Front loader bucket crooked: H-frame twisted

[mikespence03]

Howdy -

Got a used Ford 1715 with a John Deere front loader scabbed onto it (Kubota bucket! lol). Works fine EXCEPT bucket is crooked; one end hangs about 1.5"-2" lower than the other. Bugs the heck out of me, esp when I'm trying to scrape evenly.

Finally broke down and did careful measurements and observations on level ground. Turns out the H-frame got slightly twisted at the cross member sometime in its history prior to me.

Any ideas on how to straighten it beside dismounting it and having it cut apart and re-welded? Here's the best I could come up with: secure one arm and the crosspiece to a tree and tug (gingerly!) on the end of the other arm until it's aligned? Could a body shop perhaps be able to twist it back into alignment?

Thanks!

Mike
Transplanted City Boy and Loving It!

 

[Aging TOO Fast]

Howdy -

Got a used Ford 1715 with a John Deere front loader scabbed onto it (Kubota bucket! lol). Works fine EXCEPT bucket is crooked; one end hangs about 1.5"-2" lower than the other. Bugs the heck out of me, esp when I'm trying to scrape evenly.

Finally broke down and did careful measurements and observations on level ground. Turns out the H-frame got slightly twisted at the cross member sometime in its history prior to me.

Any ideas on how to straighten it beside dismounting it and having it cut apart and re-welded? Here's the best I could come up with: secure one arm and the crosspiece to a tree and tug (gingerly!) on the end of the other arm until it's aligned? Could a body shop perhaps be able to twist it back into alignment?

Thanks!

Mike
Transplanted City Boy and Loving It!

first off......welcome



quote-
Works fine EXCEPT bucket is crooked; one end hangs about 1.5"-2" lower than the other. Bugs the heck out of me, esp when I'm trying to scrape evenly.

Finally broke down and did careful measurements and observations on level ground. Turns out the H-frame got slightly twisted at the cross member sometime in its history prior to me. (end quote)


just to ask- are your hydraulic cylinders equally extended or retracted?

if the crossmember is offset (twisted) parallel to the ground. could tie high side down to something solid/non moveable down below.
then try hydraulic jack lifting lower arm side of crossmember upward to straighten... might possibly need to put some heat ( I am thinking get area red all sides around crossmember) on the crossmember at the twist location, then gently work with the jack (on the low arm) to get it to straighten or even out.

alternative- could remove/cut and replace/ adjust crossmember and re-weld evening out the frame.

A bodyshop with a framerack might be able to do something with it if they can access , tie down,and pull the right directions needed. if hydraulic lines are in the way for their equipment, they would need to be removed or they might get destroyed.

A bodyshop would probably charge straight time for as long as they work on it,
probably $75- $100 an hour.

just a point of thought/warning- the guys working on the frame rack, depending on experience, may only be use to pushing and pulling on todays unibody cars, and sheetmetal structures, not working with stouter thickness of steel tube, on equipment or machinery.

If you can, post some picts of the frame and the crossmember showing the twist.

Good luck and again welcome

 

[Charolais]

Howdy -

Got a used Ford 1715 with a John Deere front loader scabbed onto it (Kubota bucket! lol). Works fine EXCEPT bucket is crooked; one end hangs about 1.5"-2" lower than the other. Bugs the heck out of me, esp when I'm trying to scrape evenly.

Finally broke down and did careful measurements and observations on level ground. Turns out the H-frame got slightly twisted at the cross member sometime in its history prior to me.

Any ideas on how to straighten it beside dismounting it and having it cut apart and re-welded? Here's the best I could come up with: secure one arm and the crosspiece to a tree and tug (gingerly!) on the end of the other arm until it's aligned? Could a body shop perhaps be able to twist it back into alignment?

Thanks!

Mike
Transplanted City Boy and Loving It!

Have a local machine shop near me that has repaired several in that condition. He parks the tractor with loader on level concrete in his shop, uses a torch to cut the weld joint on one side of the loader tube and then uses the loader down pressure to get it straight again and welds it back together. Doesn't take him a lot of time to make this repair.

