What did I break?

[Shawn T. W.]

Last time I was home, I was trying to reorganize my barn, my little SCUT's loader wasn't able to lift the brush hog up, I took off the bucket and used just the SSQA paddles and chained it to it ... Then I could lift it!

I went over a bump, and ... One side fell off!

Now the paddles are out of sync ... I can re-hook onto either the bucket or forks, but I gotta keep pressure against it to get both of them to slide up the bucket ...

Here is a little video ... I can move the paddles by hand a little bit, and they will get even, but won't stay that way!

SSQA

 

[hube2]

Bent or twisted the torsion/stabilizer bar?

 

[hube2]

 

[RayIN]

You experienced one of the problems of overloading the small tractors limits.

 

[rScotty]

Shawn, in the video it looks like one cylinder is exended more than the other. Is that correct?
Or does there seem to be a bend in the loader arms?

I'm hoping it is in the round rod connecting the ssqo paddles that is bent, and that bend is making the paddles uneven and that is why one of the cylinders is more extended than the other.

But before going farther you should make sure nothing is wrong in the loader arms or cylinders themselves.
You've probably been looking at it. Any new info?

 

[Jstpssng]

I'm not sure how, but did the same on my 3301. I put the offending paddle against a tree and gently curled the bucket until the two were even again.

 

[ptsg]

Just bent the bar that connects both sides together. Should be as simple as bending it back using one of the various methods already explained.

Just the other day, I moved my chain mulcher more or less the same way, but I have the Euro quick attach that it's a much stronger design and can be used to lifting stuff without worrying about twisting it. Just put my slightly overkill 9 Ton shackle over the top bar and through the top link pin of the mulcher and it's good to go.

 

[Shawn T. W.]

The loader arms don't seem to be bent ...

I'm not home now, so can't look farther ...

The "problem" was the rear section of the brush hog is round, and it wasn't on the right side paddle quite all the way, obviously it lifted it fine, but once it slipped off it either bent something, or I thought that somehow the hydraulic fluid inside skipped past the piston ... Not sure if that is possible ...

I've used both the bucket and forks since this happened, they work fine once I get them hooked up ...

 

[Shawn T. W.]

Shawn, in the video it looks like one cylinder is exended more than the other. Is that correct?
Or does there seem to be a bend in the loader arms?

Yes, that is what seems to be the problem, I couldn't see anything bent, but maybe like the video shows, the rod between is twisted?

I was just surprised that I can move the paddles by hand, that's why I was thinking it was a hydraulic/valve/piston problem ...

If I just disconnect it from the bucket, they stay even, but as soon as I try to curl, they go all wonky!

In order to rehook to the bucket, I tip/curl the lower(left) side back, and push it against the bucket, then slowly curl it back while pushing, and once the right side is the same angle, I can slide it up to catch the lip in the bucket, and lift and lock the latches ... As long as there is something to push against ...

First time I chased it around quite a bit!

 

[BlueKnife]

For some reason, most manufacturers use very flimsy anti-twist bars between the loader arms. I've re-built several with thicker material. That's what it appears needs to happen here.

 

[jeepcoma]

the paddles are out of sync ... I can re-hook onto either the bucket or forks, but I gotta keep pressure against it to get both of them to slide up the bucket ...

Seems normal to me. Hydraulics want to find the path of least resistance. Without a physical connection between the two loader arms, whichever is easiest to move will be the one that moves. When you put your hand on the left arm, now the right is easiest to move, so it does.

When you have the bucket on, they are physically linked together, and will move at the same time.

Without the bucket, the only thing holding them "in sync" is that black rod - my guess is when you hit the bump, the shock load broke the twisting torque that was keeping the rod from spinning.

The friction between the two arms is the only thing that "broke".

 

[rScotty]

Yes, that is what seems to be the problem, I couldn't see anything bent, but maybe like the video shows, the rod between is twisted?

I was just surprised that I can move the paddles by hand, that's why I was thinking it was a hydraulic/valve/piston problem ...

If I just disconnect it from the bucket, they stay even, but as soon as I try to curl, they go all wonky!

In order to rehook to the bucket, I tip/curl the lower(left) side back, and push it against the bucket, then slowly curl it back while pushing, and once the right side is the same angle, I can slide it up to catch the lip in the bucket, and lift and lock the latches ... As long as there is something to push against ...

First time I chased it around quite a bit!

.From your description of what happened, I don't see any downside to re-bending it to compensate - just ike that excellent video shows. And he knew to quit when "close was close enough. Be careful not to hurt the cylinder end or seal.
I think you got lucky.

 

[Jstpssng]

For some reason, most manufacturers use very flimsy anti-twist bars between the loader arms. I've re-built several with thicker material. That's what it appears needs to happen here.

I've been thinking about welding a piece of angle iron on for this reason.

 

[BlueKnife]

I've been thinking about welding a piece of angle iron on for this reason.

Angle doesn't resist twisting very well. It should be tube, either round or square.

 

[rScotty]

I've been thinking about welding a piece of angle iron on for this reason.

Maybe that bar is deliberately sized to be what it is.

If that bar is reinforced, somewhere else will become the weak point and could bend when one side of the SSQA slips. One of the SSQA flappers not seating does happen sometimes when swapping front implements. My guess is that most of us have had SSQA flappers not seat properly.

As it is now, when a flapper slips just the connecting bar bends - and that bending helps protect the flapper mounts, the FEL arms and everything south of there from more serious damage.

Bending the bar that connects the SSQA flappers is easy to straighten out, & without damage to the rest of the FEL. I say straighten it, inspect the welds at the ends where the bar connects to the arms, and if the welds look good just call it good.
rScotty

 

[Jstpssng]

Maybe that bar is deliberately sized to be what it is

I was waiting for somebody to point that out.

 

[BlueKnife]

If that bar is reinforced, somewhere else will become the weak point and could bend when one side of the SSQA slips.

If the bar is strong enough that the two sides cannot move independently of each other, the tractor hydraulic system in itself is not strong enough to break anything. It is possible, of course, for a person to break something else if they screw up badly enough, say, perhaps, by repeatedly trying to lift a heavy implement with only one side hooked. Sometimes installing upgrades like that requires that the operator exercise some level of common sense.

 

[rScotty]

I was waiting for somebody to point that out.

This is where I confess that last time I swapped buckets on the SSQA it happended to me. DIdn't bend anything, but it was a near thing.

There's that moment when swapping front implements when we all stab the top of the SSQA flapper under the seating ledge on the top of the implement. Then what I do is lift it a foot or more and give the implement a shake with the lift arm control so that the flapper seats all the way. And then dismount to walk around to throw the SSQA locking arms....Or at least that is the way it is supposed to go.

But last time I did that, the right side popped out and there I was looking at my heavy rock bucket just dangling from one flapper and me feeling stupid. What saved the loader was it happened before that very heavy rock bucket got lifted very far up in the air.

Being close to the ground, the side that came loose just stopped when it hit the ground - so hitting the ground stopped the drop which kept the bar from bending. Pure dumb luck. Usually I lift it a little higher before giving it a shake.

From now on I'll remember to keep it closer to the ground until the SSQA is locked..

rScotty

 

[Jstpssng]

^^^^^

I've done the same. Also, my OEM bucket is a nice tight fit. My grapple and Titan forks, not so much. There is a minute amount of slop which I believe might be part of my problem.