Bent Quick Attach on Loader

[mikester]

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.

It's a case of robbing Peter to pay Paul.

If you bend something you are working beyond the design limits. Yes you can beef up the QA but then you face problems in the next weakest link. Boom? Tractor?

If you use the kitchen butter knife as a screwdriver don't blame the knife when it bends.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

glad to see you're up ad running after replacing the bent steel. While you might have been able to rebend it 'ok', it'd be 'compromised' ad would bend worse, faster next time. Best action..you did, REPLACE the bad steel with new.

 

[GeoHorn]

Meadow … amputation would also work. The reason for that cross-tube is to keep both QA’s in “sync” with each other.

But since you say you only use a bucket… and keep the bucket attached all-the-time…. You can completely remove that cross-tube and be “finished” with this task.
Even if you later decide to use the QA with another implement (such as pallet forks, etc.)…. when you disconnect from the bucket…. simply do NOT use the “curl” function of the loader…. drive up to the pallet forks (or bucket or whatever)…. hook-up… and THEN you can fully utilize curl or any other function just fine. There will be little (if any) noticeable difference in operations.

How do I know this?

Because my left and right QA-heads have never been interconnected with a cross-tube. The only time I made a mistake (used the curl function when nothing was attached) the two heads got “out of sync” like yours are. Simple solution: I hooked one side onto the next implement (bucket or forks)… then used curl-function to synchronize the opposite side…then completed the hook-up.
NO PROBLEM.

Full Disclosure: I don’t have the exact same type of QA. I have the type in this short video… except MY QA‘s don’t have the cross-tube at all.

 

[nbryan]

Bent my LA534 QA frame the same way a few winters ago. About a 1 1/2" twist in the frame, so the QA lever wouldn't latch on one side. I used a block of hardwood jammed near the hydraulic cylinder's bracket at the QA frame and slow hydraulic force to straighten the frame, which took about 6 tries as it needed to be slightly over-bent then spring back to shape.
I solved the root cause - the un-noticed release by a tree branch of the QA lock lever under load while backing up - by creating the pictured secondary lever-lock. Open source - go ahead and copy.
It is still working as designed and built 3 winters later. It's just one more latch and pin to do with each QA use, and it works fast and easy.

EDIT: No I still haven't painted the lever latch orange yet...

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Has anyone else attempted to beef up their coupler?

The only reason it should ever bend is if the Bucket / Other is disconnected/dis-attached from one side or the other than used.
So really no need to "Beef" it up, just don't let it get disconnected and used, problem solved.

 

[nbryan]

The only reason it should ever bend is if the Bucket / Other is disconnected/dis-attached from one side or the other than used.
So really no need to "Beef" it up, just don't let it get disconnected and used, problem solved.

The "just don't let" part made me smile, as I'm not sure how I "just don't let" a branch spring up underneath the tractor pushing the right-side SSQA lock-lever up, while I'm moving in reverse gear and looking backward. Then a small stump to blocked the loosened forks frame while reversing, and it bent the bracket. All within about 6 feet of motion.
The bush I'm cutting in also knocks loose lock-pins on the 3-point so the lock-pins I lost a few of got tied to the frame.
The only way to "just don't let" that happen was to prevent any obstruction from possibly pushing a lever up enough to loosen the frame pin. I'm not able to watch whether the sticks and bush I'm pushing through is messing with my levers and pins while I swivel neck my way around trees. So I lock them in place.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

The "just don't let" part made me smile, as I'm not sure how I "just don't let" a branch spring up underneath the tractor pushing the right-side SSQA lock-lever up, while I'm moving in reverse gear and looking backward. Then a small stump to blocked the loosened forks frame while reversing, and it bent the bracket. All within about 6 feet of motion.
The bush I'm cutting in also knocks loose lock-pins on the 3-point so the lock-pins I lost a few of got tied to the frame.
The only way to "just don't let" that happen was to prevent any obstruction from possibly pushing a lever up enough to loosen the frame pin. I'm not able to watch whether the sticks and bush I'm pushing through is messing with my levers and pins while I swivel neck my way around trees. So I lock them in place.

It's a tractor, not a brush / tree moving skidder.
Use it for a purpose that it's really is not set up for, and bad things are bound to happen.

Have I used my tractors for such uses, yep, but I'm also willing to accept when things went bad because of my pushing it too far past it's appropriate use.

Is it a fault of the product or the designers of the product when you push it into things it really shouldn't be pushed into?

Right tool for the right job makes all the difference!

 

[nbryan]

It's a tractor, not a brush / tree moving skidder.
Use it for a purpose that it's really is not set up for, and bad things are bound to happen.
Right tool for the right job makes all the difference!

It is now set up for my purposes, so what's the prob? You're suggesting I need to acquire a skidder too? Because it "just a tractor"?

