Loader soft ride feature

[Fedup]

Something totally new to me. I was asked yesterday to look at an oil leak on a loader tractor. It's an M126GX with an LA2254 loader. Loader has a soft ride feature. This is evidently a system of accumulators which help cushion shock when the loader is operated? It has a control on the right side loader mounting frame that turns the feature on and off. When it's on and the loader is used oil runs out of the frame tube where the control (and right side accumulator) are located. Turned off, the loader operates and nothing leaks.

Anyone been into one of these units? It doesn't look all that hard to get apart, but the parts list for the LA2254 doesn't show much in the way of details on what's involved with this valve. Maybe I just haven't found the right page. Sometimes the Kubota parts site can be a bit confusing for me.

 

[SidecarFlip]

I was under the impression that Kubota was using a bladder accumulator to cushion the hydraulic shock, much like is used on higher capacity forklifts. Looks like a small compressed gas bottle with a Teed fitting on top.

Sounds to me like a defective internal bladder. Operation is similar to a bladder tank on a domestic well system but the pressures are much higher and the volume is much smaller

 

[Thunder chicken]

I have a ‘soft ride’ on my loader. (Quicke loader). However they all work about the same.
like you say it’s just an accumulator plumbed into the lift cylinder. With a ball valve to isolate.
sounds like the hose from the bottle to the valve, or a fitting is leaking? Normally the bottles are sealed and not serviceable, so it could also be pooched and causing an oil leak? If you zoom in youll see the valve and bottle on mine.

 

[SidecarFlip]

I like your front fenders. OEM per chance or aftermarket?

 

[Thunder chicken]

I like your front fenders. OEM per chance or aftermarket?

OEM

 

[chim]

Front fenders seem to be common in Canada. I have not been able to find much info here South of the border. What I did find was horribly expensive.

 

[SDT]

Front fenders seem to be common in Canada. I have not been able to find much info here South of the border. What I did find was horribly expensive.

Common in Europe as well but not so here in the US.

SDT

 

[whitetiger]

Anyone been into one of these units? It doesn't look all that hard to get apart, but the parts list for the LA2254 doesn't show much in the way of details on what's involved with this valve. Maybe I just haven't found the right page. Sometimes the Kubota parts site can be a bit confusing for me.

Here are a couple of pages from the assembly instructions, a very simple system.

 

[Fedup]

Thanks. It really is pretty simple. The parts list doesn't show much because there just isn't much to show.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Front fenders seem to be common in Canada. I have not been able to find much info here South of the border. What I did find was horribly expensive.

Been looking for a while myself. I mud up my rear lower windows when I road mine on muddy dirt roads. Might have to go north for a set. Canada is only 60 clicks from here.

 

[chim]

Been looking for a while myself. I mud up my rear lower windows when I road mine on muddy dirt roads. Might have to go north for a set. Canada is only 60 clicks from here.

Mine slings dirty saltwater and grit all over the place. The doors and other side glass get most of the slop from the rear tires. They stick out a good bit. There's even grit on the roof that needs washed off. The front tires do a number on about the lower half of the glass. When I get back from a road trip to town, the tractor gets thoroughly hosed down.

The rear blade has been replaced with a drum full of concrete since this picture was snapped.

 

[SidecarFlip]

You have your rears spaced out wider than mine but I still get the junk thrown up. My big concern is breaking the lower front cab glass from thrown gravel in the road.

 

[chim]

Understand the glass concern. Hate to think what that could cost!