How do skidsteer "parking" brakes work?

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vinito

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Joined
Nov 19, 2015
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199
Hi folks.
I got a hoe attachment for my skidsteer and it's the standard type which has its own seat. So you position the machine, then climb up and do your hoe work, climb back in to move, etc.
The problem is my skidsteer doesn't have any kind of brake for the drive system. That's not much of an issue until you have to climb in & out while it's throttled up, tentatively in neutral drive position, and a little bump of the lever can start it moving (or lurching) while you're unbuckled and standing or out perched high on the hoe attachment.
So I'd like to add some kind of brake to it and be safe. Seems pretty necessary. How should I go about this so it's simple and reliable? How is the brake normally rigged up on a "real" skidsteer? Probably two or three ways to accomplish this. Mine has hydrostat drive system separate from the hydraulic pump which powers the arms & auxiliary, but it's all spinning all the time, i.e. no electric clutch and no easy way to attach one.
Anyway, thanks for any suggestions.
 
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vinito

vinito

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 19, 2015
Messages
199
I've looked around a little and apparently some skidsteers have a notched disc which engages with some kind of solenoid operated lever to positively lock the drive system. seems like rigging something like that u might not be too bad. I could mount it to the gear box which has a small sprocket on the output shaft, so space to one side of it for a larger diameter notched disc. I could mount the solenoid and pin assembly either to the side of the machine or the case of the gearbox so it could be electrically actuated more simply than trying to rig up some kind or hydraulic thing.
I wish I could look at a working version of this system before I try to re-invent the wheel. I'm sure this must not be all that difficult of a thing. I would guess the trick is to leverage the machanism so trying to drive the machine is more likely to lock the brake tigher together than to pop the pin out of the slot or whatever. Heck, maybe just some holes drilled through the sprocket itself and a pin to poke through it from the side when the solenoid is energized would be simple and solid.
Any thoughts?
 

1ofU

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Joined
May 19, 2012
Messages
180
I've looked around a little and apparently some skidsteers have a notched disc which engages with some kind of solenoid operated lever to positively lock the drive system. seems like rigging something like that u might not be too bad. I could mount it to the gear box which has a small sprocket on the output shaft, so space to one side of it for a larger diameter notched disc. I could mount the solenoid and pin assembly either to the side of the machine or the case of the gearbox so it could be electrically actuated more simply than trying to rig up some kind or hydraulic thing.
I wish I could look at a working version of this system before I try to re-invent the wheel. I'm sure this must not be all that difficult of a thing. I would guess the trick is to leverage the machanism so trying to drive the machine is more likely to lock the brake tigher together than to pop the pin out of the slot or whatever. Heck, maybe just some holes drilled through the sprocket itself and a pin to poke through it from the side when the solenoid is energized would be simple and solid.
Any thoughts?
on the 825 i did this setup , i made L shaped brackets that was mounted the side of the cage ,they were adjustable in and out ,that slide out over the handles , i used 3/4 bar stock and made a pen , that would fit into the handles it had zero creep and even if you bumped or tried to slap or kick the handles they wouldnt move that was the parking brake that i came up with on that machine . very simple and bullet proof . 1 of U
 
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vinito

vinito

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 19, 2015
Messages
199
on the 825 i did this setup , i made L shaped brackets that was mounted the side of the cage ,they were adjustable in and out ,that slide out over the handles , i used 3/4 bar stock and made a pen , that would fit into the handles it had zero creep and even if you bumped or tried to slap or kick the handles they wouldnt move that was the parking brake that i came up with on that machine . very simple and bullet proof . 1 of U
That sounds good.
I got to thinking (always iffy) and realized that simply locking the control arms shouldn't be a bad way to go. It wouldn't need to be as beefy as a wheel lock downstream of the drive, and while wear or something might allow it to creep over time if it started to need adjustment, dramatic movement would only happen if a pin sheared or joint came comletely disconnected and the chances of that are extremely low.
One thing I could do other than lock the control arm is to lock the actual lever which connects directly to the hydro drives. The advantage here would be that the lock takes the control rods - three less potential failure points - out of the loop. But I don't even know if that would be all that necessary.
At any rate, I'm leaning very strongly to doing more what you did and feeling like locking the control side would be plenty adequate. The hydrostats in center position do lock the wheels strong enough that you can only drag the machine if pulled big enough, so that should be plwnty good for a brake, plus a lot simpler to make rigid enough for the job.
 

reed2022

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 12, 2014
Messages
83
That sounds good.
I got to thinking (always iffy) and realized that simply locking the control arms shouldn't be a bad way to go. It wouldn't need to be as beefy as a wheel lock downstream of the drive, and while wear or something might allow it to creep over time if it started to need adjustment, dramatic movement would only happen if a pin sheared or joint came comletely disconnected and the chances of that are extremely low.
One thing I could do other than lock the control arm is to lock the actual lever which connects directly to the hydro drives. The advantage here would be that the lock takes the control rods - three less potential failure points - out of the loop. But I don't even know if that would be all that necessary.
At any rate, I'm leaning very strongly to doing more what you did and feeling like locking the control side would be plenty adequate. The hydrostats in center position do lock the wheels strong enough that you can only drag the machine if pulled big enough, so that should be plwnty good for a brake, plus a lot simpler to make rigid enough for the job.
Vinito what kind of skid steer do you have? I have Bobcat 743 and it has a disc and puck system with the locking control between your feet on top of the chain case. Br
 
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