Help Bending Metal Back

[TimberXX]

So I bought a front broom, unfortunately it is bent pretty bad, see attached.

What's the best way to Bend it back?

Can't use heat, too many pivoting bushings.

I was thinking a jack, but I can't figure it out

Any thoughts how to bend it back?

 

[CliffordK]

Do those bends impact the sweeping?
On the left side of the first photo there appears to be a flat bar that cups around a round bar. Is that supposed to be welded?

You can purchase hydraulic rams and pullers. However, you would need a solid place to secure it to.

A come-along or winch may also work, but could be more dangerous and you would pull strength issues.

To be effective cold bending a joint, you will also have to over bend by a few percent and then let it relax back. If the machine design is such that you can't fully bend past your desired stopping point, then you will have difficulties relieving stress from the joint without heat. And if you have to weld a joint like the flat/round joint above, that will remain under stress unless the primary bend is also fixed.

So I'm not entirely sure you'll be able to avoid heat and bending or cutting and re-welding the joint.

 

[D&D]

So I bought a front broom, unfortunately it is bent pretty bad, see attached.

What's the best way to Bend it back?

Can't use heat, too many pivoting bushings.

I was thinking a jack, but I can't figure it out

Any thoughts how to bend it back?

Are both bent pieces on the same side? From what I can see, I would put the front of the broom against something that wont move (tree, telephone pole, etc) then use a come along, chain and binder with big pipe (etc) wrap around post and bent piece, pull back into place, reweld

 

[Rockbadchild]

Its hard to see without a full zoomed out picture, that's the wheel support ? is it working do you need to bend it back ?

if you could tie it to the ground level then jack it up from underneath to straight it out, or hook it up to your tractor engage the breaks and chock the wheels and used a come along to pull it forward. In order to bend something back in place you need to go past the center alignment point and without heat there is a chance for something to break. ... It is very hard to get something bend back to its original location sometime it is better to leave it as is.

 

[chim]

Wish you were nearby. This would be an interesting project. I'm not familiar with that implement and would love to see it in person. It appears the coped plates on the square tube only contact the round tube like a guide and were never welded to it? Both the round and square tubes look bent to at least some degree.

How difficult is it to get that yellow shroud out of the way? To what extent can the implement be disassembled? It is often easier to work on individual pieces. Should be fairly simple to make a jig or two that can be used with a portapower or even a hydraulic jack.

Depending on how accessible pieces can be made, springback from bending can be an issue. This is where it would be handy to do disassembly. For example, if not taken apart, I'd straighten the round tube first. No problem there because there's room to "over-straighten" it so when it springs back it is in the correct shape.

Problem that I'd expect is that when working on the square tube it will bump into the round tube before sufficient overbend is made. A possible way around that would be to get the square tube bent as tight to the round tube as possible and while keeping it clamped apply generous heat to it and keep it clamped till cool.?

 

[Xfaxman]

I was thinking a jack, but I can't figure it out

Any thoughts how to bend it back?

Jack and chain.

I straightened this box blade that way:

 

[Gator6x4]

Call around to auto body/repair shops in your area. Ascertain if they have a frame machine and if they would be interested in pulling it back into its original shape. You will never be able to pull or push it back without something to hold it securely while you are pushing or pulling on it. If you get it back straight have some small triangle shaped corner braces added. A body shop could also do this.

 

[BlueKnife]

So I bought a front broom, unfortunately it is bent pretty bad, see attached.

What's the best way to Bend it back?

Can't use heat, too many pivoting bushings.

I was thinking a jack, but I can't figure it out

Any thoughts how to bend it back?

Gonna be nearly impossible for us to either; one, tell exactly how to fix it based on pictures and two, relay that to you via the written word. But, just to put in my two cents, it does not appear to me that the square tube or round tube are actually bent. It looks like they're pulling out of the holes that they secured to. I'm not seeing any weld securing them to the plate that they penetrate through. Are they bolted in some way on the other side where we can't see or are they welded? Almost looks like they may be removable.

 

[ray66v]

I have straightened a lot of automotive frames.

I'm speculating it's out of square, based on what I think I see.

To correct that, you would need to figure out how to hold the parts you don't want to move, and push or pull the parts you want to move, back to where you want them.

This concept is illustrated well, by the photos Xfaxman posted.

We used the frame rack to accomplish this. There were places to hold the undamaged parts, and tools to move the damaged ones.

Perhaps you need to build a steel frame to attach the damaged part to, in order to bend it back into position?

