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Hitch to far

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Brian Wells

05-28-2003 07:33:10




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I have a tractor that I started pulling with last year at 8000lbs. It has very good rear tires on it. Fairly new Goodyear's. It's has plenty of power but it spins out every time. Just breaks the tires loose without pulling the engine down or lifting the front end up. I need more traction. I can not move any more weight from the front to the back. It usually comes in a not so distant third or forth place so it won't take much to get in the game. I made a custom drawbar so I could move the hitch point farther back and they may have helped. The drawbar is pretty long now. My question is can you move the hitch point back to far? Is there a point where moving the drawbar back becomes counter productive or should I just keep going back until I get the front end to float? What else have I not thought of? Thanks for your replies.

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Puller504

05-31-2003 15:40:28




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 Re: Hitch to far in reply to Brian Wells, 05-28-2003 07:33:10  
Where and what type of track are you guys pulling on?? If you need traction the drawbar needs to be SHORTENED to pull from as close to the rear axle housing of the tractor as allowed in the rules. We have ALL of our custom built hitches set up to pull from as high and as tight as allowed. The front end will come up some and is counter-balanced by moving weights FORWARD on the tractor. The transfer sled will put all the weight you can pull on the rear! TRUE STORY; Pulling my IH504 in a 4500# stock class the hitch was set up 20 inches high as allowed. The tractor was stripped of all weights to make the 4500# limit. Front end came up 2 feet and had to steer with the brakes, (counter-productive). Before my daughter hooked the sled for her run, I lowered the hitch (with turn-buckles) one inch. During her run, the front end stayed on the track MUCH FARTHER and the tractor pulled the sled 30 feet farther down the track, due to retained traction by not raising the front end and lowering the fulcrum (hitch). Lengthening the drawbar will make the tractor try to drag the sled instead of carrying it as much as possible. This theory is the result of 25 years of trial and error testing. Don

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Mike

06-01-2003 06:34:10




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 Re: Re: Hitch to far in reply to Puller504 , 05-31-2003 15:40:28  
Hey, you didn't tell us how long the chain was and where it was hooked to the sled! Sounds like you guys pull a short chain, according to the way you have your tractor set up.



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Jim M

05-31-2003 22:06:47




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 Re: Re: Hitch to far in reply to Puller504 , 05-31-2003 15:40:28  
That may be true on your tracks but on ours when you spin out and leave black marks on top of the hard clay with a 16" height rule and a short drawbar you can leave lots of weight rolling on the front tires that can be transfered to the rear with a longer drawbar. We don't have a problem with the front end coming up at all.



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Glen

05-29-2003 21:07:43




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 Re: Hitch to far in reply to Brian Wells, 05-28-2003 07:33:10  
I pull a stock '51 Farmall Super C, in the 3300 & 3600 pound classes. I didn't think my drawbar flexed much, but I was wrong. I ran two cables, with turnbuckles, up to two of the large implement mounting bolts, and attached the lower ends just ahead of the ring on my drawbar. It made all the difference in the world. I went from a consistent 3rd or 4th place to winning darn near every time. I also decreased my tire pressure to about 6 to 8 pounds.

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Dave A

05-31-2003 07:15:30




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 Re: Re: Hitch to far in reply to Glen, 05-29-2003 21:07:43  
So you more less dogged of your your draw bar and hitch?



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Glen

06-01-2003 14:03:11




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 Re: Re: Re: Hitch to far in reply to Dave A, 05-31-2003 07:15:30  
I guess you could say that. The drawbar can't flex, because of the cables. This makes the weight go on the tractor rather than be lost to drawbar flex.



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joecool

05-28-2003 16:55:14




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 Re: Hitch to far in reply to Brian Wells, 05-28-2003 07:33:10  
I would have to agree with a few of the comments, I have a DC case, I have tried different length drawbars, to get best transfer on rear I have found hitch 30 inches from center of rear for 18 inch hitch height. I move it in to 24 for 20 inch height. It works good, floats front end, I would also check tire pressure. It takes alot of trial and error.



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Free Advice

05-28-2003 13:38:02




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 Re: Hitch to far in reply to Brian Wells, 05-28-2003 07:33:10  
Lengthening the Drawbar does make a differece I believe. I would assume you are at the max height allready. Each weight class and track is going to be different. I would start out lenghtening it 3-4 inches in your light class and move what weight you have to your belly bar. Pull it and take notes.



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Brian Wells

05-28-2003 10:54:23




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 Re: Hitch to far in reply to Brian Wells, 05-28-2003 07:33:10  
Thanks for the advice so far. I need to add that the hitch is at the max allowed. 21". I don't think I have any flex in the long drawbar. The drawbar is about 36" behind the rear axle.



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Jim M

05-28-2003 09:21:29




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 Re: Hitch to far in reply to Brian Wells, 05-28-2003 07:33:10  
If you are using long bar short bar Goodyear tires I would try borrowing a set of Firestone or Titan tires. If the track is hard you may want to go to a narrower tire. If the drawbar is flexing at the long length shorten it. If not leave it alone. I wouldn't go much farther back than 26" from the center of the axle. It all depends on the tractor set-up.



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phil

05-28-2003 08:49:56




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 Re: Hitch to far in reply to Brian Wells, 05-28-2003 07:33:10  
Brian, making the drawbar longer doesn't help much, it transfers only a small amount of weight from front to back, & the lift on the sled stays the same. Make the drawbar higher, then you will apply more lift to the sled, which will result in more downforce at the drawbar. You will transfer weight to the rear tires & you will 'lift' more of the sled.



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Hitch

05-28-2003 08:33:55




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 Re: Hitch to far in reply to Brian Wells, 05-28-2003 07:33:10  
I am not sure what your rules say but the closer the hitch is to the tractor the better. getting the hitch as high as legally possible is also the best thing to do. My hitch is 18 inch back from the center of the axle and is 20 inch high. Those are the rules for NATPA and most rules for other clubs are the same. Good luck



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mike

05-30-2003 17:51:18




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 Re: Re: Hitch to far in reply to Hitch, 05-28-2003 08:33:55  
wrong wrong wrong!!



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Jerry

05-28-2003 13:52:21




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 Re: Re: Hitch to far in reply to Hitch, 05-28-2003 08:33:55  
How much tire air pressure are you running? It can effect your pulling more than drawbar length.



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Krouthead

06-02-2003 16:57:26




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 Re: Re: Re: Hitch to far in reply to Jerry, 05-28-2003 13:52:21  
You might try an equal amount of fluid in each rear tire,if you can remove hang on weight to stay in your class.I have experimented with fluid ,measuring it in 5 gal,then weighing it.I put 200# in each tire, ran low pressure(it looked flat)and beat cut tires in same class at Melbourne, AR pull, and won!! I would lose hitch height,but on a tacky track,the traction was enough to compensate! Who knows, you dont if you dont try. Lots o Luck!

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