Screwed up loader arms with grapple

[bindian]

You won't know for sure if you have more "tweaked" parts until you put the loader bucket back on and see if it sits flat. When digging my first pond I tweaked one loader arm and now the left bucket corner is about an inch above the ground when the right corner is flat on the ground. If this is the case, try pushing it straight against a tree, while tractor is in gear.
hugs, Brandi

 

[streamin]

jcummins, that looks a lot better, glad it worked out!

 

[KubotaToy]

View attachment 439041View attachment 439042
Not sure why you couldn't make the torque tube stronger ?
My QA is strong enough that I welded a chain hook to mine and can use it for lifting at full power and not bend or twist the QA.(these are older pictures, hook was added later)

This is how the SSQA on my JD SS was designed, it had a very beefy steel plate between the loader arms. You would have bent an loader arm before twisting the "timing" plate. I have bent the rather weak rod on my L45 a few times, I now tie down my QA locks with bungee cords to keep them from getting knocked open.

 

[blueriver]

My "levers" pop into place ... when they go over TDC they actually lock in. Maybe adjust the spring? When I release them they are pretty hard to pull up.

 

[bindian]

My "levers" pop into place ... when they go over TDC they actually lock in. Maybe adjust the spring? When I release them they are pretty hard to pull up.

Same as mine. They have a lot of over center spring tension. If they can pop open by themselves, I would think something is worn and needs replaced or adjusted.
hugs, Brandi

 

[KubotaToy]

Same as mine. They have a lot of over center spring tension. If they can pop open by themselves, I would think something is worn and needs replaced or adjusted.
hugs, Brandi

Pretty sure most SSQAs cam over and lock into place by spring pressure, never seen one pop open but when using my root grapple which is on my L45 99% of the time, I have seen limbs stick thru the grapple, hit one of the levelers and pop it open since there is nothing to keep it from hitting the levelers like my JD SS which had a solid plate between the arms. Not a great picture but you can see what I am talking about.

 

[kneedeep]

The 5500 has a Great Bend Loader QA system that uses pins that drop down and held by spring pressure. It would be almost impossible for them to come 'up' and release during operation. They are tough to unpin and will bite your hand if not careful!

 

[jcummins]

I've got it lined back up....almost. It needs to be twisted just a bit more, but try as I may, it doesn't seem to want to go that last bit. I can use the grapple, but the right pin will not stay position all the way down. Creeps back up.

Thought of putting a large pipe wrench on the torque tube, add a pipe to it to give some leverage to torque it back a bit more. Don't have a large pipe wrench though. Thoughts?

 

[sdef]

I have done this a lot and know when it is caught as the rear of the tractor lifts opposite of the side of the bucket that is caught. And the tractor lifts as quick as the loader arms force it too. I have gotten into dangerous situations this way very quickly when working the bucket hard and fast. And it has always been caused by a large root.

 

[sdef]

I use the snot outta my Grapple. Very common to have the rear tires of the tractor off the ground.

I've never had a pin come loose. I built all my attachments and made them fit tight.

I am very cautious when using the Grapple. It puts stresses on the FEL frame that the manufacturer did not account for.

+1. Due to a lot of experience, I have found my rock grapple to be the most useful FEL attachment I own and also the most dangerous.

 

[IslandTractor]

After brush once loosened the lever on my QA, I welded a little loop of metal on the top of my QA mount lever and use a thick rubber trucker's "bungee" to secure it around the torque tube and back to the loop. Hasn't failed in seven years.

 

[sdef]

Pretty sure most SSQAs cam over and lock into place by spring pressure, never seen one pop open but when using my root grapple which is on my L45 99% of the time, I have seen limbs stick thru the grapple, hit one of the levelers and pop it open since there is nothing to keep it from hitting the levelers like my JD SS which had a solid plate between the arms. Not a great picture but you can see what I am talking about.

I dropped one side of my bucket once due to inexperience. My Kioti has a single lever that locks both sides at the same time. Was working the bucket and one side dropped off the mounting plate and the lever was still in place. Somehow I must not have locked that one side in due to misalignment and it popped off. No clue how that could have happened as all of my buckets have a snug fit- but it did. So now I take nothing for granted when hooking things up- front or rear.

 

[brown40]

Sure--get a long enough lever on that sucker and you can twist it right off. Your tube can be straightened, but there's no going back on the steel's memory of the event. It'll be more susceptible to taking that same twist again if the conditions occur again. If the QA is that subject to popping off on you, make sure you correct that. The bucket/grapple/forks should tie everything together pretty good, stressed or not. The tube's meant more for keeping your arms positioned than strengthening--strength in the loader runs vertical. Glad you avoided paint removal/rewelding, etc.!

 

[xtn]

I might go a LITTLE bit bigger tube, but as others have mentioned, I wouldn't want to big enough that something else would break/tweak first...namely the loader arms themselves. I rather cut out and weld in a new timing tube every year of my life than ever have to try to repair/realign a whole messed up loader.

 

[DK35vince]

This is how the SSQA on my JD SS was designed, it had a very beefy steel plate between the loader arms. You would have bent an loader arm before twisting the "timing" plate.

Our skid steers at work are the same way.
We wrap chains around the QA torque tubes and lift/pull with them all the time.

 

[jcummins]

Sure--get a long enough lever on that sucker and you can twist it right off. Your tube can be straightened, but there's no going back on the steel's memory of the event. It'll be more susceptible to taking that same twist again if the conditions occur again. If the QA is that subject to popping off on you, make sure you correct that. The bucket/grapple/forks should tie everything together pretty good, stressed or not. The tube's meant more for keeping your arms positioned than strengthening--strength in the loader runs vertical. Glad you avoided paint removal/rewelding, etc.!

Yes, it's occurred to me, that even IF I can get it twisted back right, the tube is weaken.

What's everyone thought to welding a .... say 3x3 section of angle iron to the tube once I get it right?

 

[ovrszd]

Yes, it's occurred to me, that even IF I can get it twisted back right, the tube is weaken.

What's everyone thought to welding a .... say 3x3 section of angle iron to the tube once I get it right?

I'm in the minority here. I think the tube is only there to align the QA when hooking/unhooking.

Reinforcing it will transfer the stress to the loader frame if something goes wrong, rather than simply twisting the "fuse".

 

[IslandTractor]

I'm in the minority here. I think the tube is only there to align the QA when hooking/unhooking.

Reinforcing it will transfer the stress to the loader frame if something goes wrong, rather than simply twisting the "fuse".

I think you are basically right but the tube does also provide very good support to insure that the arms don't pinch together or spread apart in response to either static or dynamic loads. I don't think they are intended to "share" the load from one arm to the other.

 

[DK35vince]

I think I'm in the minority that believes you can beef up that torque tube and not hurt a thing.

 

[brown40]

I don't know why you'd have to if it'll twist back where you want. The bucket/grapple/fork/spear on the front will shore everything up, and if it seems to want to go back to its memory, you can always address it then. Just a spot of bad luck having one of your QA's open on you caused it, and so long as that wasn't duplicated...