300cx Loader Sprung

jarokoro · Apr 18, 2007

On Easter Weekend I made a set of forks for my loader and when I was placing them on the bucket I noticed that the loader bucket was lopsided. I took it to the dealer because it was under warranty and he told me that it was sprung.

The loader and JD 990 is exactly 1 year old and has 130 hours total. I have never crashed into anything hard and have never lifted anything to heavy with one side of the loader. Until Easter the loader had never been off the tractor.

The only place that has play is the cast upright mast made in china on the right side looking from the seat where it connects to the tractor. To me it looks like the mast was not machined straight because it has wear marks on the mount and the other side does not. Looking from the front the mast leans out and flexes about 2 inches.

Anyone had similar issues? The dealer said that 300cx loader is supposed to be heavy duty but wow!! If I have sprung it doing normal lifting work with the bucket how is are you supposed to use a grapple or forks on it.

AKfish · Apr 18, 2007

Well, that's a pain in the #@$$! So, has the dealer taken a look at the loader? Has he picked it up for repairs?

I can't say that I've ever heard of a cast part ever being "sprung". Cast iron is not very ductile and thus does not bend or have a memory i.e. "sprung". Usually, if you bend it -- you break it!

The steel in the loader arms is another story, however.

But, as you say, if the vertical mast has a manufacturing defect that would explain the "2 inch" slant to the side.

Another question -- how do you "readjust" the loader to account for the normal loosening of things that occurs from regular use? Could the base just be out of adjustment with the mast?

Keep us posted on the outcome with your dealer.

Akfish

JDFANATIC · Apr 18, 2007

AKfish said:
Well, that's a pain in the #@$$! So, has the dealer taken a look at the loader? Has he picked it up for repairs?

I can't say that I've ever heard of a cast part ever being "sprung". Cast iron is not very ductile and thus does not bend or have a memory i.e. "sprung". Usually, if you bend it -- you break it!

The steel in the loader arms is another story, however.

But, as you say, if the vertical mast has a manufacturing defect that would explain the "2 inch" slant to the side.

Another question -- how do you "readjust" the loader to account for the normal loosening of things that occurs from regular use? Could the base just be out of adjustment with the mast?

Keep us posted on the outcome with your dealer.

Akfish

AK is right about cast iron, but ductile iron (which those masts and stands are probably made out of) can have elongations of 10-20% due to their pearlitic grain structure. Ductile can bend without breaking.

jarokoro · Apr 18, 2007

AK & JDFANATIC,

You can loosen the pins and adjust the loader some then you can re-torque the pins this is supposed to make minor adjustments.

Only the up right masts are cast steel the rest of the loader is regular welded tubular steel with some cast pieces on the end of the loader arms where the bucket mounts. I did find a thread about the cast bucket mounts and they were breaking and were replaced by some with cast re-enforcements in them now. My loader is new enough it came with the newer mounts.

The way the loader operates when removed there are no stands.
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