Rollover! Bucket arms or mounts bent. Looking for advice

[Mark_BX25D]

Well, it finally happened. I'm a rural homeowner with a Bx25D which I bought from the original owner about 5 years ago. It's been a great little machine.

Today my son (14) misjudged where he was climbing a dirt pile and rolled it.

Thank the Lord for ROPS and seat belts! No injuries.

The stupid transmission dipstick popped out and dumped all the fluid. Checking on my son was my first priority, so it was pretty empty by the time I stuck it back in. (I think I need a new one. It just pops out randomly.)

I got it upright and refilled, then backed down off the pile to a level spot and rechecked fluids. Needed a slight top-up on the trans. No surprise. Well, it was overdue for a fluid replacement anyway!


The ROPS is tweaked, but I expected that. No biggie. The biggie is that the loader arms or mounts are bent. The bucket center sits about 3-4 inches to the left of centerline of the tractor, and the right side (viewed from the driver's seat) is a couple of inches higher than the other. I can't see anything obviously mangled.


What would you advise? Other than climbing under and eyeballing it, what can I do to better assess the damage?

Is it likely to be repairable? I'm thinking my best bet is to bite the bullet and take it in to the dealer to be evaluated.

 

[bx tractorjoe]

The dealer will most likely try to sell you a new loader.. well I guess it depends on the dealer... the labor to fix it would probably be more than half the cost of a new loader..

I would take it apart and see what's bent and see if its possible to bend them back, or get prices for the parts bent and make a decision if it's easier and cheaper to buy new parts or spend the time to try to straighten them.. you can always run them over with a truck if you have one etc.. dont think the bx has enough weight to do it but worth a shot

If you have a torch maybe you can heat them up and bend it back, or replace the bent arms..

Hopefully your rams are not bent as it would be a miracle to get them straight again..

Glad your son is ok..

Do Not under any circumstances depend on the tweaked rops... not worth taking a chance on someone's life over the cost of new ones..

 

[GreensvilleJay]

Anything is repairable, just need 'deep pockets' or patience.
The dealer will probably say you need a complete loader...that's how they make money...
Any bent steel can be 'tweaked' back to 'factory spec' though you need proper equipment,patience and 'numbers'. If you have access to the same make loader you can get the 'numbers',otherwise it's fairly simple middle school 'geometry'. Things have to be straight, true, square and equal....basic stuff.
You can make 'alignment jigs' from 2by4s and plywood, it's NOT 'rocket science'. Just go slow and think what you're doing,be safe and remember to 'over pull' a bent piece of steel as it's 'spring back' a tad or two.
Jay

 

[Dave_eng]

As a parent you are to be commended for teaching your son to use the seat belt.

Have you started the engine yet?

Most advise against it in case fluids have gotten in to the cylinder(s). A starter motor crank can bend connecting rods.

Removing glow plugs or injectors and then turning over by hand is the recommended procedure.

There is lots of good advice on dealing with the loader. My only contribution would be to suggest loosen all mounting bolts and see if some of the distortion will relieve itself.

Dave

 

[kkk]

Pics would help.
Did your boy have the loader up quite a ways when this happened?
Was the bucket full of dirt/gravel or empty?
What was on the rear?
Curious how it rolled....I flipped mine with the front end loader on the ground ,Bucket stuck in the dirt. Slight sidehill....When I went to lift the loader..the bucket had a bite bigger than expected and I went over very quick. Yes...the power of loader sent me over. Had nothing on the rear but tires were loaded.
Had a few close calls just having one tire drop in a shallow depression.
Another time trying to multitask hauling rock downhill with bucket and useing Boxblade for ballast. All was great till I figured I'd grade the trail on the way down, dropped the BB and rear tires came up rather quick. Had my hand on loader stick and dropped it rather quickly.
You learn every day how easy some things can happen.

 

[Mark_BX25D]

Yes, I did start the engine after letting it sit for a couple of hours. I had to wait for another son to run to Tractor Supply to get a pail of trans fluid. I didn't really want to use TSC fluid, but any port in a storm. I had to get it off the dirt pile. I have a rented backhoe this weekend, and we used the bucket of that beast to gently lift the BX upright using the ROPS. I considered the ROPS to be expendable (as tractorJoe suggested). It went up okay, but it required the backhoe bucket to keep it in place until I could back it up, due to the terrain it was on. He had driven over the edge, basically, onto soft dirt which gave out under the right front tire.

