FEL Joystick Connection Problems

[Kubota Tee]

A bit of background . . . I purchased my 2012 Grand L5740HSTC with 250 hrs in 2017. Now it has 450 hours. 6 weeks ago, the cable that connects the FEL joystick to the up/down hydraulic valve broke rendering the FEL unusable. The second cable that controls the curl function was still working. Once I confirmed that the valve was still functional (manually tested it), I went about disconnecting the cable and ordered up a new one. The replacement was fairly straightforward - see parts diagram for depiction of this cable.

Now . . just yesterday, the screw that connects the cable to the joystick (part 110 in the exploded view diagram) snapped off inside the bottom of the joystick again rendering the FEL up/down unusable. I was fortunate to get the broken piece out and have ordered a new one. See pic of the broken piece.

So - here is my question. Are these FEL cable issues due to improper adjustment of the cable itself? Poor Joystick usage? Something completely different? As I go to reassemble this again, is there any advice on how to properly adjust this cable for the best operation of the FEL and longevity of the cable/connections?

 

[MHarryE]

From your pictures and the illustration, is there really that much thread exposed when the stud on the cable end is screwed into the block? That type of a cable end is made to be inserted through a hole in a bar or plate with a nut on the other side securing it. From your pictures, the stud end appears to be screwed into a tapped hole with a lot of thread exposed. That cantilevered loading creates a high bending stress in the relatively weak thread area. Stud rod ends need to be tightened to the nut if they are in a tapped hole or they will fatigue and break just like shown in your picture.

 

[Kubota Tee]

From your pictures and the illustration, is there really that much thread exposed when the stud on the cable end is screwed into the block? That type of a cable end is made to be inserted through a hole in a bar or plate with a nut on the other side securing it. From your pictures, the stud end appears to be screwed into a tapped hole with a lot of thread exposed. That cantilevered loading creates a high bending stress in the relatively weak thread area. Stud rod ends need to be tightened to the nut if they are in a tapped hole or they will fatigue and break just like shown in your picture.

Thanks for your kind feedback. I completely understand what you are getting at. Possibly the screw was not completely tightened into the aluminum block which caused the excessive fatigue and failure. I will make sure that it is completely screwed in when I re-assemble it later this afternoon.

In regards to the cable adjustments - any experience or advice on how to properly adjust the cable? There appears to be two adjustment points - one upper and one lower for this type of cable. I just don't have the experience to know if I am adjusting it correctly or if it really matters that much as long as the FEL is operating correctly?

Anyways - thanks for your kind response and keen observations.