Ride Control

[Willie B]

Speaking of operator's manual, I think I need one.
My Case 580 Super N 2014 model year is equipped with ride control. I believe it has three ranges, for three speeds.

My journey yesterday afternoon, I chose not to use the truck & trailer. I had been to this place before & had trouble getting out with the loaded trailer. I drove it up the seven miles. Hills both uphill & down, the net change in elevation in 1000 feet. On the way up I experienced no Dolphin activity. I had nothing in either bucket, Hoe boom unlatched.

On the way down I had a cleanout bucket in the front loader bucket, the boom was latched in transport mode. The bucking was extreme! I had to slow to 10? MPH to control it. I did try full throttle on gentle downgrades & it seemed to relieve it.

Does anybody understand ride control & how it works? I presume it is a nitrogen pressure tank with complicated valving cushioning hydraulic pressure.

 

[Tinkerer]

Which Tier do you have ?
2WD or 4WD ?
There are multiple pages in the parts book for the different series and 2 or 4 wheel drive.
Below is an example of the standard ride control. I just picked it randomly. That particular page is prolly no interest to you.
If you want the the parts book, PM me your email address and exactly which series tractor you have.

 

[Willie B]

I'm not sure it is written anywhere what tier this is. It is pre DEF dependent. it goes into afterburn sometimes. it is 2014 model year.
Same alarm screams for everything, my seat isn't latched forward, the parking brake isn't locked, the parking brake is locked when I've put it in gear, it alarms every 500 hours of operation. when it is tilted & the fuel is less than 3/4 full, Even got an alarm once that it is time for maintenance. It screams near constantly. Sometimes the scream shows a weird symbol I think is regen. Engine makes a howling noise then. Tractor is very quiet, but alarms are near constant. Earplugs are essential!

 

[Shimmy1]

When we ran Case, if I had the boom over-center I would run it up tight forward, that keeps it from banging around. In your situation, you had a load in the front, and with the hoe in transport you were placing even more weight on the front tires. Did you try letting the boom down to see if it would help?

 

[Willie B]

Didn't want to waste time experimenting. I had a good Samaritan following me with his flashers going, & it was near dark. Every minute on a busy, winding backroad as it gets darker risk of some idiot running into you increases.

My former backhoe was 580K without ride control. I would unlatch the backhoe & it worked better on the highway. With boom latched it'd get pretty violent on the highway, unlatched the hydraulics served as a cushion. I bet this one would bounce less unlatched.

I also wonder if I had the ride control on wrong setting. My usual highway run is 2 miles of US Route 7. 7 is a relatively flat (North/South) two lane in good condition. Thursday's trip was 7 miles of hilly, winding road. Uphill in fourth was not fast, downhill wasn't fast because of the severe bouncing. It did smooth out when I gave it full throttle on the few gentle downhill spots.

I'm not sure I have an understanding of how ride control works. I guess it is a compressible gas cushioning the hydraulics?

 

[Tinkerer]

Item #10 in the page I posted is the accumulator. FWIW which isn't much.

 

[56wrench]

I suspect the accumulator is nitrogen charged and occasionally an accumulator will lose its charge. Some can be reharged and some can’t.

 

[Billrog]

My 580 SM has never bounced on the hwy with ride control regardless of speed . I often road it 20 30 miles to jobs and average speed works out around 20 mph and up to 40 down some hills.

 

[Willie B]

My 580 SM has never bounced on the hwy with ride control regardless of speed . I often road it 20 30 miles to jobs and average speed works out around 20 mph and up to 40 down some hills.

While steering is tight it is full hydraulic, No way I'd drive 40 MPH in any tractor!

 

[aighead]

Holy crap! 20 mph, or whatever mine will do flat out, scares me, I can't imagine 40! No ride control in mine that I'm aware of and the bucking makes me very nervous.