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"BCOUNCIL DIRECTIVE
of 20 May 1975
on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the steering equipment of wheeled
agricultural or forestry tractors
(75/321/EEC)
(OJ L 147, 9.6.1975, p. 24)
Amended by:
Official Journal
No page date
"M1 Council Directive 82/890/EEC of 17 December 1982 L 378 45 31.12.1982
"M2 Commission Directive 88/411/EEC of 21 June 1988 L 200 30 26.7.1988
"M3 Directive 97/54/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council
of 23 September 1997L 277 24 10.10.1997
Corrected by:
"C1 Corrigendum, OJ L 226, 18.8.1976, p. 16 (75/321/EEC)1975L0321 — EN — 30.10.1997 — 003.001 — 1
COUNCIL DIRECTIVE
of 20 May 1975
on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to
the steering equipment of wheeled agricultural or forestry tractors
(75/321/EEC)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic
Community, and in particular Article 100 thereof;
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission;
Having regard to the Opinion of the European Parliament (1);
Having regard to the Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (2);
Whereas the technical requirements with which tractors must comply
pursuant to national laws relate, inter alia, to steering equipment;
Whereas these requirements differ from one Member State to another;
whereas it is therefore necessary that all Member States adopt the same
requirements either in addition to or in place of their existing rules in
order, in particular, to allow the EEC type approval procedure which was
the subject of Council Directive 74/150/EEC (3) of 4 March 1974 on the
approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the type
approval of wheeled agricultural or forestry tractors to be applied in
respect of each type of tractor,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE:
Article 1
1. ‘Agricultural or forestry tractor’ means any motor vehicle fitted with
wheels or "C1endless tracks 3and having at least two axles, the
main function of which lies in its tractive power and which is specially
designed to tow, push, carry or power certain tools, machinery or trailers
intended for agricultural or forestry use. It may be equipped to carry a
load and passengers.
2. This Directive shall apply only to tractors defined in paragraph I
which are equipped with pneumatic tyres and have at least two axles and
a maximum design speed of between 6 and "M340 km/h 3.
Article 2
No Member State may refuse to grant EEC type approval or national type
approval of a tractor on grounds relating to the steering equipment if this
satisfies the requirements set out in the Annex.
Article 3
No Member State may refuse the registration or prohibit the sale, entry
into service, or use of tractors on grounds relating to the steering
equipment if this satisfies the requirements set out in the Annex.!B
(1) OJ No C 160, 18. 12. 1969, p. 29.
(2) OJ No C 48, 16. 4. 1969, p. 21.
(3) OJ No L 84, 28. 3. 1974, p. 10.!M1
!B1975L0321 — EN — 30.10.1997 — 003.001 — 2
Article 4
The amendments necessary for adapting the requirements of the Annex
to technical progress shall be adopted in accordance with the procedure
laid down in Article 13 of Directive 74/150/EEC.
Article 5
1. Member States shall bring into force the provisions necessary in
order to comply with this Directive within 18 months of its notification
and shall forthwith inform the Commission thereof.
2. Member States shall ensure that the texts of the main provisions of
national law which they adopt in the field covered by this Directive are
communicated to the Commission.
Article 6
This Directive is addressed to the Member States.!B1975L0321 — EN — 30.10.1997 — 003.001 — 3
ANNEX
1. DEFINITIONS
1.1. ‘Steering equipment’
‘Steering equipment’ means all the equipment the purpose of which is
to alter the direction of movement of the tractor.
The steering equipment may be considered to include:
— the steering control;
— the steering gear;— the steered wheels;— where applicable, special equipment to produce additional or
independent power.
1.1.1. ‘Steering control’
‘Steering control’ means the part directly operated by the driver in
order to steer the tractor.
1.1.2. ‘Steering gear’
‘Stearing gear’ means all the components between the steering
control and the steered wheels, with the exception of the specialequipment referred to in 1.1.4. The steering gear may be mechanical,hydraulic, pneumatic, electric or a combination of any of these.
1.1.3. ‘Steered wheels’
‘Steered wheels’ means:
— the wheels the alignment of which may be altered directly or
indirectly in relation to that of the tractor in order to obtain a
change in the direction of movement of the tractor;
— all wheels of articulated tractors;
— wheels on the same axle, the speed of which may be varied in
order to obtain a change in the direction of movement of the
tractor.
Self-tracking castor wheels are not steered wheels.
1.1.4. ‘Special equipment’
‘Special equipment’ means that part of the steering equipment by
which additional or independent power is produced. Additional or
independent power may be produced by any mechanical, hydraulic,
pneumatic or electrical system, or by any combination of these (forexample by an oil pump, air pump or battery, etc.).
1.2. ‘Different types of steering equipment’
1.2.1. Depending on the source of power which is necessary for the
deflection of the steered wheels, the following types of steering
equipment are identified:
1.2.1.1. Manual steering equipment , in which the steering power is provided
solely by the muscular power of the driver;
1.2.1.2. Assisted steering equipment , in which the steering power is provided
both by the muscular power of the driver and by the special
equipment referred to in 1.1.4;
Steering equipment where the steering power is normally provided
solely by the special equipment referred to in 1.1.4, but which in the
event of failure of the special equipment enables the muscular power
of the driver to be used for steering, shall be considered as ‘assistedsteering equipment’.
