Cupped FEL

[icandoit]

My FEL has developed a cup in the center of the bucket. Sort of like a spout at the center. Is there any way to straighten this out. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks
Dick

 

[Justaplain]

Chain and jack bcs

 

[Egon]

Some times heat and a big hammer may work or as suggested jacks, chains etc.

You may want to look at installing a heavier cutting edge. This will help stengthen the bucket.

Another possibility is that you have worn down the bottom of the bucket till it is easy to bend. That may entail welding a plate on the bottom of the bucket. I had to do that with mine.

Egon /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Syncro]

I often buy older tractors just to fix 'em up and resell, so straightening bent buckets has been a regular thing for me. If you have a backhoe handy then use the stabilizer as a ram. It works the best. First remove the bent bucket than position it under the stabilizer and apply pressure. Hydraulic jacks also work, but be careful as they can fly out when under the spring like tension and hurt you, the backhoe stabliizer won't do that. Using a torch will make the metal bend easier but you run a high risk of loosing the metal's temper thus making it soft and even more apt to bend again.

If you get that bucket straight I'd sure weld some 3/8 stock on the under side to keep it that way

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( heat and a big hammer )</font>

Maybe together, but one thing that doesn't work is just an 8# sledge hammer. Only makes your ears ring for an hour or so, and you can guess how I know that. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[JerryG]

The best thing that I had luck with is a floor jack. Put a 4x4 or 6x6 block on top of the jack pad, then jack. Remember that given the elasticity, you will have to over bend it and let it come back to straight.

 

[RedRocker]

I used a Bentec ram bender to straighten mine out. worked like a champ.

 

[Deerlope]

what is a Bentec ram bender? Pic please.

 

[tawilson]

I have a better picture, but I left the camera at the lake. This one I took with my cell phone Saturday, straightening the top of the bucket. Did the same with the bottom lip before putting a new cutting edge on. Oak trees push over hard. By the way, I left the old cutting edge on and just welded the new one under it. Seems to work good, and has more steel there for support, and saved a lot of cutting.

 

[icandoit]

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions. I'll try the jacks and the chain method first as I don't have access to a backhoe. I also see a 1 ton chain hoist possibly come into this picture. I don't know just yet how I'll do that, but a chain hoist does come into the picture.

Thanks Again
Dick

 

[RedRocker]

You can see one Here. It's a tubing bender that you can put 6" long brake dies in or use the ram against posts to bend or straighten things. I just tilted my bucket down and put it on the table with the pins as far out as they would go, then used the ram to push the center of the bucket. I shoulda taken some Pix.

 

[Deerlope]

I don't think that I could afford one of them in my meagerly equiped shop.

 

[tawilson]

Don't use heat, weakens the metal. You'll have to bend the lip up some as it will spring back. Be careful, if everything is not level, the jack can fly out. You could lay some support steel across the top of the bucket, and use the chain hoist to pull the bottom of the bucket up if you can finagle a way to attach it securely.

 

[RedRocker]

I've had it for several years, it was a chunk of change, but pretty handy sometimes for tasks other than bending tube.

 

[mikim]

I used a hi lift jack on mine .... i think that's what they're called ... course I always just called it a farm jack. Just grabbed upper and lower parts and pulled it together. Didn't think the top would move and it didn't - just bent the bottom straight.