Fork modification

[Mighty Dodge]

When I built my forks I realized I should have built in more curl when they're all the way down. After an embarrassing mishap that I won't go into I decided I'd better modify the forks. I bumped the bottom out three inches. They work much better now.

M.D.

 

[bx24]

I find it a very rare (and valuable) trait for someone to acknowledge they messed up. Nice simple mod and some priceless experience. Thanks for sharing your mistakes ... your little blunder will save someone out there from making a similar one

 

[Mighty Dodge]

They worked fine before but when going down a slight incline thing(s) could roll off the forks. Just letting folks know if they're going to build their own be sure to bump out the bottom of the frame.

M.D.

 

[beenthere]

Are you saying on the original design, when the curl was all the way "back" that the forks were level with the ground, so you needed to fix that?

I've the Deere forks, and have never noticed a problem, and will have to check now to see what position they are when "curled back".

Looks like you have a good build there.

 

[pat32rf]

Same loader, same problem, but slightly different forks. I "solved" it by mounting the horizontal section of the forks at an upward angle, but in doing so I changed the 90 deg angle to the back bracket to about 75deg. Fine for logs but a PIA for things like fridges and stoves.
Wish I'd seen yours three years back.....

 

[kennyd]

MD, don't feel bad-mine have the same problem. Gotta get out my welder soon to fix them, I am just going to put spacers on the plates that hold the pins though.

 

[Mighty Dodge]

Are you saying on the original design, when the curl was all the way "back" that the forks were level with the ground, so you needed to fix that?

I've the Deere forks, and have never noticed a problem, and will have to check now to see what position they are when "curled back".

Looks like you have a good build there.

Yes, when all the way down they had only a slight curl back. I added a piece of three inch angle iron to give them more curl.

M.D.

 

[J_J]

For some reason, I am not understanding the logic of built in tilt. Do your buckets and/or forks not have a downward curl of about 25 to 45 degrees, and an upward curl of about 45 degrees? On my Power-Trac, I can curl the forks down to about 45 degrees, and curl up about 45 degrees. I have noticed some buckets already have some angle on the bucket, using up some curl that would be available if it had a 90 degree back. The bottom of my forks are locked into a slot so I can put down pressure on them. I have a set of forks where the bottoms are not locked down, but very seldom use them.

 

[lostcause]

i haven't had the same problem yet, but it has been running through my mind. i've got a pair of bare forks i picked up at the scrap yard and i'm goign to rig them up soon. i decided i'd re-work the bucket at the same time and go with a ssqa setup for both.

i plan on cutting the ears off the back of the bucket and using them to make the ssqa mount. biggest issue is that my bucket (jd770 w/70 loader) is not vertical on the back, but instead tilts forward, so the geometry of the mounting ears from the bucket is not ideal for the forks. if i compensate to allow the forks to tilt back enough, i may not be able to dump the bucket fully.

i'm thinking i may have to build the back of the bucket out to be true vertical and make the ssqa mount face vertical too. it will give me more distance from the pivot to the bucket and probably reduce my bucket capacity a little, but i don't know if there's any other way around it. i assume all ssqa attachments are designed with a vertical mount, so if i want to be able to use others, i weill have to make mine match.

 

[kennyd]

i haven't had the same problem yet, but it has been running through my mind. i've got a pair of bare forks i picked up at the scrap yard and i'm goign to rig them up soon. i decided i'd re-work the bucket at the same time and go with a ssqa setup for both.

i plan on cutting the ears off the back of the bucket and using them to make the ssqa mount. biggest issue is that my bucket (jd770 w/70 loader) is not vertical on the back, but instead tilts forward, so the geometry of the mounting ears from the bucket is not ideal for the forks. if i compensate to allow the forks to tilt back enough, i may not be able to dump the bucket fully.

i'm thinking i may have to build the back of the bucket out to be true vertical and make the ssqa mount face vertical too. it will give me more distance from the pivot to the bucket and probably reduce my bucket capacity a little, but i don't know if there's any other way around it. i assume all ssqa attachments are designed with a vertical mount, so if i want to be able to use others, i weill have to make mine match.

The problem (with mine at least) is that the "shoes" on the loader are not 90* to the ground when the loader is fully lowered and the dump cylinders retracted. The frame I made has the mounts 90* to the ground when the forks are level...so the lower pins must be moved back (away frome the forks) some. I believe this is the same trouble MD is having.