Touch Control Lever Pivot Swap
Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2012 2:00 am
If your cub is the only piece of equipment you operate, I'm sure you're used to the Touch Control lever moving most attachments in the opposite direction of lever travel, in which case this modification may not be for you.
If you've done any TLB work with other equipment, you may agree Touch Control operation on a cub is like a turn signal switch wired backwards. Muscle memory pushes forward to lower and pulls to lift just as you press down to signal left, and up to signal right, without even thinking.
When operating the cub, you have to think, and 99% of the time I forget to think and move the TC lever in the wrong direction while grading or plowing. I will also drop trailers I meant to raise with the drawbar hooked to the rear liftarm because I simply can't remember to correct my operator instinct before I react.
This complaint is nothing new. A search through the forums produces past posts and threads with the topic of discussion about fixing this annoyance in addition to some completed modification descriptions and a photo or two.
I finally had some time and brought my grading and towing tractor into the shop to fix this seemingly backwards feature.
I chose the following modification method because it maintains factory lateral movement of the Touch Control rod and only requires the drilling of two holes.
My goal was to raise the control rod above the pivot point of the TC lever however this created a bind against the dash. Lowering the rod onto an additional pivoting link below the lever rubbed the top of the hydraulic line block.
Not wanting to deface the dash, I was also determined to work around the existing rod dimensions. Extending, shortening, reforming, or bending was not an option so the tractor could be quickly and easily restored to its original configuration when necessary.
Taking all of the above into consideration, the solution was to move the entire control station down the steering support tube 2 3/4" lower than when it originally left the assembly line.
For me, reaching the lever is not an issue as touch control means exactly that, you only need to touch it to move it, not get a grip around it to push or pull with effort. Even in the levers' lowered position, it is still within reasonable reach in both the fore and aft position.
If upon completion of the modification finds the Touch Control levers' 2 3/4" drop out of comfortable reach for you, a short lever extension can be fabricated out of a piece of 3/4" copper pipe, flattened on one end to slip tightly over the lever, the other end capped for aesthetics. You could polish it too.
If you are really looking for work or a factory look, the lever itself could be cut in half with a short extension piece of similar stock welded or brazed in place and re-finished, but I think you'll find that the little less than 3 inch difference is still workable without an extension.
30 minutes start to finish will complete the job. Secure an additional steering support through bolt, nut, and lockwasher, plus a couple of flat washers then drill two holes, bolt it back together and drive it out.
Add a little more time if you service the TC friction spring under the support assembly and touch up the steering support paint.
Start by removing the clevis pin from the rod on the TC control lever. Remove the bolt attaching the touch control lever support from the steering support.
The engine speed control assembly will remain in its original position.
Remove the acorn nut holding the TC hand control quadrant from the speed control lever bolt. Remove the quadrant and add a couple of washers or use an extra nut to fill the void left by the quadrant, tighten the speed control assembly back up.
Drill a hole above the pivot point in the TC lever exactly 2 3/4" center to center above the original hole for the linkage rod. Since this hole is above the pivot point, this achieves our goal of pushing in on the rod to lower, pulling out on the rod to raise. Since the lever assembly is off the unit, drill it on a press if you have one then service the spring tension if necessary.
The second and final hole is drilled through the steering support, exactly 2 3/4" center to center below the original TC lever support hole. Mount the TC lever support in the new hole. Take every precaution to ensure this hole is drilled perfectly parallel to the operators platform so the TC support block mates well against the steering support tube.
Bolt the TC quadrant into the vacant hole left by the TC control lever support with a suitable fastener.
Besides the obvious push to lower, pull to raise results, you will notice the travel of the TC lever stops just short of full travel on both ends of the hand control quadrant. This is because we reused a mounting hole instead of drilling a second hole in the steering support arm exactly 2 3/4" below the quadrants original location.
If the hand lever quadrant was mounted exactly 2 3/4" inches lower than its original placement, the lever would travel fully from end to end within the quadrant however, when mounted at this measurement, the speed control rod interferes.
This shortened travel has no effect on operation or friction stop use. The rod still makes its full travel from end to end however visually it seems to stop short in the confines of the quadrant because the quadrant is mounted a little lower than desired to clear the fuel rod.
No adjustment of the TC rod is required at the hydraulic block and no modification is necessary at the clevis end either. If the rod was adjusted properly before you started, leave it alone. Connect the rod to the new upper hole on the TC lever and install a cotter pin.
Five minutes with two box wrenches and a pair of pliers has the TC lever and control quadrant back in the stock configuration if required.
Nothing is permanently altered with this modification with the exception of the hole in the lever and the hole in the steering support which could be utilized for a beverage holder.
The TC lever on this tractor is the later version with the extended tail link. Tractors with the earlier shorter style lever can also be modified just as easily, just don't use the 2 3/4" measurement, use 2 1/4" instead and follow the same steps.
