Bent Quick Attach on Loader

[Creature Meadow]

I would cut the tube off flush with the mounting plates on each end. Then attach the bucket to get the plates lined up properly and then weld a new piece of tube in place.

This is plan B, if it will not bend back close to perfect will do exactly this.

 

[lugbolt]

I've had to fix a bunch of them, 2 different ways. One, run it into a tree and use the hydraulics to re-bend it back to correct position. The other method is to block one side; as mentioned.

Cutting/re-welding is the hardest possible way. Tried it on my own tractor; waste of time. Bending it back is the easiest way by far.

 

[Creature Meadow]

Thanks for the many responses and ideas on how to resolve/repair my bent quick attach.

I plan to try and block one side and use the hydraulics to bend the tube back to it's intended position which should realign quick attach.

Question, for those who have performed this on your tractor or someone else's how does it hold up over time? I plan to lock the handles in place after I fix her to prevent premature unlocking.

Some say cut out and replace the twisted tube. I can go this route for under $100.00.

If it were you and could have it repaired for under $100.00 would you go the vs. bending back or if it bends just move on and address later if it reoccurs because it is weaker from the stress of bending it twice?

Just don't want to be revisiting this over and over.

 

[KennedyFarmer]

I was scared to try that as my uncle and I were looking at it last night for fear of bending or breaking something else. I guess a little at the time slowwwwwww would be worth a try.

Thanks for the response and idea.

Thanks for the many responses and ideas on how to resolve/repair my bent quick attach.

I plan to try and block one side and use the hydraulics to bend the tube back to it's intended position which should realign quick attach.

Question, for those who have performed this on your tractor or someone else's how does it hold up over time? I plan to lock the handles in place after I fix her to prevent premature unlocking.

Some say cut out and replace the twisted tube. I can go this route for under $100.00.

If it were you and could have it repaired for under $100.00 would you go the vs. bending back or if it bends just move on and address later if it reoccurs because it is weaker from the stress of bending it twice?

Just don't want to be revisiting this over and over.

If your going to block it make sure you do it safely. wood blocks, etc tend to break and send fragments everywhere when they break.

I think you have two good options i would try and bend it first. If that is a no go then take it off and have it repaired.

 

[mfljr]

If that was my machine, I'd bend it back with whatever method is easiest/fastest and get back to using my machine.

After bending it back it will hold up just fine, right up to the point where one side of the QA comes loose again and then it will bend again.

Don't make a mountain out of a mole-hill. Bend it back and move on with life.

My .02

mfl

 

[Creature Meadow]

Back to the drawing board OTT, 2x4 wood blocks did not work, crashed them or split them.

So, do I use steel blocks or aluminum ones? This route something has to give!


Or, cut out tube and have new one welded in place?

 

[D2Cat]

Oak lumber.

 

[Lil Foot]

I'm a fan of aluminum or brass blocks for such things, but always I have some on hand- a side benefit of machining.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

I used a chain to hold one pad back one one that was bent a little.

 

[Creature Meadow]

I have plenty of rough cut oak planks I can cut some pieces from so I'll give that a try tonight after work.

Machine shop where I work so some aluminum blocks are easy to come by.

Any better ideas on where to place the oak block tonight? i felt that this was a strong place and on the tube that is bent where it attaches to the loader arms.

 

[jcummins]

The before and the after...just do it.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Any better ideas on where to place the oak block tonight? i felt that this was a strong place and on the tube that is bent where it attaches to the loader arms.

The place you picked should be fine, but block it out farther so there will be plenty of ram movement on the other side ram.

 

[Creature Meadow]

Failed attempts last night..........

I replaced the pine blocks with oak blocks to no avail, had plenty of room to work with but the tractor would not bend the left side up.

Took out blocks and used big chain to a tree to hold in place the unbent side. Placed blocks in front of tires so tractor would not move. Increased rpm's and still the hydraulics would not bend her back.


tomorrow will remove quick attach and carry to a friend and have him either cut in half and weld back or replace tube.

Thanks for all the ideas but I guess she is just bent to bad for Katie to self correct using the hydraulics.

 

[D2Cat]

Would probably be easier (and absolutely correct angle) if it was welded while attached to an attachment, just so you know it's right! Instead of just taking the quick attach.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Like D2 said, with a step farther:
It would be even better off on the tractor and an attachment or plate.
As both the width and the alignment are very important for smooth operations.

 

[Creature Meadow]

Thanks D2CAT and NIW, it want be easy as I had to leave the bucket at my deer land.

Guess I can go get bucket and carry it and tractor to my buddy for cutting and welding.

I agree this should help ensure correct fit to bucket. Bucket is the only thing I hook to quick attach, no forks yet.

 

[Creature Meadow]

Update to bent quick attach.

Finally was able to carry tractor over to the welding shop my friend has last night, work has been getting in the way......

We cut left side nearly threw to relieve stress all attempts to realign for welding failed. We used all means, in Wes's opinion it was just twisted and bent to badly to ever be right.

Moving on, we agreed that replacement would fix it the right way so we cut out the tube and I began grinding off the welds and removing the tube that goes through the loader arm.

Wes is picking up a piece of tube today and hopefully Thursday we can slide new tube into place and weld.

 

[Creature Meadow]

Out with the bent and twisted and in with the new. Finally got new tube welded in Saturday morning, now to prime and paint and Katie will be like new again.

Thanks for all the suggestions and insight on how to repair Katie. i'll post some pics after she is finished.

Thank,
Jay

 

[Duke]

I bent mine trying to push to hard on a 5” diameter dead tree.
Oops!
Thanks to OTT I “Untweaked” the FEL by detaching the Quick Tach bucket and using a combination of 2X4 in shortest length curl cylinder and pushing down and lifting the tractor by placing a 4X4 on the lower of the attach plates I now have an almost perfectly level loader once again. Difference now is about 1/2 inch. I am ok with that.

 

[Eic]

I'm late on this thread. I had twisted the quick attach coupler on the loader on my B2601. Took the coupler off the tractor and took it to a shop who put a rod through the connecting pipe, heated the pipe with a torch and bent the coupler back into alignment.

So, now to keep it from doing that again I've looked at the coupler to understand the design. Basically, the connection is a piece of 1/8" wall pipe that goes through a hole in each side of each arm to the coupler. It then received a weld around the pipe connecting it in two places to each of the couplers. Since the torque that twisted it before acted around the single pipe in place now, I was thinking of cutting two more holes in each plate and welding another piece of pipe to increase the resistance to the torque that can occur. The increased weight would be only the piece of pipe added. (For 1 " pipe, Schedule 40 is 1.7 lbs/ft and sched 80 is 2.1 lb/ft.) Matching the length of my existing pipe (37.5 inches) means I'm adding 5-6 lbs relatively close to the lift fulcrum of the loader arm. Book says I currently have 750 lbs lift capability so that's only about a .8% increase in weight. Not significant in my mind.

Has anyone else attempted to beef up their coupler? And if so, where did they attach the extra support? I'm wondering about any other maintenance I may need to do on this thing in the future and if additional support could get in the way.