fixing a bent Bobcat 4-in-1 loader bucket

[dfkrug]

I was taking some engines to the metal recycler last summer, and I decided to
stop at the Sales side of the business to see what they had. It never ceases
to amaze me what folks throw out, and this day was no exception.

I found this 60-inch Bobcat QA 4-in-1 loader bucket, with a somewhat bent
upper jaw. The front cutting edge was slightly curved, too. Anyway, the seller
got about $50-60 for it, after draining the fluid and tossing the longer hoses. I
bought it for $200. It weighs just under 600#, which is 2x what my own 60-inch
light-duty WRLong 4-in-1 weighs. This is a fairly heavy-duty unit with 1/4" steel
sides.

I bought it as a challenge: I bet that I could straighten it, and I know someone
who will buy it, fixed.

 

[dfkrug]

So this is how I fixed it:

First, I cut four trenches in the bucket where I wanted it to bend. I made these cuts with
my plasma cutter, following the yellow lines carefully drawn on the sides (photo 4 above).
On each side of the bucket, there are 2 cuts, one on each side of the plate, so that the slots will
open up as the bucket bends. The cuts go at least 3/4 of the way thru the 1/4" plate.

Then I positioned my 20T air-over-hydraulic jack as shown in the 2nd photo, and let 'r rip.
In the 3rd photo, I got the displacement I was aiming for. The slot has opened up quite a bit.
Even with the cuts, my jack was near its maximum capacity. I over-bent it a bit to allow
for spring-back.

 

[dfkrug]

And here is the result.

The alignment is back....you can see the top and bottom jaws are now in the same plane.

I then welded each of the 4 slots, using a 7014 rod and my DC Miller Thunderbolt
stick welder. I did them all horizontally...I am not so good at OP welds. Tipping the
bucket on end was the harder part.

But, I am not done yet. The upper jaw cutting edge and carcass needs some straightening.
That's next.

 

[dfkrug]

Here is the fixture I used to bend the bucket carcass.

I first hoisted the bucket with my tractor forks, then used chain and an
I-beam to push against. When I first tried this, I could not bend the
bucket much at all when the full 20T was applied.

So, I took it all apart and used the plasma cutter to cut a slot in the upper
plate of the jaw (photo #3). The jaw is a very strong box-section element.

That did the job, and I was able to bend it. A weld secured the plate.

BTW, my air control remote on the jack allowed me to stand clear, in case of a
chain failure. The chain was a 3/8" grade 70.

The final result is the last photo. Bending the carcass distorted the jaw a bit,
but now the 2 cutting edges meet properly. Not perfect, but quite serviceable.

Sold it for $1500.

 

[JJZ 109]

You've got some time involved, but a nice profit nonetheless.
There's always going to be someone that comes along and says, "your time is worth X amount, yada, yada, yada and you didn't make that much." The way I look at it, the time spent working on a project like that is time that I might not have been making any money anyway. There's also a sense of accomplishment as well as honing your industrial skills. That's got to be worth something in itself.

 

[RDrancher]

Very well done!

 

[DT86]

First off nice find! Our scrap yard stopped selling back to the public due to insurance BS.

Second, great fix!

 

[dfkrug]

There's also a sense of accomplishment as well as honing your industrial skills.

It's all about the personal challenge, the learning oppy, and the sense of accomplishment for me.
AND, all the better if I don't lose any money on the project and it can fund another one, and
maybe even provide some guidance to others who may want to perform a similar job.

Thx for looking, JJZ, RD, and DT!

 

[RDrancher]

In between working on estimates today I was browsing your project link and thinking...I've got to make the time to read all of them. I admire you for taking on all of those challenges. Really, I do!

 

[yellowdogsvc]

Thank you for the advice. I'm not sure if I can get mine back that good but going to try when I have a chance to work on it this fall. I've got a plasma cutter, torches, welder, etc. Not real good at any of it but I did notice the welds were cracked on this bucket. If I can get it straightened while the welds are cracked, I can get a real welder to reinforce. I think Bobcat could build these buckets with a heavier floor to keep them from bowing out.