Can Loader Arms be Straightened?

[westmich]

I have a Kubota B2301 with loader. Not sure how or when but the right arm appears to be bent down and in. I didn't really notice it until I took the bucket off and had to put it back on. If I measure the top of the end of the arms (the part that slips into the bucket) there is nearly a two inch difference in height between the arms.




Thanks

 

[RickB]

Rear tire wear, rear tire inflation, loader mount frames, loader attaching hardware and levelness of your floor all affect your measurements and level bubble. Be sure your loader boom is actually tweaked. An auto body shop with a frame machine can straighten the boom if it is in fact twisted.

 

[Industrial Toys]

You guys must live in a different world in so many respects. Any body shop big enough to have equipment like that, would NEVER work on a tractor loader here. Most, here are over worked with highly lucrative auto (insurance) jobs.

 

[Reb954]

My loader frame has gotten tweeked a bit in the past, mainly while stacking snow. When it does I just hook the high side of the bucket under a snow bank and tweek it back.

 

[workinonit]

You guys must live in a different world in so many respects. Any body shop big enough to have equipment like that, would NEVER work on a tractor loader here. Most, here are over worked with highly lucrative auto (insurance) jobs.

Where I am in SC I don't know of anyone that straightens frames to any extent anymore. I know of a half dozen places that have frame machines that haven't been used in years. Not a lot of frame cars anymore. But the junk yards are full.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I felt fortunate that the local body shop entertained the idea of painting the tailgate of my MULE, and possibly only did so because I had my vehicle in there at the time. BUT, they sure charged enough!

Someone that even has the mechanical capability would surely stay away from such a job anyway for fear of breaking something or making it worse. I know I wouldn't dare.

 

[PILOON]

Mine also went out of wack.
Turned out to be elongated FEL mounting bolt hole that was elongated.*
Moral of story is to check torque on all mounting hardware from time to time.

* cure is to bore oversize and add new sized bolt, or weld and re bore, ( I went oversize taking the easy way.)

 

[bindian]

I have a Kubota B2301 with loader. Not sure how or when but the right arm appears to be bent down and in. I didn't really notice it until I took the bucket off and had to put it back on. If I measure the top of the end of the arms (the part that slips into the bucket) there is nearly a two inch difference in height between the arms.

View attachment 673166View attachment 673167


Thanks

If the bucket came off easy and went back on easy, it is not the arms, but the bucket is twisted. I beefed my bucket up with 3/8th inch angle iron on top and 3/8th inch side plates welded on before I used it much. They are easy to twist, even after beefing up.
If it really bugs you, just find something real heavy and try to lift it with just the left corner of your bucket. It might even been just wear in the loader curl linkages. Try lifting the front tires of the tractor up with the bucket's joystick. I bet the cutting edge will go flat on the floor.
hugs, Brandi

 

[Cat_Driver]

Just use it per normal. Mine was tweaked and by using it it tweaked back in place. It was so bad I couldn't even connect my quick connect attachments.
Over time it fell back in place.

Just lifting this heavy and crooked with twist it but it will eventually twist back when you lift something heavy on teh other side of the bucket.

 

[dodge man]

I am like others, your arms might not be bent.

Frame machines at auto body shops are used on modern unibody cars also, for whatever reason they still call them frame machines and I also doubt they would work well on a tractor.

 

[Tinhack]

I've straightened car frames with my engine lift and/or a couple of supplemental 2x4 box channels. I have both push and pull hydraulic cylinders and a selection of chains and mounting brackets. I was in the body business but didn't have the room for a "frame machine". You would be wise to determine what and where the deformation is before simply trying to tweak the bucket in the opposite direction. You could separate the mounting flanges/pads from the tractor.

 

[crazyal]

I bought a truck years ago for cheap for a play vehicle for the yard. It had hit something that pushed the right front corner of the frame up and slightly back but didn't set off the airbags. What I did was buy a couple landscape timbers and used some chains, a pipe and a20 ton bottle jack to twist it back. In the rear I put one timber sticking out the drivers side with a section of pipe between it and the frame (with some 1/2" steel between the two) and a chain wrapped around the timber and connected to the frame on the P side. At the front of the truck I did the same thing but sticking out the passenger's side and instead of a pipe I put the jack there. I think they were 8"x8"x12'. The wood made a little noise but I was able to twist it back. It took awhile because I was stopping and checking to make sure I didn't go too far. I'm sure you could do the same thing with the loader and some 6x6 timbers.

 

[CoyPatton]

While it is not hard to bend a loader (easily done by lift from one corner of the bucket) before trying to deal with what you think is a bent loader, you want to eliminate all other things first.
1) do all your checks from the tractor sitting on level surface
2) air up all tires to proper psi
3) check that everything about the tractor is correct a loose axle at any corner could be your issue
4) check the loader mounts to the tractor
5) remove your bucket and with tractor level check the bucket and the loader lift arms

There are probably many other items to add to this list, but a bucket not being level can be from lots of stuff. While a loader can be bent, you should know if you have put a corner of the bucket under extreme abuse.