Illustration 1 | g01212764 |
(1) Accumulator (2) Orifice (3) Solenoid valve (4) Check valve (5) Lift cylinders (6) Oil lines from the control valve (7) Check valve (8) Pressure switch for the ride control (9) solenoid valve (10) Electronic control module on machines with an autoshift transmission (11) Ride control switch (12) Ride control relay (13) Ride control solenoid valve and mounting group |
Travel at high speeds over rough terrain causes bucket movement. The system for ride control acts as a shock absorber by absorbing forces from the bucket. Absorbing the forces from the bucket stabilizes the entire machine.
Note: In some countries that require lock valves for agricultural and material handling applications, the ride control must be turned to the OFF position. The ride control must be turned to the OFF position in order for the lock valves to function properly. Lock valves and ride control cannot function at the same time.
Illustration 2 | g01294223 |
(1) Accumulator (13) Ride control solenoid valve and mounting group |
Illustration 3 | g01230057 |
(11) Ride control switch |
The ride control switch (11) controls the solenoid in solenoid valve (3) and solenoid valve (9). The ride control switch will have two positions if your machine is equipped with a Standard transmission. The two positions are ON and OFF.
Turn ride control switch (11) to the OFF position. The functions of the machine are identical to a machine without ride control. When the ride control is turned off, solenoid valve (3) and solenoid valve (9) de-energize. The check valve (7) blocks the flow of oil from the rod ends of the lift cylinders to the tank. The check valve (4) blocks the flow of oil from the accumulator (1) to the head end of the lift cylinders (5). This also forces oil to flow through orifice (2). Orifice (2) is in the passage from the head end of lift cylinders (5) to the ride control accumulator (1). The orifice (2) in the line to the accumulator prevents the rapid loss of oil which is stored in accumulator (1) when the loader arms are lowered. Orifice (2) also allows the accumulator to be charged without affecting machine performance when the loader arms are lifted.
Turn ride control switch (11) to the ON position. The lift cylinders are allowed to move up and down when the ride control system is in the ON position. When the ride control is activated, solenoid valve (3) and solenoid valve (9 ) shift. Any downward force that is placed on the lift arms is transferred to the hydraulic fluid at the head end of lift cylinders (5). As the lift cylinders retract, oil is displaced from the head end of the cylinders and flows through solenoid valve (3) and into accumulator (1). Oil is then drawn from the tank into the rod ends of the cylinders. Accumulator (1) acts as a shock absorber when the cylinders retract. This provides a smoother ride. As lift cylinders (5) extend, oil is displaced from the rod ends of the cylinders that are opened to the tank. The oil which is stored in the accumulator flows into the head ends of the cylinders.
Because the hydraulic oil cannot be compressed, the forces are passed through the hydraulic lines to accumulator (1). The accumulator piston separates the hydraulic oil from the nitrogen gas. Nitrogen gas compresses. The nitrogen gas resembles a spring. The force in the fluid is transmitted to the piston and the force is then transmitted to the nitrogen gas. As the nitrogen gas compresses, the nitrogen gas allows the volume of fluid that is displaced from the lift cylinders to minimize the shock to the machine components.
Pressure switch (8) senses the pressure in the line to the rod end of the loader lift cylinder. When the pressure in the rod end of the loader lift cylinder is less than the actuation pressure of pressure switch (8), the switch closes. Pressure switch (8) overrides the switch for ride control (11). The pressure switch will not allow the ride control to come on, if down pressure of the loader is sensed. This prevents the machine from dropping, when the machine is up on the front bucket, and when ride control switch (11) is turned on.