# adding diff lock to tractor



## greenfield (Dec 28, 2011)

does anyone know if its possible or practical to add a differential lock feature to a tractor that does not have one I am thinking of international 56 or 66 series but would be interested to know for other makes as well. grateful for any input


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## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

It can be done, but no practicality in it. Just buy something with it in will be much easier and cheaper in the long run.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

Spool is fairly easy locker is not. Do pull tractors run spools even?


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## Farmineer95 (Aug 11, 2014)

Likely have to change the carrier. Unless you have the parts or are in there already for other repairs its not really worth the effort. On deere thinking 20 series, would have to change carrier and swap ring gear to the one you would use. Also have to change one bearing quill where the oil is supplied through. Add the valve and linkage. Don't know if axles in internationals have to come off since they run bull gears. Axles need to come off on deere to pull carrier.


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## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

I don't see how it could be done unless the parts could be robbed from an identical tractor that already has it...

I agree that it's probably easier to just find a tractor with a diff lock and snap it up...

If you've got a tractor with no diff lock and start spinning, gently apply the brake to the spinning wheel-- this diverts power to the non-spinning wheel (which obviously has traction since it's not spinning) and the application of power should force it to turn moving the tractor forward...

This is basically how "traction control" on a lot of modern automobiles work... it uses the antilock brake wheel sensors to detect the speed of each tire, and when the difference in speed exceeds a pre-programmed value (predetermined to allow certain differences in speed to account for different tire sizes or rolling resistance and/or differential action, which all results in one wheel turning faster than another). Once the computer detects one wheel is "spinning out" and turning much faster than the other, it can use the antilock braking system to apply the brake on the spinning wheel, forcing power to the opposite wheel on the other side of the differential... In effect, it's an electronic differential lock...

Later! OL J R


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## urednecku (Oct 18, 2010)

OL J R, I was fixin' to type the same thing, but probably not quite in as much detail. Good job!


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## Gearclash (Nov 25, 2010)

If you are dealing with traction issues, chains or MFD will do much more for you than a diff lock will.


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## greenfield (Dec 28, 2011)

thanks for all replies. I realize that front wheel assist would be better but cannot find one that is affordable for me . switching with brakes is sometimes helpful but often just not quite enough to get out of those icy spots whereas if both could be locked up progress could be made . thanks again


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## Redbaler (Jun 10, 2011)

Don't know your situation or what you have to drive through, but I find I'm better off with a bale on the back of the 4020 if I'm going to have one on the front in less than ideal driving conditions, here in Illinois that's about 6 months of the year. Fluid in the tires helps too. We hardly ever use the diff lock.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

If this is just for icy conditions, why not chains? Or maybe you already have chains...


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Drove many times using just the brakes on my old IH 966. It would have a bad case of "morning sickness" on really cold mornings--no steering for as much as 15 minutes until the hydraulics got warmed up enough.

I would drive down the road just using left/right braking to turn. Got a little harry a couple of times. Never did git around to fixing it because it was only a problem in real cold weather and that wasn't the time I was going to be working on equipment.

Ralph


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

Both my tractors have diff lock, one has it front and rear, and I live in a place with ice October to April, it's not much good on ice.

4wd helps, Norse ice chains is the only great solution.


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## Orchard6 (Apr 30, 2014)

It can be done but the dif lock setup on 56-66 series IH's aren't known to be real robust, so I've heard.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

The problem with them on ice is as soon as you try to turn, one of the tires has to break traction, then the torque on the single tire is too much and it spins out too instead of staying planted and letting the spinning tire bleed it all off.

On hills this sucks, side hills you slide sideways, going up hill you spin out and generally the brakes are useless because you just got both tires spinning before you need them for braking.

If you don't want chains put the screw in carbide studs in the tires, they help a bit and don't make a rough ride on the road.


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## greenfield (Dec 28, 2011)

I have chains but just the plain kind maybe investing in some fancier ones would be a good idea . the tractor that am using now for feeding bales is a 756 and it is a bareback or a wheatland as we would call it here so no 3 point hitch . have looked and not much way to add weight to back , will have to find some wheel weights or maybe add a frame to stack some weights on


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## greenfield (Dec 28, 2011)

oh ya it also has fluid but do not know how much , maybe wider tires could help keep front end up


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

If you have chains already and don't mind some welding or brazing they sell the little blocks you can weld to the links to help on ice, I'm not sure where to get them but see them in auctions of logging companies here.


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