Happy Motoring
.
If you've done any TLB work with other equipment, you may agree Touch Control operation on a cub is like a turn signal switch wired backwards. Muscle memory pushes forward to lower and pulls to lift just as you press down to signal left, and up to signal right, without even thinking.
When operating the cub, you have to think, and 99% of the time I forget to think and move the TC lever in the wrong direction while grading or plowing. I will also drop trailers I meant to raise with the drawbar hooked to the rear liftarm because I simply can't remember to correct my operator instinct before I react.
This complaint is nothing new. A search through the forums produces past posts and threads with the topic of discussion about fixing this annoyance in addition to some completed modification descriptions and a photo or two.
I finally had some time and brought my grading and towing tractor into the shop to fix this seemingly backwards feature.
I chose the following modification method because it maintains factory lateral movement of the Touch Control rod and only requires the drilling of two holes.
My goal was to raise the control rod above the pivot point of the TC lever however this created a bind against the dash. Lowering the rod onto an additional pivoting link below the lever rubbed the top of the hydraulic line block.
Not wanting to deface the dash, I was also determined to work around the existing rod dimensions. Extending, shortening, reforming, or bending was not an option so the tractor could be quickly and easily restored to its original configuration when necessary.
Taking all of the above into consideration, the solution was to move the entire control station down the steering support tube 2 3/4" lower than when it originally left the assembly line.
For me, reaching the lever is not an issue as touch control means exactly that, you only need to touch it to move it, not get a grip around it to push or pull with effort. Even in the levers' lowered position, it is still within reasonable reach in both the fore and aft position.
If upon completion of the modification finds the Touch Control levers' 2 3/4" drop out of comfortable reach for you, a short lever extension can be fabricated out of a piece of 3/4" copper pipe, flattened on one end to slip tightly over the lever, the other end capped for aesthetics. You could polish it too.
If you are really looking for work or a factory look, the lever itself could be cut in half with a short extension piece of similar stock welded or brazed in place and re-finished, but I think you'll find that the little less than 3 inch difference is still workable without an extension.
30 minutes start to finish will complete the job. Secure an additional steering support through bolt, nut, and lockwasher, plus a couple of flat washers then drill two holes, bolt it back together and drive it out.
Add a little more time if you service the TC friction spring under the support assembly and touch up the steering support paint.
Start by removing the clevis pin from the rod on the TC control lever. Remove the bolt attaching the touch control lever support from the steering support.
The engine speed control assembly will remain in its original position.
Remove the acorn nut holding the TC hand control quadrant from the speed control lever bolt. Remove the quadrant and add a couple of washers or use an extra nut to fill the void left by the quadrant, tighten the speed control assembly back up.
Drill a hole above the pivot point in the TC lever exactly 2 3/4" center to center above the original hole for the linkage rod. Since this hole is above the pivot point, this achieves our goal of pushing in on the rod to lower, pulling out on the rod to raise. Since the lever assembly is off the unit, drill it on a press if you have one then service the spring tension if necessary.
The second and final hole is drilled through the steering support, exactly 2 3/4" center to center below the original TC lever support hole. Mount the TC lever support in the new hole. Take every precaution to ensure this hole is drilled perfectly parallel to the operators platform so the TC support block mates well against the steering support tube.
Bolt the TC quadrant into the vacant hole left by the TC control lever support with a suitable fastener.
Besides the obvious push to lower, pull to raise results, you will notice the travel of the TC lever stops just short of full travel on both ends of the hand control quadrant. This is because we reused a mounting hole instead of drilling a second hole in the steering support arm exactly 2 3/4" below the quadrants original location.
If the hand lever quadrant was mounted exactly 2 3/4" inches lower than its original placement, the lever would travel fully from end to end within the quadrant however, when mounted at this measurement, the speed control rod interferes.
This shortened travel has no effect on operation or friction stop use. The rod still makes its full travel from end to end however visually it seems to stop short in the confines of the quadrant because the quadrant is mounted a little lower than desired to clear the fuel rod.
No adjustment of the TC rod is required at the hydraulic block and no modification is necessary at the clevis end either. If the rod was adjusted properly before you started, leave it alone. Connect the rod to the new upper hole on the TC lever and install a cotter pin.
Five minutes with two box wrenches and a pair of pliers has the TC lever and control quadrant back in the stock configuration if required.
Nothing is permanently altered with this modification with the exception of the hole in the lever and the hole in the steering support which could be utilized for a beverage holder.
The TC lever on this tractor is the later version with the extended tail link. Tractors with the earlier shorter style lever can also be modified just as easily, just don't use the 2 3/4" measurement, use 2 1/4" instead and follow the same steps.
Happy Motoring
.