Re: (ET) Publications request

["Pieter Litchfield" <pieter_litch yahoo com>]

The stock spindles are "L" shaped, and mine broke at the corner of the "L."
I was thinking about fabricating a set that had a "C" shaped spindle 
bracket
to hold the stub axle so that it was better supported top and bottom.
Haven't got to it yet.

I too have added a weight box to the rear of my E-15.  Helps the traction
(and so do the tire chains), but given the poor leverage ratio (the rear
axle is the fulcrum), the weight box doesn't really take much weight off 
the
front axle.

The other issue with the loader is frame flexing.  I have heard that they
may cause the frame (platform) to break in half, although I have never
experienced that. It probably would be a good idea to make a subframe that
spread the load on the chassis the entire length, not just on the brackets
at the midpoint. Truthfully, the bucket loader is really too big for the 
ET.


-----Original Message-----
From: Chris Zach [mailto:cz alembic crystel com] 
Sent: Sunday, May 01, 2011 1:03 PM
To: elec-trak cosmos phy tufts edu
Subject: Re: (ET) Publications request

Well let's see:

I did have a spindle gall once in the front axle bracket. Tractor 
couldn't steer, and I could not get it out. Using a hammer only 
mushroomed the top, and I couldn't collapse it by drilling. Likewise 
heat didn't work.

New axle and spindles and everything's been fine since. I make sure to 
grease-gun all the zekes, including the ones on the front axles and 
wheels. No problems.

I do have the snowblower and lift it a lot while working/drive with it, 
etc. It's really not a problem if I have about 150 pounds of weight in 
the back of the tractor; I've thought at times that what I really should 
do is put the tiller on the back to offset the load. Plus I could drop 
it to drive on ice.

Maybe that would help; get a weight box and put in a few hundred pounds 
of lead or something. That would take more of the weight off the front 
wheels.

C


On 5/1/2011 10:11 AM, George Beckett wrote:
> Pieter,
>
> Thanks so much for digging into your pubs for me. Your spindle story in
> amazing. So far I am still on my first set, heaviest jobs I use mine for
> so far are to load/unload manure and top soil for the garden, orchard
> and berry patch. Harold Z. told me he has never had a pair break on his-
> except a heavy-duty set! Any other experiences out there?

_______________________________________________
Elec-trak mailing list
Elec-trak cosmos phy tufts edu
https://cosmos.phy.tufts.edu/mailman/listinfo.cgi/elec-trak