, [b:aa50890e6a]just keep in mind that every one will tell you their setup is the 'best'...[/b:aa50890e6a] take it in stride and try out the parts that you think will solve what you don't like about your setup.

well said, but i do disagree with the part in bold

i wouldn't say my homemade sway bars are the best setup possible - but i WILL say that they beat the heck out of [i:aa50890e6a]no[/i:aa50890e6a] sway bars for what i do

 

[Caryc]

(quoted from post at 10:47:47 03/23/16)

(quoted from post at 10:30:54 03/23/16) I would say that most sway bars went the way of things like lights and running boards, when the tractors were new, they may have had those options, but as they broke down over the years, or had to be removed to do work, a lot of the time they probably never got put back on.

I have seen far more sway bar brackets in 'parts piles' or 'junk piles' than I have on tractors when looking at them. Same goes for running boards on N's especially left side running boards, just about every tractor seems to have one on the right, but the left is missing a lot of the time. I'm sure that if they installed them, they put them on both sides...

Sway Bars as a use, are useful, and a personal preference, just like some guys like a certain kind of seat, doesn't make any seat better than another, but people have preferences. Heck some guys even put a 'pad' on their seat....

A lot of it has to do with what type of control you need/want while mowing, if you have a lot of obstacles or want a clean cut line or if you are just mowing to knock down the weeds and don't care about a little swing or like UD states some prefer the 'feel' of the tractor without the bars.

There are all kinds of ways to set up a brush cutter on the back of the tractor, with sway bars, stay chains, stay bars, to any combination of those. And I'd bet that back in the day, the farmers had the same kind of spirited arguments over which is best just like we have here, its a trait of people in the AG lifestyle... and one that I enjoy quite a bit. I have seen two guys not speak to each other for a week over when was the 'best' day to plant their potatoes in the garden.... same goes for this topic.

If you aren't happy with your setup, check out how some others have theirs, [b:1e154f8a9b]just keep in mind that every one will tell you their setup is the 'best'...[/b:1e154f8a9b] take it in stride and try out the parts that you think will solve what you don't like about your setup.

well said, but i do disagree with the part in bold

i wouldn't say my homemade sway bars are the best setup possible - but i WILL say that they beat the heck out of [i:1e154f8a9b]no[/i:1e154f8a9b] sway bars for what i do

Sometimes homemade things do work like your swaybars and the sliding top link that I showed. Not all farmerizers are idiots. :mrgreen: