link belt LS-98

I have a 1980 Link Belt LS-98..Any suggestions on why it would be traveling and swinging at the same time? Thanks!

Swing brake not engaged?

im betting its non independant and you have to engage the swing brake lever with the cable that goes down to the linkage that doesnt let the crane go from swing to travel unless the swing brake to engaged and if the brake is worn or not coming on yes the machine will try to swing when traveling because they use common shafts with jaw clutches but just the friction on the common shafts will cause it to swing

Is this a crane or a logging machine? I hadn't seen any models built that late there weren't independent swing and travel.

All the loggers I had to work on had a swing dog that you locked in when you wanted to travel.

One possibility is that maybe the travel clutches are too tight and not fully releasing. If someone messed with them they could be set too close.

lakejake ???????????????

Hi gostr8r
Haven't talked in a while. How did the old Link-Belts travel, was it on the swingers or did it use another set of frictions to travel? I'm ashamed to ask this because I have run 98s in (many) years gone by. I remember the 22-B where you had to shift a lever on the left to travel off the swingers and you had to be careful to get the swing lock engaged or you would have a frantic moment getting shifted back to swing, especially if the ever present power lines were anywhere close. Speaking of strange travel arrangements, did you ever hear of an old 39J Lorain? (I really operated one in the early '60s.) It traveled off the Boom Hoist and it went fast one way and slow the other way and you could shift the fast slow lever to get the speed you wanted in the direction you wanted. Also the steering system is another story.

Sorry for getting off subject - old people thing. Have a good one everyone.

Donns said:

Hi gostr8r
Haven't talked in a while. How did the old Link-Belts travel, was it on the swingers or did it use another set of frictions to travel? I'm ashamed to ask this because I have run 98s in (many) years gone by. I remember the 22-B where you had to shift a lever on the left to travel off the swingers and you had to be careful to get the swing lock engaged or you would have a frantic moment getting shifted back to swing, especially if the ever present power lines were anywhere close. Speaking of strange travel arrangements, did you ever hear of an old 39J Lorain? (I really operated one in the early '60s.) It traveled off the Boom Hoist and it went fast one way and slow the other way and you could shift the fast slow lever to get the speed you wanted in the direction you wanted. Also the steering system is another story.

Sorry for getting off subject - old people thing. Have a good one everyone.

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I think the LS98s did not have independent swing and travel, except for the LS-98PLs. The ones with the grousers on them. Not sure about the logging machines, never have been around one. Did that old Lorain have the steering where you had to lower that thing from the house into that fork on the bottom and swing to engage/disengage the steering jaw clutches?

Buckethead, you're right

Buckethead said:

I think the LS98s did not have independent swing and travel, except for the LS-98PLs. The ones with the grousers on them. Not sure about the logging machines, never have been around one. Did that old Lorain have the steering where you had to lower that thing from the house into that fork on the bottom and swing to engage/disengage the steering jaw clutches?

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It had 2 tubes in the cab, one to the front and one to the rear of the upper frame. There was a chain inside the tube and you let one or the other chain down. That dropped a pin with a small roller on it. There was a Y shapped lever sticking out from the lower frame on on the front and the back. The pin dropped into the Y and you swung about 10 or 15 degrees one way or the other and pushed that Y shapped lever to the side to lock one or the other tracks. The fun came when you had the Boom in a place where you couldn't swing. That Y lever had a hole in the end and the oiler (me in the beginning) had to stick a 5' Johnson bar in the hole and try to move the steering lever while the operator jiggled the travel back and forth to let you get the lever pushed over. Sometimes you would almost get it engaged and the operator would jiggle it some more and the lever would kick back like a mule. I have bounced off a track more than once doing that. Another neat feature was the Tagline take-up system. It was a weight on a rail inside the Boom. There was a 1/4 or 3/8" wire rope hooked to the weight. The rope had 3 or 4 small sheaves at each end of the rail so you could add or take off tension on the clam bucket by the parts of line used. The old machine was tall and that boom lower section was way up there. My operator was an old Swede who was strong as an OX. Once he helped me to change the connection point on the bucket (with the Boom still up at 60 degrees or so). He unhooked the tagline hook from the bucket chain and handed it to me to hold. I was MUCH smaller then . The thing pulled me straight up and the hook caught in my glove and I was left hanging a good 3 feet off the ground. The old guy never let me forget that.

lakejake said:

I have a 1980 Link Belt LS-98..Any suggestions on why it would be traveling and swinging at the same time? Thanks!

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Regardless of independent travel or not, the travel function Runs down of course through vertical travel shaft through centerline of upper . Travel function depends on the fact it is easier to turn vertical travel shaft than to swing upper as it is essentially "torqeing " against upper to proppell. Swing brake must be engaged & functioning and or engage positive house lock. Swing brake is spring applied and hydraulically released. Band often slips due to oil/ grease/ wear/ adjustment.. Generally though no mystery and dependable operation. Good luck,!

All 98/108 offered independent swing and travel as an option through late 50's 60s and even 70's . Standard however was operating in swing or travel one or the other .true of all versions, logging /scrap/lift. Pedestal/ truck of course swing only.

If its non independent swing and travel you cannot use swing brake when traveling. It's a common problem swinging and traveling on these machines. You may need to adjust your jaw clutches inside trans. The design is **** poor to say the least. With travel engaged and swing in nutral the force across the gear train in the transmission still wants to turn the house and the swing lock is a joke. I build a pin lock to lock these machines front words or back words hydraulically controlled. Being it's non independent swing you take out the 2 valve blanks in your dash and install 2 valves and a lever to work your lock

Independent swing and travel is offered on all 98 108 and 118 became standard in the late 60s I believe not sure on my dates. Anyone need any info on these old cranes I still work on them and rebuild them. We still use them for hoisting. Anyone interested in seeing the 118 we did search youtube for Trevor McCutcheon you will see a bright red 118 with loose tracks grrrrrr

Dinosaur dogs!

I am a antique crane restored lmao or I fix junk but love them old cranes