Why are my loader cylinders out of sync?

[ericm979]

Not having a torque tube between the two SSQA halves seems like it would make attaching a front implement more difficult.

 

[Xfaxman]

Not having a torque tube between the two SSQA halves seems like it would make attaching a front implement more difficult.

It might be, but just fully retract to get the halves lined up, then go forward and extend to put both against the attachment and latch like always

 

[lpakiz]

If I get "out of plane" what I end up doing is approach the bucket carefully, and check to see which arm is "forward" more than the other. Then initiate contact with the forward arm.
Then either inch forward a bit more to force the forward arm back, (and simultaneously extend the laggard) or give the curl function a very slight motion, to extend the arm that is behind.
If the forks are sitting on snow, the curl bump works better, because pushing on the forward arm against the bucket with the HST wants to just slide the attachment away from me.

JWR, I'm sure mine works this way. I'll go out and get a few pics of the pivot points. I'll need a ladder, because the front blower is on and I don't remove the loader. I just remove the bucket, raise it up high enough to walk under yet allow the tractor to fit under the upper header on the garage door, then I hydraulic lock the arms in that raised position. The curl hoses are unhooked (they rotate my chute on the blower) so I won't be able to demonstrate any movement.

 

[lpakiz]

JWR and others:
My humble apologies to JWR for misleading him and any others following this thread.
I DO have a connecting shaft on my SSQA loader. Because the pin bolts are pretty sloppy, it APPEARED that there was no connection.
I will attempt to attach a couple pics showing how far out of plane the arms can get. Not as far out as I had remembered, I guess.

 

[workinonit]

Is that called the torque tube or timing rod? I always thought the torque tube was the big tube between the loader arms. I think JD calls that a timing rod. Symmantics I guess. Jds timing rod has shear pins. The one on my old 5310 loader sheared the pins and it took me a while to figure out what was going on. Makes attaching implements a challenge.

 

[DK35vince]

Kubota who was way out front in equipping their loaders with skid-steer compatible interfaces long before the rest AND much stronger and looking like it was designed-in too.

Not sure that's true that Kubota had SSQA long before the others
SSQA was an option back 2001 on my Kioti DK.
They were standard equipment on many models by 2005 or 2006.
Picture of the SSQA I got as an option back in 2001

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[Smokeydog]

Modified M5030 loader in the early 1990’s with a used Bobcat quicktach, ssqa. The Bobcat owner said IR owned Bobcat and Woods. Woods used the ssqa mount option just before patent rights ended.

The bobtach ssqa was heavily built with the curl single cylinder attached in center. Never any torque tube trouble. Easy mod to fit tractor and ssqa brush log grapple was a game changer. Still using the grapple.

 

[DK35vince]

Modifying a SSQA to fit a Kubota, and Kubota actually offering SSQA as an option or standard equipment on their tractors are 2 different things
Not sure what tractor mfg. first offered SSQA, but I don't believe it was Kubota.

 

[Smokeydog]

Modifying a SSQA to fit a Kubota, and Kubota actually offering SSQA as an option or standard equipment on their tractors are 2 different things
Not sure what tractor mfg. first offered SSQA, but I don't believe it was Kubota.

I’m not sure which tractor manufacturer had ssqa first either. Didn’t take long before most offered the option after the patent ended. Woods apparently was one of first aftermarket loader manufacturers. Lot of corporate buying and selling back then.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

Just drive against something and get them even. Carry on...

 

[JWR]

Modifying a SSQA to fit a Kubota, and Kubota actually offering SSQA as an option or standard equipment on their tractors are 2 different things
Not sure what tractor mfg. first offered SSQA, but I don't believe it was Kubota.

I don't have industry records or any authoritative knowledge of which manufacturer offered the SSQA first. I'm mainly talking about on-the-lot as-seen equipment. All I am sure of is that starting about April 2000 through mid 2015 when I was visiting a couple dozens of tractor dealers and attending the Ohio and PA farm shows multiple times, the orange ones essentially ALL had SSQA on them sitting on the lots, not something you had to order. The green, blue and red ones did not. My impression was that Deere held out longer than the rest, being mistakenly overconfident that their large market share would win and let them continue with a proprietary pin system. By around 2010 the Massey Fergs had about half of their 'on-the-lot' tractors outfitted with SSQA interfaces. It was a decade or two long transition. I assume this varied from state to state / region to region. But Kubota clearly led the trend in eastern Ohio, central PA, W.Va. and MD.

