Deere Spring Float Adjustment

Bachelorb

New User
I have a John deere 55 combine with the spring float attachment on the header. This year I'm planning on combining soybeans and would like to use it. The problem is I have no idea how....
Could someone give me a quick lesson on how to adjust the springs to make the head float????

Thanks,
Brad
 
Bob, there is a procedure for doing this for different sizes of heads, whether you have a pickup reel, etc. I think I have a manual around here for the float spring attachment. Let me know some of your set up and I'll see if I can find the manual. Mike
 
I use one on my 95 so I will try to explain it. On the back ware the lift cylinders hook to the spring lift there are bolt heads on the back side, And on the oppsite side on the spring it is slotted for a big wrench. By tightening the bolt while holding the spring will put more tension on the spring to help the head flout. By loosening that bolt while holding the spring will put less tension on the spring. You need to have the grain head on to adjust the springs up to get them set right.

Caution!!!!!! If both C channels on the spring lift are together and closed carefully check to see if the locks are on or not, Its an 1 1/2"x 3/8" by 6" flat piece on each side on top (of the channels) with a 1/2" bolt in each channel to hold it together as the lock. If it is locked together check to see how tight the springs are adjusted up, If you see 3 or 4 inches of threads and the spring are loosed up and you can take the locks off BUT BE CAREFULL anyway. These spring will lift the head so you should use caution with them.

To set them you tighten the springs evenly (all of them the same) until you see the head raise up. This is ware you have to set it to ware you can raise the grain head up with your hand so your going to have to play with it to set it till your happy with it. No real way to say how much tension it will need for the head to flout that's why you have to play with it.

My 95 I have a 16ft head hume reel with a hart-carter flouting cutter bar on it and my springs have about an inch of thread between the spring and the C channel to give you an idea how to adjust them. With the flouting cutter bar and the spring lift its like having a robot running the head. With both working together its a great set up to work with. I hope your grain head has the skid plate under it other wise you may have a problem getting it to flout like you want. If you need more information or pictures of it to help you out. Bandit
 
I think I understand Bandit. Are these the locks you're talking about. They are only bolted on one side
mvphoto19288.jpg


It looks like two are tightened and two are loose, so tightening the two loose ones should float the head right?
 
The problem with tightening all the springs the same is that they all quit working at the same place, too. You are better off putting more tension on a few than a little tension on all of them. This makes the head "light" through a wider range. I'm still looking for my book. Let me know what head you have because the adjustment is different for each size head. Mike
 

I looked in the manual and there wasn't a number, so about all I can tell you is its a 12 foot rigid grain head that probably came with the combine in 1968.

Thanks again
 
Yes those are the locks. You could try to tighten the other 2 springs to see if will help flout the head, If it dose not help you might try adding another spring in the middle or find a spring or springs off a 95 or 4400 and use those springs on yours as they do stretch out over time and get weak. My 95 has 6 springs on it and 2 of them are getting weak now but I found a set up off of a 4400 and I am going to change them out before fall. Bandit
 

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