Back Hoe Bucket Rebuild

[Agent Blue]

I have located this 24" bucket at the local steel salvage yard. It was in new condition but not the correct deminsions for use with my Bradco 611.

My boom width inside is 6 1/2" ............. Bucket width is 9", 2 1/2" too wide to fit into the boom ears.
Bucket cylinder linkage is 5" .................Bucket attathment point is 5 1/4" ( this would work with a couple shims )

The Bucket pin holes are 1 1/2" ............ Boom pin is 1 3/8".

I have two problems. The bucket attachment to the boom is 2 1/2" too wide. The second is the 1/8" difference between the pin and bucket bushing size. As this is only 1/8" difference I doubt if a thin bushing would last asit would wear quickly and how would one make a bushing only 1/16" in size ? The first section that pins to the boom will have to be cut off and moved in. This would not present a huge problem if it were not for the compounded bushing problem.

The best solution would be to look for another bucket but there are no guarantees the deminsions would be closer. Any solutions ??????

* A month or so ago I had a post about a fixed hitch Harley type rock rake that I converted to a hydraulic pivot. This was a simple project that turned out with near factory looks and performance.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Wouldnt the simpliest thing be to grind off the pin bushing attachments on the bucket and have a machine shop make you some to replace that are wider and the right pin size, 6 welds and you're done. They could be fit on to the back hoe and welded for a perfect fit and pins would help hold them square. Remove it after welding all you can see and touch up the remaining.

 

[kneedeep]

Getting a machine shop to duplicate your bucket attachment and replacing the wrong ones on the new bucket might work, lots cheaper than buying a 24" bucket

 

[Agent Blue]

Gary;
The boom width where the bucket attaches is 6.5 inches. The bucket ears are 2.5 inches too wide to fit inside the boom attaching plates. The cylinder on the lower boom bucket mounts will be fine with some shims. The very top mount on the bucket must be modified to fit the boom. This involves cutting the mounts and moving them closer. Even if I mount them on the extreme outside of the boom bushings the bucket mounts still will have to be moved. I am going to the steel yard to see how close to 1 3/8 inside diameter I can find in dom tubing. Them I can cut off one inch pieces and use the lathe to cut out the correct pin diameter.
I have measured it every which way and these are the choices I have come up with.