Tractor Bumper ideas

[burner1]

I have my Ford 8N down for a re-build.

http://www.rc-tech.net/cars2/tractor/teardown.jpg

I am thinking of building a new bumper for the front. I am looking for some out of the box ideas. This is the bumper but is a bit more bent up then it was then:

http://www.rc-tech.net/cars2/tractor/8n.jpg

I am looking for a new idea for a bumper; I am not sure exactly what. I could laser cut and bned one similar to what I have but I am thinking of a new design. Any ideas on what you would do different?

[BlownMGB-V8]

Gary, the one thing I see about that bumper that could be improved is the lack of triangulated support down at the bottom. Do you have a pivoted front axle beam? Probably I'm guessing which would make that task difficult.

Jim

[burner1]

Are you saying a 3rd attatchment point?

This is what we have (these are not mine):






I could cut somehting from flat and bend it to look identical but I have just been thinking what else could I do.  have seen tool boxes, I have a wench, not sure if I want anything functional or just a replacement. I think a ball mount for moving trailers would be good maybe a removale hitch. If I could change the height on the fly that would be good too.

[Bill Young]

Gary, how about copying the Ford script and oval in some plate steel for the front bumper? With a slight curve to match the radius of the radiator grill I think it would be neat and still give plenty of protection up front.

[burner1]

That would be cool. Wish I could visulize how to make it look a little like the late model Ford trucks.

[mowog1]

You have the same grille as my NAA. Note the ball mount as mentioned in the previous post.



A Ford "Oval" would look awesome!

[burner1]

I love the NAA Rick. Iw as thinking something where I could adjust the height in the front for moving around trailers.

[BlownMGB-V8]

Very much tongue weight and you will definitely need some sort of a lower brace.

Jim

[burner1]

Over the years I have been pretty tough on mine. I have always driven it like it was a D8 Dosser. Have you seen what the new ones go for?  My God, for $30k I wouldn't take it off the pavement. I'd have to move the MG over to make room in the regular garage!:

You can do a lot more with a tractor when you have little money in it.

[britcars]

Gary, one of these would look nice in the garage beside the MGB.  Note the Spitfire behind it!

Phil O

[burner1]

Oh that's cool!

[NCtim]

Put a front loader on it and it won't matter. My M series Kubota has a Bush Hog brand 2000 lb loader on the front and I don't have to worry about running into anything. I had a Freeman trip loader on my Ferguson but the engine shroud would never fit so I left it off. I always wanted to put some crazy modified sheet metal on it but never got around to it.

[burner1]

Well I got a 54hp Kubota with front loader and backhoe. On your Ferguson did the hyd pump tie up the pto?

[Bill Young]

Gary, how about integrating a small receiver type hitch into the front bumper, then you would have multiple choices of hitch type and height you could use.

[burner1]

I was thinking about that. I could use a way to change the height. It seems getting them around the yard they always till down or up too far.

[Bill Young]

Gary, make up a two piece assemlby, a horizontal stub that would plug into the receiver and a vertical piece that would be adjustable for height with a hitch pin and have ball type and ring type hitches attached to it.

[burner1]

I think that is what I needed. I will probably make the mount with multiple holds. That's a great idea.

[BMC]

I think its alz welding that used to sell a bumper that i wanted for my garden tractor. You could hang weights off it or fold it down and carry about 200 pounds on it. You can follow this site: http://weekendfreedommachines.com/ to alz eliding but they don't show a picture of it anymore. it was a simple but neat design. I wish the shop had more room for a larger tractor but this one does everything we need.

Anyways, the idea behind a fold down front bumper with a hitch or something else on it. I considered hydraulic ram and a removable fork set as well so i could carry engines around too. The 140 H3 is just big enough for that.

Why are we talking tractors on a proper British Automotive website again? :-)

-BMC.

[BlownMGB-V8]

Well obviously Brian, it's because BMC used tractor engines for their cars. I'd think anyone could see that!  

Jim

[burner1]

I keep thinking about the hydraulics to do maybe a lift in front. I am just not sure about a hyd pump ocupying the PTO.

I would alos love to put a belly mower on but I don't like the set ps that are out there. I would love to put a 180 degree gear or chain setup so the PTO runs back forward instead of the belt.

