bent brush guard fix

[allentx1]

Long story, tree trunk section fell under loader and back into the guard. It bent it towards the hood but did not touch the hood. Hood will not open. Do you think it is safe to hook to a big tree and back up to try and pull it back straight?

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

Dynamite or a shaped charge might be more effective. :thumbsup:

 

[elbowroom]

Geez, bummer. Kinda morbid, but we need pics!

It might be better to remove and fix rather than stress the frame doing that?

 

[whis]

try pulling a the same angle it was bent

 

[Woodshaver]

Would suggest getting a 5 or 10 ton pull back hydraulic ram and pulling with chain around tree. This will be controlled and precise. Used a 10ton pull back ram to straighten my loader cross member and it worked very well. Backing up or ramming forward rarely results in good results and can create more damage.

 

[kevin37b]

What do you mean by fell under loader ? Were you picking with chains or slings , or did it roll off the back of the bucket ? If it rolled off the bucket you need to review your technique . They can roll down the boom and end up in your face , not pretty . You are not going to fix that by yanking on a tree .

 

[trukker]

I just did this yesterday because when I open the hood it was hitting the guard. Just took a strap and hooked to the bucked and tied it around the top bar of guard. Slowly tilted the bucket away from the bar. I did want to over do it so it took 2 tries to get it right as it will spring back some. Hood opens with an inch or so of clearance now! Good Luck!

 

[Gary Fowler]

I just did this yesterday because when I open the hood it was hitting the guard. Just took a strap and hooked to the bucked and tied it around the top bar of guard. Slowly tilted the bucket away from the bar. I did want to over do it so it took 2 tries to get it right as it will spring back some. Hood opens with an inch or so of clearance now! Good Luck!

This would be my way of doing it also, no extra equipment to by. If you have chain hooks (most everyone does), fully dump the bucket, then hook the chain, drop down in front of your bucket and under it to hook to the guard, then slowly curl the bucket. Make sure that the cutting edge of the bucket is about in line with the spot which you hook the chain to the guard, this will assure a straight pull.
This would work best if you have a competent person either operate the curl on the FEL OR watch the guard to determine when it is straight then back off the chain tension to check for spring back. Work it till the guard is completely straight. You may need to reposition the chain to make sure it is pulling in the correct direction.

 

[rgr33]

I just did the same thing with my RTV 900 a few days ago. Bent the front brush guard back while fooling around in the woods. I hooked one end of a chain to a tree, and the other to the brush guard, it worked perfectly, can't even tell except for the paint scratches.
I wouldn't be afraid to do the same on my tractor if needed, the bucket curl idea sounds promising too.