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Straightening a drawbar .... a question ....

Crazy Horse

Crazy Horse

Well-known Member
I'm sure this has been asked before but here goes. I have a drawbar here from a 101 Massey that has a bend in it about 14 inches from the towing end. Not really too bad, only about ten degrees or so but I want to straighten it. It's probably mild steel or whatever they used back then, it's 1 inch thick and 2 inches wide, typical drawbar size.

Should a guy straighten it using heat first or try doing it cold? I'm wondering if heat first might weaken the steel? And if heat first is the answer, any suggestions on how much to apply and for what distance to heat on both sides of the bend?
 
Take two big blocks of wood and lay the drawbar on them so the bend points up and is over the air space between the blocks. Then hit the top of the bend with a 16# sledge hammer, or bigger would probably be better if you have it. If you give it a good swing it won't take too many hits to straighten it out. I've done many this way. It won't be factory perfect, but good enough for a work tractor.
 
A hydraulic press cold would be best, but Zachary's plan is second best. Heat only as a last resort. I don't know about those specifically, but most drawbars are harder than mild steel.
 
Set a hydralic jack under the end.Jack it up to equal oppisite angle.Smack it at the bend with a 12lb sledge hammer usually fixes.Or apply heat at the bend.Gravity will do the work.
 
Try scratching it with a drill or a file, if it is still the factory drawbar it is probably much harder than mild steel. Don't use any heat to straighten it.
 
Not sure why I mentioned mild steel, I just assumed it would be regular everyday steel which would be mild steel I thought.
 
Saying it is Mild Steel is painting with a broad brush. More than likely it is cold drawn carbon steel of some variety. The drawbar on the Case LA my son restored was not a hardened alloy steel. He learned about the spark test and file test, then I used my hardness tester to prove the others. I would not heat it, using a press would be best. You will have to go past the point of straight when you do it, or it will spring back some.
 
I did a small test with a 3/16 drill bit on the draw bar away from the bent area. A regular twist bit in a power drill seems to have no problems cutting it's way in, I suspect it's just what I might call 'regular' steel .... whatever that might mean to anyone with experience I have no idea.
 
I took mine off my 101JR. and cut it up to make a rock shaft for my 3 point. It welded really well, but it is definitely harder than your every-day mild steel. Probably high carbon, but not forged. I would use the press-it-to-bend-it method before I heated it, unless you can re-temper it after you heat it to bend it. steve
 
I have straightened Deere two cylinder drawbars easily cold in the press. I have also drilled holes in them for a custom length reach out the back of the tractor. Drilling takes awhile with oil so it is not completely soft steel. Years ago a neighbor had a 730 Deere drawbar break. He didn't have machinery that would put big down pressure on the drawbar and he was easy on his equipment so it must have been flawed.
 
A press will work, or if you heat it when done then quench it in oil for just a dunk then let set a minute and dunk again this will cool it with out making brittle. Oil will cool slower than water with less brittleness to it. After the second dunk I would depending on how it acted let it just set till cool on a wood block or leaned on one. Not set on the floor flat or another steel bar.
 
My M farmall wants to bend its drawbar worse (has a factory bend in it) when I push hard on something with it while backing up. So, I take it off, and set it on blocks, and drive back wheel on it (fluid filled) and bend it back. Sometimes I have to hit the brakes so the weight of the wheel kind of bounces on it to get it to bend back. But I can get it bent back pretty close to right that way. I just have to master mind it a little bit on block placement so it can be driven on, and then bent in the right place. Never had a problem with it bending back further than I intended.
 
Why don't you straighten it and then weld a gusset plate to add any strength lost in the straightening process.
 
Good idea Jim ..... thanks to all for the replies, lots of expertise here on the YT site. Happy New Year to all.
 
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