So, I needed to get things going so I could get the backhoe back to work on my big project. Since I couldn't even see any trans fluid, I was not about to start it until I had it filled. I think somebody's older son stopped for fast food or something, so the Bx got to sit for about 2 1/2 hours before I got the trans topped up. No sign of other leaks anywhere, other than some dripping from the engine dip stick tube. That was minor. I figured any oil in the cylinders had plenty of time to run back down into the engine.

It fired up with no problem. No excessive smoke, so I think I was correct in the oil draining back.


All that to say, should have looked it over more carefully before posting. Turns out I'm missing the lower loader arm pin on the right side. Must have fallen out during the roll.

I still may have some things tweaked, but I won't know until I get a new pin in there. IF I can get it in there!

I plan to call local dealers in the morning to see if I can find a pin, and make a quick trip to get one. Or order it online, worst case.

My rollover kid handled it like a champ, though. He's just 14. I was inside taking a break (it's pretty hot and we're rotating), and my daughter saw him roll. I set a new 150 dash record but he was already picking himself up. He was pretty shaken, of course, but no panic. I had to make him sit down so I could make sure he was okay. He might discover some bruises in the morning, but nothing major.

It was just one of those dumb mistakes we all make. He just got too far to one side, and the pile was soft there. A more experienced operattor might have been able to turn into it and avoid the rollover, but maybe not.

Seat belts and ROPS, folks. Turned a potentially fatal accident into an adventure to talk about.

Seat belts and ROPS. Not using them doesn't mean you are tough. Not using them means you are stupid.

 

[Mark_BX25D]

Did your boy have the loader up quite a ways when this happened?

Yes, he was aiming for the top of the pile with a full bucket. Probably too high, as the pile was being built by a John Deere (can I say that name here?) 310 backhoe, and his big brother had just chewed him out for dumping too soon. We had a talk about that!

What was on the rear?

Backhoe.

 

[Henro]

Yes, he was aiming for the top of the pile with a full bucket. Probably too high, as the pile was being built by a John Deere (can I say that name here?) 310 backhoe, and his big brother had just chewed him out for dumping too soon. We had a talk about that!





Backhoe.

I tipped my B2910 on its side once. I figured like you that since it was like that for a short period of time I was good to go once righted, and was.

BUT I later found out from a Northwest Idaho Woofman post that oil enters the cylinders via the PVC circuit, NOT via leakage past the piston rings. So we were both lucky.

Something to to keep in mind for the future. Hopefully knowledge never to be needed.

edit: for those unaware, oil in the cilinders usually leads to bent connecting rod(s). Big dollar repair.

 

[Palmettokat]

By far you and your son were blessed. Any machine can be replaced or repair or forgotten. I twisted fel on a much larger JD removing a tree from my mother in law's roof. Knew it was twisting but it was my mother in laws house, OK? Had two life time tractor people tell me probably could untwist it but had insurance on it so went replacement route and also upgraded it also. Get the pin and then relook the loader sitting on level solid ground or even a driveway. Look carefully for cracked welds.

 

[BigG]

I was wondering if the tractor was ballasted and if so how? There have been 2 or 3 people on here lately stating that they use the FEL without any ballast. I find the lack of ballast to be a problem. So are your tires filled? Wheel weights? Rear ballast of any kind? There is no criticism intended. Just trying to learn.

 

[SidecarFlip]

It is possible to straighten bent cylinder rams, I've done it in the shop before but I have a hydraulic arbor press that is very controllable and it takes more than one application of the ram and fixture to straighten one out. Most hydraulic shops have the equipment as well.

I've had a few 'oops' moments with my M's in the past as well. Never took one over but my butt cheeks got tight. This spring I hit a big woodchuck hole while mowing hay and the right side rear went way down, scared the pants off me. No loader on, just the tractor and the mower.