Lol this just is kind of unbelievable to hear. My B2650 gets a few weeks a year helping drag firewood from the bush, and the rest of the year it's blowing snow, mowing brush, box-scraping driveways, hauling firewood crates, backhoeing drainage and ponds etc and many other backhoe jobs, moving and turning manure piles, plowing with the subsoiler, moving trailers around, hoisting bales and feed totes, chipping up trees and branches... etc.



Have I used my tractors for such uses, yep, but I'm also willing to accept when things went bad because of my pushing it too far past it's appropriate use.

Did I mention it being unacceptable? That the lever got pushed up and I bent the ssqa frame a bit? No. I accept that dings and such occur, and made immediate effort to make sure that the levers stay put from now on.

Is it a fault of the product or the designers of the product when you push it into things it really shouldn't be pushed into?

Again, where did I blame the product designers for the ssqa release lever's vulnerabilities in the bush?
NOWHERE. i simply designed and implemented a simple and tough solution so the levers stay put, WHEREVER they end up being used. And some spring-lock pins are now tied to the tractor frame with aircraft cable so they don't end up littering the forest. All's great now! LOVE how this machine can maneuver, and skidding out my own tamarack firewood and posts from our back woods in the winter is actually lots of fun!

Pfffffffft to get a skidder.

After four years and almost 800 hours, my 'bota is absolutely great.

 

[GeoHorn]

Don’t make me pull out the water-hose and spray you dogs down!

 

[Geezer3d]

I am one who uses my tractor to the maximum of it's capability. I have noticed that the SSQA is probably the weak link between the loader arms and grapple or bucket. I think if something is going to give I'd rather it be the SSQA than the loader arms or implement.

 

[Sail]

I recently bought a new 3902, it now had 30 hours and the rod has bent

how is this not a warranty issue?

 

[GreensvilleJay]

don't know what a '3902' is or what 'rod bent' but it could be 'operator error'.

 

[Sail]

Um, Kubota 3902 tractor (40 HP) with a loader. I’ve owned a number of tractors and put thousands of hours on them and NEVER have I bent something, never.

so your assumption is operator error ? I guess using the tractor for it’s intended use by moving granite gravel was my error…

 

[GreensvilleJay]

no not my assumption,but without what tractor it is, pix of the damage, weight of load, position of load, just trying to understand WHICH 'rod bent'. Some loaders have 1 per arm, some buckets 1 or 2.
a rod bending on one side could be either excessive weight on that side or a metallurgical defect

 

[nbryan]

no not my assumption,but without what tractor it is, pix of the damage, weight of load, position of load, just trying to understand WHICH 'rod bent'. Some loaders have 1 per arm, some buckets 1 or 2.
a rod bending on one side could be either excessive weight on that side or a metallurgical defect

or something real heavy landed on it mid-span...

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

I recently bought a new 3902, it now had 30 hours and the rod has bent

how is this not a warranty issue?

So is it a L3902 HST? DT?
What rod is bent?
Pictures will help!

 

[Kennyd4110]

Not sure why everyones is not understanding...

This thread is about a bend quick attach, and the "rod" or tube that connects them as well as keeps the two shoes in alignment. What's not clear about that? This is a common issue sadly with a few of the Kub SSQA loaders. What does it matter if it's a HST or DT? The loaders are the same right? Cut the guy some slack, he came here for help.

Arguably, @Sail should have created a new thread rather than reviving and old one, and gave more detail about his issue, but it's not hard to figure out...and I'm not even a Kubota guy

So, @Sail , I very well may be covered under warranty, you will have to battle wit the dealer on that.

 

[Sail]

I’m sorry for not being clearer, I should have started a new thread.

When I called and I told the dealer the problem he knew right away what happened, he said I bent the quick attach on the loader. He said they would cut out the bent bar and replace it with a larger diameter one so it won’t happen again.

clearly an issue they are familiar with and in my opinion should be covered 100% by warranty.

just sharing my thoughts is all,
thanks

 

[GreensvilleJay]

this ...
I recently bought a new 3902, it now had 30 hours and the rod has bent
is 'sail's post'.

yes, NEEDS to be a separate post and it's really,really vague !

'the rod is bent' on his '3902'. NOT enough information. I only own one Kubota, a BX23S, so I don't know what a '3902' is, could be a B3902, BX3902, maybe a MX3902 ?? What I do know is that not ALL loaders and QA plates are the same, different configurations and construction is used. probably based in part on WHAT tractor it is attached. I can't assume it's a B3902..my luck it's really a BX3902......

'the rod is bent'. 'rod' to me says 'rod', a solid round bar of steel, say 'hydraulic cylinder ram piece' NOT a section of structural tubing that connects SSQA plates together.

A picture is worth 1,000 words and would really SHOW what he's talking about.In my 'free' time I help others with coding issues using microcontrollers. Those that give details and examples are easy to help,even those they're 1/2 way round the World and in their native language.

 

[Sail]

The very first post shows it perfectly well, I thought that was enough.

anyway, thanks all and I’ll move along….


just for clarity…