[BlownMGB-V8]

Belting the PTO to the shaft is a common arrangement for belly mowers and works well. Done right it can leave the PTO clear for other uses too. I don't think the 8N ever had aux hydraulics but it does have hydraulic lift arms so there is a system pump. That means there is a way to tap into that system, and someone somewhere has done it. As I understand it, there is a piston pump in the bottom of the housing (sump) driven by the PTO shaft. The control valves are integral, and there is a pressure tube up to the 1 way cylinder. It should be possible to plumb a diverter valve into that line and use that to run aux hydraulics. When using this scheme it is usually necessary to switch the diverter valve when the arms are at something less than full lift, closing off the cylinder, then pull the control to full lift activating the pump and pressurizing the aux hydraulics which, using open center spool valves will allow flow back to the sump. I use this method on my Yanmar end loader and it works very well as long as the arms do not have to be at full lift.

Jim

[burner1]

It was my understanding the guys adding front loaders and such were all using an external pump such as these. I have never seen anyone tap into the hrdraulics in the 8N which would be an intersting idea. Mine is on the bench right now as it will be re-built in this process:

http://www.splitez.com/pto_hydraulic_pumps_tractor.html
http://www.ssbtractor.com/wwwboard/view_all.cgi?bd=ford_n&msg=14033
http://www.tractorshed.com/gallery/pieces/v37.jpg

The 8N belly mowers I have seen are actually belt driven in a complex pully arangement from the rear. I was just thinking I would like a PTO driven arangement better:

http://www.oldfordtractors.com/8nmower/8nmower3.jpg
http://www.wengers.com/pictures/webimages/64284-2.jpg

[BlownMGB-V8]

You are correct on both counts Gary, however that's not the only way to do things, and being able to avoid tying up the PTO is a real advantage, to say nothing of an external tank, filter, and lines that have to be in harm's way. If I had the tractor torn down I would darned sure install a diverter valve in that line even if I wasn't planning on using it. Put a quick disconnect on the end and it's always available if needed. It may not be as fast or powerful as a PTO driven external pump (or it might) but it is self contained. Personally, I would plumb the diverter into a tractor mounted 4 way valve, open spool, spring detent to center one way, locking detent the other, pressure relief optional, (the system almost certainly already has one) and have two quick disconnects for a 2 way cylinder. Then if you wanted to run something like an end loader just detent lock the valve and plumb that QD as the pressure side and the other as the return. There is no end to what you can do with the hydraulics but this would be a great start.

The shaft driven belly mowers aren't cheap generally, but they use shorter belts which cost way less than the long ones needed for the belt only drives. The one on my M/F (Iseki) is driven from a forward pointing PTO but it still has two belts on the deck. I can usually buy replacements for $25 or less, where a long belt to the rear would tend to cost around a hundred, maybe more depending on what it is, and probably wouldn't last as long. Then the idlers at the rear are a constant source of trouble.

There are shaft driven decks which use a short belt to the rear PTO. I think these are a good choice. The rear belt can sometimes be a poly-V or a cog belt which will transmit more power and last longer. The poly-V is probably the most common in newer equipment, single or double V on vintage.

There are two ways to retain use of the PTO with the belt pulley. One is a pully that mounts on the PTO and has a PTO shaft out the back. It shortens the PTO shaft needed for your other implements which can be a real pain, especially if you already use an over-run device to keep the deck from powering the tractor forward (a very smart idea) which also shortens the drive shaft. The other is a thin cast iron pulley that slides far enough up the shaft to leave the stub available and clamps on. That type is better if you can find it. Of course most of the over-run clutches I've seen have a good bit of play in them and aren't real great at handling side loads so finding a good one might not be easy, but if you run across one with a pulley built in you're golden.

Jim

[BlownMGB-V8]

One other thing. If I was retrofitting hydraulics I would shoot for an engine driven pump. Nothing like having to shift into neutral and let the clutch out just to raise the implement.

Jim

[burner1]

I will have to think about all that Jim. I will have to take a good look at the routing to see if it is something I would want to spend time on or would be feasible for me.

I am not sure an engine driven pump is an easy option just because there is little room up front. I was looking at that in thinking about power steering. I am actually changing the steering geometry where there is far less need for power steering.

G