 

[SSdoxie]

Sometimes the loader frame can shift on the tractor giving the same problem, perception that loader is twisted. Try this before cutting welding or rebending the frame.
Park on a flat, level surface.
Level the bucket so it sets flat with the ground then put loader in float it set on ground at low point with no down pressure.
Take it out of float, shut tractor off, then loosen ALL bolts that attach loader frame to tractor. About 1 revolution should be enough.
Start tractor and slowly apply down pressure with loader control. Stop when you see front of tractor must starting to raise.
Look at the bucket now, if it is setting flat at both corners retighten all the frame bolts.
Trying raising loader and letting it float back down. If problem is resolved your done, other than to retorque the bolts again in about 5 hrs.
If it doesn't stay level after raising and floating down, or won't level out when first applied down pressure with bolts loose then the loader frame is twisted and needs repair.

 

[Aging TOO Fast]

Sometimes the loader frame can shift on the tractor giving the same problem, perception that loader is twisted. Try this before cutting welding or rebending the frame.
Park on a flat, level surface.
Level the bucket so it sets flat with the ground then put loader in float it set on ground at low point with no down pressure.
Take it out of float, shut tractor off, then loosen ALL bolts that attach loader frame to tractor. About 1 revolution should be enough.
Start tractor and slowly apply down pressure with loader control. Stop when you see front of tractor must starting to raise.
Look at the bucket now, if it is setting flat at both corners retighten all the frame bolts.
Trying raising loader and letting it float back down. If problem is resolved your done, other than to retorque the bolts again in about 5 hrs.
If it doesn't stay level after raising and floating down, or won't level out when first applied down pressure with bolts loose then the loader frame is twisted and needs repair.

nice description for checking FEL to see if mounting shifted

 

[mikehaugen]

I bought a used loader for my tractor and I did not get to see it mounted. Turns out it was twisted, sound similar to your situation. The pins were worn so I had the whole thing dismantled anyway so I took the main frame to a welding shop of a guy I sort of know. He has 2 railroad rails concreted into his floor for straightening frames and I gave him the frame and $50 and he fixed it in about an hour.

 

[jinman]

Got a used Ford 1715 with a John Deere front loader scabbed onto it (Kubota bucket! lol). Works fine EXCEPT bucket is crooked; one end hangs about 1.5"-2" lower than the other.

I don't know how to fix your problem, but here's a song by Pete Stamper you can probably identify with.

 

[pacerron]

I guess prior to your measurements finding the bucket 1-2" lower on one side you checked to make sure the tires were the same size, worn the same and aired the same on both sides?
You might not want to remove the bucket and or the frame unless you really intend to get it fixed. It might be too much work getting it back on and getting the pins in. I have a tractor and loader that I purchased new 20 years ago with a similar problem but I used it right away to clear land, digging with the bucket, pulling up tree roots that I had dug around with the backhoe by using chains hooked over the back lip of the bucket ( not centered), pushing over small trees, and all kinds of stuff meant for a bulldozer, not a tractor FEL. So I probably did the damage myself, just as many other folks have done themselves, and perhaps the previous owner of your tractor did also..
I don't have any concrete pads big enough to sit the entire rig on and if there is anywhere on this farm where the dirt or gravel is really that level, I don't know where.
Your wording sounds like you are using your FEL to back scrape and it is not even? You realize the levelness of your tires on the ground you are working has an effect on the loader bucket being level at any moment. Are you floating the bucket on loose material with the front edge down a little while backing or do you have the bottom of the bucket vertical and really trying to scrape hard material with it?
Many of us have been guilty of having the front wheels off the ground and back scraping with the bucket edge tucked back toward the tractor. That is also a way to bend framing.

I doubt you will have any success trying your idea of pulling on a tree with a chain. Either the tree will bend or you will pull a back wheel off the ground. In any case if you can get it lined up that easily it won't remain so very long.