The Fordson Tractor Pages Forum

Hi Chaps, I was out doing abit of ploughing yesturday evening and found that when i apply the foot brake when reversing the brakes appear to lock up instantly.....

Any ideas what might be causing this??

Thanks
Steve

Sorry I can't help, Steve, but I'm looking forward to hearing the answer to this one.

Best

Adrian

Cheers adrian, Just started turning over 4 hectares yesterday evening. The old girl was pulling my newly aquired 3 furrow Rabewerk plough very well thanks to her new boots from Scoobyjim.

Need to make a weight frame for the front as i have change the cast wheels for steels.

Definitely a good idea to get the front well weighted down. Every time you hit a sticky patch, instead of the hydraulics lifting the plough, the nose will rear up. Have you found this? It happened to me, and the forward momentum kept getting lost. As soon as I added the weights, she sailed along.

Best

Adrian

Yeh i have found this, also turning on the headlands can be tricky.

AdrianNPMajor wrote:Definitely a good idea to get the front well weighted down. Every time you hit a sticky patch, instead of the hydraulics lifting the plough, the nose will rear up. Have you found this? It happened to me, and the forward momentum kept getting lost. As soon as I added the weights, she sailed along.

Is that in qualitrol? If so why would weighting the nose affect the hydraulics? Surely if the hydraulics sense too high a load on the top link, hyd will lift the plough, nose weight or not

Well Ben, The toplink on the supermajor works of a big spring inside the topcover. As more pressure (in the form of pull) is applied from the toplink the hydraulics lift. Without the right amount of front weight on the front the front wheels raise and the pull isnt felt thought the toplink sping meaning the hydraulics dont lift. Now i may not be 100% right on this as im used to modern tractors with lower link sensing and wheel slip monitors.

Cheers
Steve

Hi Ben

Qualitrol works extremely well. When you hit a stiff patch, it dutifully senses it and lifts the plough. However, don't forget that the rear axle is effectively the fulcrum, and when the top link sensor activates the lift, one of two things is going to happen: either the plough will be raised; or if the plough refuses to budge, it stays where it is and the nose of the tractor will come up instead.

Weight the nose down sufficiently, and when the sensor activates the lift when a stiff spot is next encountered, the lighter of the two loads either side of the fulcrum will be the one to move - which with any luck will be the plough in the ground!

A third possibility, with nose weighted and plough in a sticky spot, is that neither weight either side of the fulcrum wishes to budge, in which case the pressure relief valve will kick in, as obviously something has to give.

If I sound like an expert, I'm not. I learned this from reading Brian's very enlightening posts on the subject.

Best

Adrian

Hi Steve, I’m assuming this is on a Super Major, did you install new brake discs?, This problem seems quite common after new discs are install and actually goes away as you use them, unless it gets really bad I would run her some more. If the problem doesn’t go away you may have bad springs on the brake mechanism.

Pat

Hi Pat, Yep its on my Super Major so its disc brakes. I havent renewed the brakes, but i did strip and clean them when i rebuilt her in the winter.

The usual problem is dust on the splines, rust on the actuator balls or weak springs that hold the actuator plates. I have been having the same problems with Nuffy which has the same brakes. Driving down the road and applying the brakes, the wheels would just lock not come on gently and then you had to reverse to get the brakes off. About three months ago I replaced brake discs, actuator balls and springs. Problem sorted.

Also remember that you have to adjust the screw underneath the brake housing. The screw has to be tightened up until it is solid and then back 1 and a 1/2 turns before you adjust the pedal clearance.

Thanks brian, I will have a look at that after ive finished my grass seed.

Cheers
Steve

Hi,

and do not make my mistake when adjusting the brakes: The 1/2 turn of this 1.5 turns is the one that gives space when the brakes get warm from the rear axle. With only one turn back the brake gets very hot while driving (without breaking).

Peter (burning color dosn't smell good ...)