 

[Mark_BX25D]

I was wondering if the tractor was ballasted and if so how? There have been 2 or 3 people on here lately stating that they use the FEL without any ballast. I find the lack of ballast to be a problem. So are your tires filled? Wheel weights? Rear ballast of any kind? There is no criticism intended. Just trying to learn.

My rears are calcium filled, since I got it. Fronts are air only. They are the R4 tires.

I would NOT like to use the FEL without the ballast. I think those who don't, and are happy with it, just don't really understand the difference. Well, I guess I don't, either, but I do know that the front end can get mighty heavy. I think it would be a pretty sketchy thing to have a max load out there with no ballast.

And I usuauly have my backhoe in place, too. I rarely use any 3 point stuff. I expect to use a blade this week, though. Should be interesting.

 

[BigG]

My rears are calcium filled, since I got it. Fronts are air only. They are the R4 tires.

I would NOT like to use the FEL without the ballast. I think those who don't, and are happy with it, just don't really understand the difference. Well, I guess I don't, either, but I do know that the front end can get mighty heavy. I think it would be a pretty sketchy thing to have a max load out there with no ballast.

And I usuauly have my backhoe in place, too. I rarely use any 3 point stuff. I expect to use a blade this week, though. Should be interesting.

When your son was using the tractor did you have any other ballast on the machine? Was the backhoe on? I am not trying to point a finger, just hoping to illustrate a point......... ballast the tractor before the accident.

And I am glad that everyone is OK!

 

[Palmettokat]

I have a L6060 with cab and filled rear tires. I used it yesterday in that set up spreading a pile of dirt. I was on level ground and the dirt was only piled a few months back but never had issue without any additional weight and was loading the standard bucket full of dirt and moving it to dump it to be spread. Now I don't run around with fel loaded and raised either and we are basically level ground. At same time I had a JD 5525 (91 hp engine) with loaded rear tires and cab and never used any ballast on the 3 pth either and that was used in hard dirt often again on level ground. I understood from both the JD and Kubota dealership the rear tires filled would be all I needed and for me has proven that to be true. NOW THAT BEING SAID, no doubt there are setups that need it. I am only speaking for my tractors and setups and use.

 

[BigG]

I have a L6060 with cab and filled rear tires. I used it yesterday in that set up spreading a pile of dirt. I was on level ground and the dirt was only piled a few months back but never had issue without any additional weight and was loading the standard bucket full of dirt and moving it to dump it to be spread. Now I don't run around with fel loaded and raised either and we are basically level ground. At same time I had a JD 5525 (91 hp engine) with loaded rear tires and cab and never used any ballast on the 3 pth either and that was used in hard dirt often again on level ground. I understood from both the JD and Kubota dealership the rear tires filled would be all I needed and for me has proven that to be true. NOW THAT BEING SAID, no doubt there are setups that need it. I am only speaking for my tractors and setups and use.

Look at this Bota with a cab and loaded tires on level ground. To have ballast and not use it is far better then not to have it.

 

[poconoguy17]

Only thing I can add is that I am grateful he wasn't hurt , had a seatbelt on and the only damage is to the tractor. I have used/borrowed a bx-25 for nearly a decade and have had pucker worthy moments more than once. Machine I use has a backhoe and I drop the stabilizers when I know it may get hairy or go bad.

 

[poconoguy17]

Anything is repairable, just need 'deep pockets' or patience.
Any bent steel can be 'tweaked' back to 'factory spec' though you need proper equipment,patience and 'numbers'.

It can be bent back , but it will never be the same structural integrity without a proper heat treat and thermo cycle , which few will do

 

[NHSleddog]

Take it to a local auto body shop. A good frame tech can get you put back into shape pretty quickly. Most of the jigs I have seen would do it loader on or off.

I have a friend that bent the loader on his BH and the local shop fixed him up. The guy didn't charge him at all (liability). So it was done for the cost of a case of beer.

 

[Mark_BX25D]

Well, I have the pin on order from Messick's. My local dealer didn't have on in stock and suggested Messick's could get me one faster than they could. That's a nice dealer!

Thought I'd post a pic of the beast after we had picked it up. (Please excuse the green machine in the picture! )

If you zoom in you can see where the pin is missing.

 

[Tarmy]

Metal is cheap...glad your boy is OK...