Lift Rod
The adjustable vertical link between the lift arm and the lower link; the right and left rods are set separately to level the implement horizontally.
The lift rod is the vertical connecting element between the lift arm and the lower link, and on most tractors its length can be adjusted. The horizontal balance of the implement is set by adjusting the length of the right and the left rod separately. On at least one side there is a screw adjuster with a crank handle or a quick adjuster with holes.
What the rod does
The lift rod is the link that ties the rotation of the lift arm to the vertical movement of the lower link. When the two rods are of different lengths the linkage leans to one side; that in turn makes a plough work deep on one side and shallow on the other. The fore-and-aft tilt of the implement, on the other hand, is set not with the rod but with the top link; confusing the two adjustments is a mistake often met in the field.
The length of the rod shifts not only the horizontal balance but the working range of the linkage as well. As the rod shortens, the lower link rises higher at the same angle of the lift arm; the depth to which the implement settles onto the soil with the linkage fully down changes too. That is why the setting is checked not at one point but at both ends: with the linkage fully down the implement must sit squarely on the soil, and with it fully up it must not strike the tyre, the mudguard or the drawbar.
- The right rod is usually a screw type for fine adjustment, while the left rod is fixed or coarsely adjustable.
- On some tractors there is a slotted clearance at the upper end of the rod; this clearance allows the implement to follow the ground freely, that is, a limited float behaviour.
- After adjusting, always put the locking pin or the nut back in place.
How the horizontal adjustment is made
- Take the tractor onto flat, firm ground; an adjustment made on sloping ground misleads.
- Fit the implement and bring the linkage to working height.
- Looking from behind, determine which side is sitting low.
- Turn the screw rod in the direction that raises the low side.
- Fit the locking pin or the nut; look again after a short trial.
The symptoms when the setting goes off
Tying the symptom to the right part saves time. The four cases most often confused in the field are these:
| Symptom | Likely source |
|---|---|
| One side deep and the other shallow on the plough | Difference in right and left rod length |
| The implement stands tilted forwards or backwards | Top link setting |
| The implement swings sideways during work | Play in the side stabilisers |
| The setting does not stay where it was put | Locking pin not fitted or screw threads worn |
None of these symptoms has anything to do with electronics; depth control with a plough is built on top of the mechanical setting.
The job the retrofit kit does not solve
Even after a retrofit kit has been fitted, the horizontal levelling job stays with the lift rod. The LFT20 and the LFT54 pull only the quick lift cable; they take no interest in whether the implement is level. That is why the source of the complaint "I fitted the kit but one side still runs deep" is almost always a difference in rod length, and it is put right not with electronics but with a spanner.
In practice the order is this: finish the mechanical setting first, then bring the electronics into service. Check the rod setting again every time you change the implement — different implements want different rod lengths, and it is not a part that is set once and forgotten. On rods that are newly fitted or that have not been used for a long time the threads bed in during the first hours and the length can change a little; if the locking pin is not fitted this shift happens quietly during work and the difference is only seen in the furrow that opens up. Looking once more within the first shift after making the adjustment should be made a habit.
The context in which this term is used: Converting a tractor hydraulic lever to electronic control