Why are my loader cylinders out of sync?

[plowhog]

Using my front forks, I was moving a loaded pallet and backing up when suddenly the right side of the pallet dropped. The top right-side fork assembly had come loose from the right-side QA plate that is connected to the cylinder.

I'm not sure why this happened-- the forks have been used extensively for months. If I had to guess what caused this, I may have drug the ground on one corner of the pallet (over gravel) but I don't remember doing that. I dropped the load to reattach it.

When I tried to reattach, the left and right QA plates were misaligned. The cylinders were not equally actuated (could see more "silver" on one cylinder as compared to the other.) One QA plate was near vertical while the other had some tilt to it. So, I could not get both QA plates to get a bite onto (under) the fork assembly lip. If one lined up, the other did not. And vice versa.

I tried cycling both cylinders full travel up and down. No change-- even after full cycle the cylinders are still out of whack.

I was able to secure one QA plate to the fork assembly, then lift a load, causing the other QA assembly to line up. Then I got the 2nd one reattached. So I'm back in business, but this doesn't seem normal. Something, for some reason, seems to have changed. When I first installed the forks I did not have this issue.

Is there a way to get the two cylinders back in alignment so the QA plates move and stay together?

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

Are you sure you haven't bent your loader arms?

Does it do the same thing without the forks on the loader?

Maybe your fork frame portion of your attachment got bent somehow?

 

[plowhog]

The loader arms are not bent-- I checked those. With the forks removed, I ran full up/down on the loader cylinders and they are still mismatched. Not by a lot-- maybe 1" or so. But enough to make it difficult to attach the forks ....

The fork frame is OK. It's having one QA plate perfectly vertical while the other is tilted ....

 

[Citydude]

Does the torque tube between the loader frames look OK?

 

[ericm979]

When the cylinders are at either end of their travel they should be exactly the same length. You can measure them. If they're not then something is wrong inside one of them, like the piston came loose from the rod. If they are the same length then the loader or SSQA frame is bent.

 

[big bubba]

the torque tube is probably twisted due to unbalanced stress on one side. happened to me a few times as well. there are a few techniques i've used to correct the problem (will let someone else explain their corrections)
& yes, occasionally a lever can be released in use & cause the problem. i now bungee both levers when engaged.
K service dept quoted me 1 k to replace & weld a new one. fortunately, was able to correct myself, keeping in mind that once weakened, it's now more vulnerable, etc.

some have suggested to cut the tube, align properly, then weld back. personally wanted to avoid that. basically, i was able to put stress on one side & correct while the opposite side is unconnected (the reverse of how it originally happened)
but caution: that method could create more damage if not done properly. long story short, your arms are not bent. it's the tube. sorry couldn't be of more assistance.

 

[DK35vince]

Do you have a welder?
Never had it happen myself, but I think the easiest way to fix it IMO would be to cut the torque tube between the QA plates (its twisted), hook into a bucket or forks to realign the QA plates, reweld to torque tube .
Easy fix.

 

[Farmer495]

You've twisted something, tube connecting the two sides is likely.

Three ways to fix:

1) replace whole assembly
2) Put uneven strain (opposite what twisted it) on it and hope it doesn't further ruin it or cause other expensive damage to tractor and loader
3) Cut the welds on the assembly, line it up with and attachment and reweld.

Option 3 is likely to best bet.

I saw an entire loader get twisted and straighten back out using method 3.

 

[big bubba]

You've twisted something, tube connecting the two sides is likely.

Three ways to fix:

1) replace whole assembly
2) Put uneven strain (opposite what twisted it) on it and hope it doesn't further ruin it or cause other expensive damage to tractor and loader
3) Cut the welds on the assembly, line it up with and attachment and reweld.

Option 3 is likely to best bet.

I saw an entire loader get twisted and straighten back out using method 3.

good advice. with only 1" difference, i'd go with #2 suggestion 1st. have done this method twice @ suggestion of K mechanic. should be an easy fix.

 

[Fladogman]

Sounds like the cross member between the lift arms at the quick connect have twisted. It happened to me once when my grapple came loose from one side. I cut the bent tubing out and replaced it with a solid steel bar.

 

[Fladogman]

Check it with a straight edge to tell if it's twisted

 

[big bubba]

Sounds like the cross member between the lift arms at the quick connect have twisted. It happened to me once when my grapple came loose from one side. I cut the bent tubing out and replaced it with a solid steel bar.
Fladogman

nice job on that. the only caveat might be that should the same scenario happen again, under full load, the arms themselves could be at risk for being bent rather than the tube. structurally, if the solid bar were the best design, K would have designed it that way? just a thought, again, good weld up job

 

[plowhog]

Just checked the cylinders. The right cylinder at full extension is 1/4" longer than the left. I don't know what acceptable tolerances are but that doesn't seem to be enough to cause the problem.

I will go carefully inspect the torque tube ...

 

[DK35vince]

Some QA torque tubes are made wimpy and twist easy for only 2 reasons, cost and weight. Making them stronger and less like to get twisted/bent will not hurt the loader arms. (The QA tube can't flex/twist when hooked into a bucket)
My QA torque section is built much more solid than a hollow tube, strong enough I welded chain hooks to it and use it for lifting with no fear of twisting a torque tube.

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[3 Horse Ranch]

Sounds like the cross member between the lift arms at the quick connect have twisted. It happened to me once when my grapple came loose from one side. I cut the bent tubing out and replaced it with a solid steel bar. View attachment 731608

I like the bright "don't forgetem" paint on the quick attach levers.

 

[Xfaxman]

Just checked the cylinders. The right cylinder at full extension is 1/4" longer than the left. I don't know what acceptable tolerances are but that doesn't seem to be enough to cause the problem.

I will go carefully inspect the torque tube ...

It is a common problem, many threads about it.
Here is one, easy to realign the QA using a shim: Bonehead Move, Need Advice, Loader Quick Attach won't hold

 

[plowhog]

I checked the loader arms, torque tube, etc. I cannot find anything that looks bent or twisted. I'm not sure what exactly to look for other than general alignment. I did put a straight edge along the torque tube, on top and also on the side. It was plumb and not bent. Are there better ways to check for a bent loader arm?

Here is a pix of the two SSQA plates that are misaligned. btw, I measured the "chrome" part of the cylinder that is showing when this pix was taken. It's 2 7/8" of chrome on one side, and 3 1/2" of chrome on the other side. I kind of suspect that is where the problem is, but I don't really know. Seems one cylinder is extending more than the other.

Again, at full travel, both cylinders retract fully, and at full extension, one extends 1/4" longer than the other. So at max travel I have only 1/4" difference, but in this photo, with only partial travel, I have 5/8" difference.

???

 

[plowhog]

It is a common problem, many threads about it. Here is one, easy to realign the QA using a shim

Thanks-- I will go check the stops on l/r sides.

 

[Citydude]

Read Xfaxman's information he posted. You'll figure it out.

I thought it was the hoist cylinders not the curl cylinders that was out of wack.

 

[plowhog]

Read Xfaxman's information he posted. You'll figure it out.

I thought it was the hoist cylinders not the curl cylinders that was out of wack.

I'm trying to apply that to my system which is a different design. Yes I should have specified which cylinders ...