DYNAMIC STABILITY OF TWO TRACTOR FRONT-END LOADER SYSTEMS

A one-quarter scale model tractor and loader were designed, fabricated, and used in an experiment toevaluate two tractor-loader configurations relative to stability using roll angle as the means of assessment. The nonconventionalloader system consisted of a conventional loader attached to a steerable carrier which in turn was attachedto the tractor by the front axle and drawbar of the tractor. The stabilizing axle for the non-conventional loader system wasthe front axle as opposed to the conventional system in which the stabilizing axle was the rear axle. The experimentshowed that the non-conventional loader had an inherent advantage in stability as assessed by roll angle. The roll anglewas smaller at higher velocity than at lower velocity because the tires underwent greater deformation at the highervelocity than at the lower velocity.