Or, perhaps the same kind of force that bent it, applied in reverse, can also accomplish this. Clearly not as scientific an approach, and would risk further damage, if not well planned.

I don't think there is enough to tell what you need to do, at this point.

If you have a frame shop in your area, you could consult them and see if they can help, if all else fails. We did a trailer, or piece of equipment from time to time, if we weren't too busy.

 

[bcp]

We often think of pushing something to straighten it, but this requires a solid base or anchor. Sometimes pulling works better.

in a case like the diagram, pulling along the red line makes the implement its own anchor. You might use a hydraulic cylinder hooked to your tractor, or a ratchet binder.



Bruce

 

[dstig1]

You are going to need to post more and better photos for anyone to be able to tell what exactly is going on. And then seconding what others have said: Does it still work OK or not?

With that said...in the end, don't be afraid to take it all apart so you can fix it. there is nothing terribly complex there and as long as you take photos as you go, you will be fine.

 

[TimberXX]

Amazing responses as always. I'm trying to answer, and provide additional info.

Yes the bending of the frame impacts the use of the sweeper. The chain hits the chain guard, scoring it. Bristles are getting eaten by the chain.

Both arent bent but what they are welded to is. The square tube is welded inside the frame only. the round tube is part of another assembly.

My plan was to head to a parking garage, flat slab, square column. Strap the sweeper to a column with ratchets.

Then take a pipe wrench (with a galvi fence post for leverage) on each of the tubes. If I have the shear bolts out, I should be able to over stretch the material.

I like the come along and bottle jack ideas.

 

[BlueKnife]

Amazing responses as always. I'm trying to answer, and provide additional info.

Yes the bending of the frame impacts the use of the sweeper. The chain hits the chain guard, scoring it. Bristles are getting eaten by the chain.

Both arent bent but what they are welded to is. The square tube is welded inside the frame only. the round tube is part of another assembly.

My plan was to head to a parking garage, flat slab, square column. Strap the sweeper to a column with ratchets.

Then take a pipe wrench (with a galvi fence post for leverage) on each of the tubes. If I have the shear bolts out, I should be able to over stretch the material.

I like the come along and bottle jack ideas.

Still a bit tough to tell for sure, but it appears as if you've got some cracks in the welds holding at least the square tube in place. Bending it back is just going to crack the weld more. If I'm seeing what I think I'm seeing, it will need to be re-welded after being straightened.

 

[CliffordK]

It may be that the square tube is not welded squarely.

If that is the case, you'll have to cut off the old weld and re-weld.

Fortunately with welding you can place a wet rag where you don't want heat and you can keep the heat fairly localized

 

[WranglerX]

Looks like cracked weld to me....

But I have a problem understanding the angular difference in the two tubes as it is much more than what even the bent square stock would compensate for...

For me, I would just use large clamp and pull the two bars together and redo failed weld on round stock...

 

[CliffordK]

You don't necessarily have to weld back at the same place the previous weld failed.

So it looks like the weld failed on the back side of the thick plate. However, it is quite possible you could ignore that weld and do the new weld on the side that has open access as long as it doesn't interfere with something else.

 

[Gust Daneels]

If the front broom works properly and the bearings do not experience any problems with the bent parts, I would leave it as is. I know it's not a pretty sight because there is a bit of bend here and there, but the best thing is that everything works properly.

 

[WranglerX]

Personally I don't see a bend, I see straight bars and a failed weld that allowed the square bar to shift/move....

 

[dstig1]

Yeah I can see something is not right but still can't really tell what. Good eye on the weld. Too dark for me to tell that...

 

[JONNY BOYYYE]

Do those bends impact the sweeping?
On the left side of the first photo there appears to be a flat bar that cups around a round bar. Is that supposed to be welded?

You can purchase hydraulic rams and pullers. However, you would need a solid place to secure it to.

A come-along or winch may also work, but could be more dangerous and you would pull strength issues.

To be effective cold bending a joint, you will also have to over bend by a few percent and then let it relax back. If the machine design is such that you can't fully bend past your desired stopping point, then you will have difficulties relieving stress from the joint without heat. And if you have to weld a joint like the flat/round joint above, that will remain under stress unless the primary bend is also fixed.

So I'm not entirely sure you'll be able to avoid heat and bending or cutting and re-welding the joint.

put the broom under a big truck or tractor and use a small hydraulic jack...it doesn't have to be perfect on a broom..