Basic Ballasting Definitions
Ballast is mass added to tractor chassis and / or wheels to:
· Increase
total weight
and / or
· Influence weight distribution between front axle and rear axle (static balance). Static means that front and rear axle loads are determined when tractor is parked.
The static weight distribution between front and rear axles is sometimes called
weight split.
It is usually expressed as percentages of total tractor static weight supported by the front axle and by the rear axle. For example, if the front axle supports 40% of the total static tractor weight, the tractor has a (40/60) weight split. The percentage of front axle weight is always stated first in this form.
A tractor
properly ballasted
for a given type of implement (towed, integral, or semi-integral) has both the correct
total weight
and
static balance
for that type of implement.
Major Considerations
The
amount
of ballast required and especially the
locations
of ballast weights depend very much on type of implement being used and operating speed.
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Ballasting is usually required to:
1. Assure that front axle carries sufficient weight for steering security and stability with field draft loads as well as transport in the field and on the road.
2. Provide sufficient traction to efficiently pull high draft loads.
3. Provide proper fore-aft balance to minimize occurrence of power hop in MFWD tractors.
4. Assure that rear axle carries sufficient weight for traction, braking, and stability when a loader or other front implement is attached to front of tractor.
When changing from one implement or attachment to another it may be necessary to reconfigure ballast on the tractor.
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