 

[plowhog]

Perhaps The OP can supply us with additional pics.

I got called away but just got back to the tractor. For the life of me I cannot find anything bent or twisted. But I again had the same problem trying to install the forks again this morning.

I'm enclosing some additional pix ...

 

[ericm979]

Since the two sides are out of alignment when the cylinders are in the middle of their travel, that means that the timing tube in the middle is twisted.

That might have been caused by one cylinder being 1/4" shorter than the other when retracted (or extended, I can't remember which it was). That would twist the tube when the cylinder went to the stops. Due to the linkage it'd be more than the 1/4" at the plates.

 

[Xfaxman]

Since the two sides are out of alignment when the cylinders are in the middle of their travel, that means that the timing tube in the middle is twisted.

Right:

It can easily be twisted back straight as covered in many threads on many tractor forums on the internet and earlier here in this thread.

You are not the first that it has happened to.

 

[plowhog]

It can easily be twisted back straight as covered

I pushed just one side against a tree and applied force, but when I backed away it sprang back into the same position.

I attached the forks assembly, but could not engage the left side. So with the right side attached I picked up a log using only the right fork tine. When I did, the left side pulled in tight and I could engage the SSQA lock on that side. After that it seemed to operate normally but when I take the forks off it springs back into the same position.

I don't have access to a welder, so I have not (yet) cut the lower rod and re-welded it back. I cannot see any twist in that lower rod; however, I presume it must exist or I wouldn't have this recurring issue ......

Q- do these typically get bent based on a mismatched load of left vs right side?

 

[JWR]

Right:
View attachment 732513
It can easily be twisted back straight as covered in many threads on many tractor forums on the internet and earlier here in this thread.

You are not the first that it has happened to.

Correct. Definitely the case. People have mentioned in earlier posts what to do... get it straight one way or the other. And if it were mine I would reinforce it or weld on one 3 times that diameter.

 

[JWR]

I pushed just one side against a tree and applied force, but when I backed away it sprang back into the same position.

I attached the forks assembly, but could not engage the left side. So with the right side attached I picked up a log using only the right fork tine. When I did, the left side pulled in tight and I could engage the SSQA lock on that side. After that it seemed to operate normally but when I take the forks off it springs back into the same position.

I don't have access to a welder, so I have not (yet) cut the lower rod and re-welded it back. I cannot see any twist in that lower rod; however, I presume it must exist or I wouldn't have this recurring issue ......

Q- do these typically get bent based on a mismatched load of left vs right side?

Yeah, Oh Dear ! When some of us suggested "do the opposite and unbend it" we did not mean if the tiny 'timing' crossing rod was twisted, we meant if the loader frame was torqued/twisted which is NOT your problem. See comments on the post with the arrow pointing to what exactly is twisted. Post #54. Need to have welding help to cut it loose and reattach (and I say replace it with something 3x as large a diameter and strength.)

 

[DK35vince]

Q- do these typically get bent based on a mismatched load of left vs right side?

No offence meant, but that timing bar looks like it could twist if you looked at it wrong.
Get everything lined up straight and weld something in there that will hold up better

 

[JWR]

No offence meant, but that timing bar looks like it could twist if you looked at it wrong.
Get everything lined up straight and weld something in there that will hold up better

ABSOLUTELY ! That's what the last several posts are saying.

 

[npalen]

I'm inclined to say, at this point, just cut the little tube, rod or whatever it is in half near one end with a hacksaw. Then you can use it like an SSQA where the two ends are not attached to each other. This is covered in some of the above posts.
Then, at a later date when you have access to a welder or a weldor, it can be realigned and welded. Others above, however, have suggested a larger diameter piece which sounds like good advice.