Foot control on my 1450

rdeyoe · #1 11-30-2015, 01:45 AM

I put the plow blade on my 1450 to get it ready for what little snow we get in TN and to move some piles around the back yard. We have a lot of trees and a tow behind leaf vac to handle the leaves. We empty it out back to a drainage area and I use the cubby to build some compost piles. After pushing the piles up, i realized that it's like shadow boxing running the hydro, lift and steering all at once while my right foot is doing nothing. We have a Poulan hydro that pulls the vac and it's much easier with it's foot controlled hydro, so I decided to build one for my tractor.

I found some 1/2" rod in my metal pile and some 1" x 1/4" flat stock to work with. Roaming through my hardware drawers, i found some 1/2" bushings to make mounts with. I mulled over locations for components and looked up some posts until i came up with this setup.

I worked out where I wanted the shaft to go through the frame and drilled a 9/16" hole on the left side, 1/2" on the right. One of the bushings I had was a shouldered 1/2" ID with a 3/4" OD on one end and 9/16" OD on the other, about 1/2" long. I pressed it in the left side with a bolt and nut, and added a tack weld to hold it. I drilled a 1/2" one the right frame and welded a larger bushing on that side.

For the operating lever, I used an idea i built when I switched my lift lever to the left side. I took the 1"x1/4" flat and looped it over itself leaving a 3/8" or so gap, big enough for a bolt to fit into. Drilled a 1/2" hole through the two layers. I cut a slot from the folded end of the flat to the holes. This way, i can run the shaft through the holes and clamp them with a pinch bolt. This makes it infinitely adjustable on the shaft. I did this on my lift lever swap as the old lever had worn out and this was how Cub Cadet made the redesigned part.

I had to make a redneck junction on the rod end because i didn't want to change the original cub hydro rod (in case i want to go back to stock) and i wanted the rod attached to the lever farther rearward (ball joint stuck too far forward). Welded a bolt to a 5/16-24 nut and replaced the forward ball joint on the rod with this bottomed out on the rod threads.

I used a single spring for a self centering device. I saw it on another post for a QL that had a FEL on it. This seemed stupidly simple and elegant without having to build some double spring device. I drilled a small hole in my console, just above the drive-shaft cover for one end, and made a small sheet metal tab attached to the rod bolt for the other end of the spring. I roughly tried to line up the center-line of the lever with end of the spring and got a spring that would be under a little stretch so it would always try to pull to center. My assembly has almost no friction on it, so the spring isn't substantial (a 4-3/4" long, .071" wire i believe).

I was going to fabricate a pedal, but I wanted it to look more like a pedal. Since my daughter totaled her car (2003 Passat) a while back and left it here, that sounded like a good donor for one. I hacked the brake pedal and some of the arm with it. Drilled a 1/2" hole through the arm (a remarkably strong box construction with a c-channel inside it). I tried a set-screw setup to hold on the shaft so I could adjust it, but it kept slipping. I wound up drilling a 1/4" hole and tapped the arm for a bolt. Since the operating lever is adjustable, I can still set the pedal angle anywhere. I had cut of enough of the arm that centering the shaft in it left me just a small bit big enough for a reverse button/lever kind of thing.

I used a couple of pins and washers to keep the shaft in place. I couldn't protrude on the left...interference with brake pedal. Got it all together and test drove and was surprised that it didn't need any adjustment at all. I get full travel on the hydro, and the spring pulls it back to center with no creeping. It returns a bit quickly, but with a dampened effect so it doesn't jar me around. It's so much better to handle now. Don't know why they didn't build them this way...

MWShaw · #2 11-30-2015, 10:26 AM

Nice work! Very creative.

garrynok · #3 11-30-2015, 07:29 PM

Plus one on the foot control. Nice work.

bocephus1991 · #4 11-30-2015, 07:57 PM

Looks good! Do you use the hand lever to back up?

rdeyoe · #5 11-30-2015, 09:04 PM

Thanks all. Bocephus; No, the hand lever is completely disconnected. The rod going from the foot lever to the hydro is the original from the hand control, just disconnected (in case i ever want to go back to hand control). On the pedal, i left enough arm (drilled in the center of it) so that I could just push down on it for reverse. It's kinda hard to see in the pic, but the tail end of the pedal arm is about 1 or 2 inches above the tread plate. I can push it down with a toe, or rest my whole foot on the pedal and rock my heel down to back up. Works like a charm.

ironman · #6 12-01-2015, 09:43 AM

rdeyoe, great work on this mod. It is simply, but nicely done. I have a 149 I would love to do this to as I absolutely hate the hand control. Couple questions if you don't mind:

1. Are you happy with your placement of the shaft thru the frame, is there anything specific to keep in mind when choosing that placement?

2. The operating lever that you fabbed out of 1 x 1/4, what is it's measurement from the 1/2" hole that the shaft goes thru to the hole for the hydro rod connector?

3. Do you have any reason to think you'd return it back to hand control?

Thanks in advance for any help, and again, good job.