JD460 FEL bucket is not level

[wthompson]

I recently purchased a used 460 FEL, frame looked straight with no bends or welds. Got it home and attached to tractor. The problem is the left side of loader bucket is about 1" lower than the right side. So, i pulled tractor in my shop and checked air in front and rear tires. Also took a few measurements from different points on each side of loader frame, all were close except from the ground up to round tube behind bucket is about 1" lower on the left side also left lift cylinder is about 1/2" less than the right. I then raised loader to the top and after the right cylinder got to maximum extend the left lift cylinder went the rest of the way out and all looks good. Then let it back down to within a few inches of floor and the left side is lower agian. Should the left lift cylinder be this far behind the right? I know that is farther away from the input line so it will lag a little. Does this sound like it needs a seal kit?

 

[pclausen]

I owned a 460 FEL on my 4700 tractor for 11 years. I abused, I mean, used the heck out of it for all those years. It would occasionally get slightly "off" like you describe. I knew why, it was from lifting or prying using only the left or right side/corner of the bucket. To get it level again, pry/lift using the opposite corner.

Do be careful, you don't want to go too far the other way, but it will take a good curl/raise to get it straight. You might want to just live with it until you really get the feel for the FEL and its limits.

To rule out it being a hydraulic issue, take the bucket off and lover the FEL to the shop floor and push the joystick all the way forward to put it in float. If the FEL frame is still a little off, it is not the left lift cylinder, but rather a slightly bent frame, in which case the above advice should help, but do learn the limits of the FEL first. You just about need to bounce the left rear tire off the ground (by lifting right front corner of bucket then drop and quickly lift again), to get it straight. Again, please don't attempt this until you really know the setup and its limits!

 

[wthompson]

Thanks, will try that and see if it helps.

 

[SteveIN]

If you don't mind me asking, what did you find?

 

[wthompson]

I tried swapping the lift cylinders, hydraulic lines and nothing made a difference. I would like to figure out what is wrong with it. No part of the frame is bent, but the left lift cylinder starts to move later than the right. The mounting frames and box tube are my next guess but i haven't had timeto look at those. Do you have the same problem?

 

[mikehaugen]

I bought a used 80 loader that looked straight but when mounted, the bucket was crooked. I disassembled it and layed it on the floor upside-down and sure enough it was twisted, basically at the round cross tube. I took it to a welding shop and he straightened it. The cylinders are probably plumbed in parallel so they will just conform to any twist or bend that is already there. I still haven't gotten it back together so I can't tell you for sure that it fixed the problem, but I am confident that it will be good.

 

[SteveIN]

I've got a 4410 with 430 loader and the bucket is about an inch higher on the left side than the right. I've removed and installed the loader to make sure it was attaching correctly, I've verified rear tire air pressure, and have taken a few measurements, and loosened/adjusted the mast mounting supports, none of which have pointed to a specific problem. In another thread someone suggested loosening where the support arms mount to the latch plate on the front of the tractor. Apparently there's some adjustment available. That's the next thing I'm going to try. I'm the second owner and because I suspect the first owner didn't lube the fittings as often as they should have, I have some slop in the joints at the bucket. I will repair/replace those over time as well. I was hoping for a more specific diagnosis for the uneven bucket but haven't found one yet. I'm open for any/all suggestions.

 

[PILOON]

I also had same problem.
Set tractor on known flat area, inflate tires evenly.
Lay spirit level across frame, posts bucket etc and determine where problem is.
In my case the bolted plate that supported my left post was slightly lower due to a lose bolt that wore out the holes slightly.
(moral is torque all bolts from time to time)
I drilled out oversize and inserted larger bolts. Problem cured!

Just remember to level everything B4 reaming out holes oversize. (you can shim bucket up or use a jack)

Remember, a tenth of inch (or even less) inboard can result in 2-3 ins out at the bucket cutting edge.

 

[fgross335_2210]

I had the same problem with my 2210 and 210 loader. Dealer could not figure out the problem, tractor was delivered like this. When I installed bar tires 2 years later I noticed the loader was level! Turns out the rear turf tires were of slightly different diameters. Dealer replaced rear turfs for free after I told them what I found.

If you're out of options, measure the diameter of each rear tire with inflation set the same across both......