1.2.1.3. Servo-steering equipment , in which the steering power is provided
solely by the special equipement referred to in 1.1.4.!
B1975L0321 — EN — 30.10.1997 — 003.001 — 4
1.3. Steering effort
‘Steering effort’ means the force exerted by the driver on the steering
control in order to steer the tractor.
2. CONSTRUCTION, FITTING AND INSPECTION REQUIRE-
MENTS
2.1. General requirements
2.1.1. The steering equipment must ensure easy and safe handling of the
tractor and must comply with the detailed requirements set out in 2.2.
2.2. Detailed requirements
2.2.1. Steering control
2.2.1.1. The steering control must be easy to use and grip. It must be designed
in such a way as to permit gradual deflection. The direction of
movement of the steering control must correspond to the desired
change in the direction of the tractor.
2.2.1.2. The steering effort required to achieve a turning circle of 12 m radius,
starting from the straight ahead position, must not exceed 25 daN. In
the case of assisted steering equipment "M2that is not connected to
other equipment 3, if the auxiliary power supply fails the steering
effort required must not exceed 60 daN.
2.2.1.3. In order to check compliance with the requirement in 2.2.1.2, the
tractor shall describe a spiral movement at a speed of 10 kilometresper hour, starting from the straight ahead position, on a dry, flat roadsurface offering good tyre adhesion. The steering effort on the
steering control shall be noted until it reaches the position
corresponding to the tractor entering a turning circle of 12 m radius.The duration of the manoeuvre (time between the moment when thesteering control is first operated and the moment when it reaches the
position where the measurements are taken) must not exceed five
seconds in normal cases and eight seconds if the special equipmentfails. One manoeuvre must be made to the left and one to the right.
For the test, the tractor must be loaded to its technically permissible
maximum weight; tyre pressures and weight distribution between the
axles must conform to the manufacturer’s instructions.
2.2.2. Steering gear
2.2.2.1. The steering equipment may not include either electrical or wholly
pneumatic steering gear.
2.2.2.2. The steering gear must be so designed as to meet any operational
requirements It must be easily accessible for maintenance and
inspection.
2.2.2.3. In the case of steering gear which is not wholly hydraulic, it must be
possible to drive the tractor even in the event of failure of the
hydraulic or pneumatic components of the steering gear.
2.2.2.4. Steering gear which is operated purely hydraulically and the special
equipment mentioned in 1.1.4, must meet the following requirements:
2.2.2.4.1. One or more pressure limitation devices must protect the whole or
part of the circuit against excess pressure;
2.2.2.4.2. The pressure limitation devices must be set so as not to exceed a
pressure T equal to the maximum operating pressure stated by the
manufacturer.
2.2.2.4.3. The characteristics and dimensions of the pipe work must be such that
the pipes withstand four times the pressure T (permitted by thepressure limitation devices), and must be protected in places andarranged in such a way that the risks of damage by impact or
interference are reduced to a minimum, and the risks of damage by
rubbing can be considered negligible.
2.2.3. Steered wheels
2.2.3.1. All the wheels may be steered wheels.!
B1975L0321 — EN — 30.10.1997 — 003.001 — 5
2.2.4. Special equipment
2.2.4.1. The special equipment defined in 1.1.4, used in the types of steering
equipment defined in 1.2.1.2 and 1.2.1.3, shall be acceptable in thefollowing circumstances:
2.2.4.1.1. If the tractor is equipped with assisted steering equipment as defined
in 1.2.1.2, it must be possible to drive it even in the event of failure ofthe special equipment as already stated in 2.2.1.2. If the assisted
steering equipment does not have its own source of power, it must be
fitted with a power reservoir. This power reservoir may be replacedby a self-contained device providing power supply to the steeringequipment with priority over the other systems which are linked to the
common energy source. "
M2Without prejudice to the provisions of
Directive 76/432/EEC regarding braking, if there is a hydraulicconnection between the hydraulic steering equipment and thehydraulic braking equipment, and if both are supplied from the same
energy source, the force required to activate the steering equipment
shall not exceed 40 daN if either of the systems should fail. 3If the
source of power is compressed air, the air reservoir must be protectedby a non-return valve.
Where the steering power is normally provided solely by the special
equipment referred to in 1.1.4, the assisted steering equipment mustbe fitted with a device such that if, in the event of failure of thespecial equipment, the steering effort exceeds 25 daN, a visual or
acoustic signal must give warning of such failure.
2.2.4.1.2. If the tractor is fitted with servo-steering equipment as defined in
1.2.1.3, and provided that such equipment has a wholly hydraulic
steering gear, it must be possible, should the special device fail, tocarry out the two manoeuvres specified in 2.2.1.3 using a specialadditional device. The special additional device may be a compressed
air or gas reservoir. An oil pump or compressor may be used as the
special additional device if that device is worked by the rotation of thetractor wheels and cannot be disconnected from them. In the event offailure of the special equipment, a visual or acoustic signal must give
warning of such failure.
2.2.4.1.2.1. If the special device is pneumatic, it must be fitted with a compressed
air reservoir protected by a non-return valve. The capacity of the
compressed air reservoir must be calculated so that at least sevencomplete turns (from lock to lock) are possible before the reservoirpressure falls to half its operating pressure; the test must be carried
out with the steered wheels off the ground.!
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