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Drawbar Length

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Ollie 2

05-17-2003 04:56:45

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Does a shorter drawbar with the same height always work better?? Our club allows 18" high and a minimum of 18" in length for Farmstock.

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Jack

05-19-2003 14:05:46

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Re: Drawbar Length in reply to Ollie 2, 05-17-2003 04:56:45

We are allowed 20 high and 18 inches from the ctr of the rear axle in my area.I had been running a regular drawbar at about 24 inches out and done ok with it but I figured that there was a limit on the closeness for some reason so I changed mine to the exact specs.I have had good results with my current set up,just had to relearn my weights a little but it does do alot better than it did.Good luck.

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ToddF

05-19-2003 07:05:45

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Re: Drawbar Length in reply to Ollie 2, 05-17-2003 04:56:45

I used to think that the drawbar should be as short and high as the rules allow. Then when I got soundly beaten a few times and put some more thought into it here is what I believe is required. There are two things that have to happen, first the pulling sled needs to tranfer as much weight as possible to the tractor drive wheels. This is a function of hitch height for any given chain length, and pretty much means the drawbar should be as high as the rules allow. Secondly, tractor weight should be completely transfered to the rear wheels. Since we already determined the hitch height is fixed as high as rules allow we have to vary the length of the hitch to get optimum tractor weight transfer. Now if we make the hitch so long that the front tires come off the ground we effectively lower the hitch height and loose sled tranfer; to short and we loose tractor tranfer.

So the optimal hitch height is as high as the rules allow, the optimal length is when the front wheels are still on the ground with zero weight on them. And when you weight up for the next class your drawbar length should probably be adjusted to compensate.

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Puller504

05-17-2003 19:52:44

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Re: Drawbar Length in reply to Ollie 2, 05-17-2003 04:56:45

Have been away from the "boards" for a while. Lawn care season is here heavy in Ohio. Drawbars bending??? Have been building custom pulling hitches for 20 years, first on trucks, now on tractors. I have never seen a drawbar on one of my machines bend! I watch more than pull now that both of my kids are into stock tractor pulling. I have seen bent drawbars, but usually are made of inadequate material. Have seen a few hitches come apart, too! We always engineer adjustable setups as our tractors pull multiple classes and the tractor rear end will drop some as weights are added. High as allowed and tight as allowed! Don

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306mpuller

05-19-2003 08:41:07

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Re: Re: Drawbar Length in reply to Puller504, 05-17-2003 19:52:44

What kinds of tractors do you build drawbars for?? Have you ever built a drawbar for a Farmall M. I was planning on building my own and I am kind of hung up on how to design it. If you could help me out on this, I would be greatly appreciative. Thanks, Larry Martin

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Puller504

05-19-2003 14:33:01

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Re: Re: Re: Drawbar Length in reply to 306mpuller, 05-19-2003 08:41:07

Started building hitches in 1980 for big-block Chevy trucks (4x4) and stock tractors. 4x4 pulling entails completely different engineering than 2 wheel drive trucks. Have made adjustable setups for Allis Chalmers, Olivers, Massey Fergusons and International/Farmalls. My IH504 utility tractor was a tough one to set up, not much room down/back there to work with. The Olivers are the easiest to work up, although on my Oliver 1600 I removed the entire rear drawbar and welded up an adjustable hitch using 1/2"x 5" flat stock. I will post pictures as soon as I figure out how! The 1600 hitch uses the original bolt bosses on the rear housing of the tractor but all the rest I custom made. This tractor pulls stock classes from 6500# through 9000#. Most guys around here with Farmall M's reverse the original drawbar to mount on the front side of the rear axle and put turnbuckles in place of the drop braces for verticle adjustment. Hope this helps, Don

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G Taylor

05-17-2003 10:27:39

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Re: Drawbar Length in reply to Ollie 2, 05-17-2003 04:56:45

Drawbars tend to bend with weight and drop the hitch height. So shorter is better as long as fore/aft balance can be maintained. Less hitch height drop as well if the fornt wheels lift too. A heavy front or a light rear end may require lengthening the drawbar to transfer weight back.

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2 cylinder

05-17-2003 05:28:32

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Re: Drawbar Length in reply to Ollie 2, 05-17-2003 04:56:45

There is usually a reason why they post the minimums and maximums in the rules. And as a rule of thumb (not always thou!) you want to get as close to the minimums and maximums as you can, especially with the hitch because it is to your advantage usually. Hope this helps!

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ronald

05-17-2003 20:51:56

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Re: Re: Drawbar Length in reply to 2 cylinder, 05-17-2003 05:28:32

Last year here at a practice pull a 88 Oliver pulled with a 34"drawbar then went back at pulled with it a 18". He pulled amost 17' more with the short drawbar and everything else the same.

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Dave

05-17-2003 18:49:57

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Re: Re: Drawbar Length in reply to 2 cylinder, 05-17-2003 05:28:32

I've found the type of track (hard-loose) makes a big differance on the length of DBar that works best. Hard track, short DB, loose track, long DB.

You're right, when the front end comes up, hook point goes down and longer DB compounds the problem.

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Jerry

05-17-2003 12:41:35

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Re: Re: Drawbar Length in reply to 2 cylinder, 05-17-2003 05:28:32

It seems to be effected also by the length of the chain that is used. I find that a longer drawbar is better on a long chain.

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Jim M

05-17-2003 18:03:14

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Re: Re: Re: Drawbar Length in reply to Jerry, 05-17-2003 12:41:35

I've got a Case DC with a 5130 CASE-IH drawbar in it that is heavy enough not to bend. I found with a 16" height rule I would have to slide it all the way out to get the front light in 4500# class and slide it in 1 hole for 5500# class. If you front end does not come up a little at the end of the pull you either need to move some weight to the back or use a longer drawbar

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reuben

05-18-2003 10:25:35

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Drawbar Length in reply to Jim M, 05-17-2003 18:03:14

I disagree with you, your front end should never come up if you are balanced right. when you loose hitch hight you allow more weight from the sled to contact the ground and stop you. if you have enough power you want as short and as high as allowed by the rules. also keep you nose on the ground and your tires turning

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laipuller

05-18-2003 14:53:13

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Drawbar Length in reply to reuben, 05-18-2003 10:25:35

i have to disagree, of course everyone has opinions, but the best pulls i have made, the front wheel lightly floated off the ground, no higher than 8 inches when i hit a hard spot, not only does this work good for me, makes for a good looking pull too.

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2 cylinder

05-19-2003 06:06:50

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Drawbar Length in reply to laipuller, 05-18-2003 14:53:13

I agree you want your front tires to float on the ground and raise to about 2-4 inches at the end of the pull. If your front tires never leave the ground at the end of the pull your not getting maximum weight transfer. Just my opinion which has won several pulling events for me.

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G Taylor

05-19-2003 16:11:13

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Drawbar Length in reply to 2 cylinder, 05-19-2003 06:06:50

On occassion you see a tractor so well balanced, as soon as the front lifts any. The tractor/sled stops.

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Mike Aylward

05-19-2003 16:21:07

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Drawbar Length in reply to G Taylor, 05-19-2003 16:11:13

Glen, this would probably be a tractor with too long a drawbar or too low air pressure in the tires. A well balanced tractor should be able to carry the front wheels if they are just a few inches above the ground. Mike

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G Taylor

05-19-2003 20:22:13

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Drawbar Length in reply to Mike Aylward, 05-19-2003 16:21:07

That can happen mid track if the fore/aft weight balance is rear heavy or too long a drawbar. The situations I was thinking of were excellent balance, those in the top three of the class.

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