F series leaning

   / F series leaning #1  

yellowdogsvc

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S. Central TX Hill Country
I know we've had these threads before.. including mine about my B series but I have a new F series with 60 hours on it and I notice that it is leaning to the passenger side under load. While it's not a big lean when it's empty, if I add a bucket or another attachment, it becomes more noticeable. So far, I can count all of the frame stops. The concrete floor I'm checking it out on is more or less level and a level placed across the floor and across the bobtach yields different results. Ditto for the rear of the machine. When standing behind the machine, the box doesn't look 100% level and it's not had anything in it yet.

Anyone have any ideas? No cracked welds or obvious lift arm problems as our other member had from the snow plow and this machine has not been used much except for running around the property. I had my B series from 2007- Dec. 2013 and the only time it leaned was when the frame stop slid out of place.


Thanks in advance!
 
   / F series leaning #2  
Sure you checked tire pressure but other thought that comes to mind are shocks~ leaking~ springs damaged or misaligned?
 
   / F series leaning
  • Thread Starter
#3  
springs look okay. air pressure okay. I did see a little residue on the shock that's inside the spring but when I jumped up and down on the lift arms, it appeared to have good resistance. Ride is good, too.

You know how you just "know" something isn't sitting right? I own a lot of machines like you and can feel them just like my truck. I originally thought I had a spring that sagged too much or a rear spring that wasn't compressed enough but not sure how to test that.
 
   / F series leaning #4  
Could measure shocks next time you have a load on?
 
   / F series leaning #5  
Make sure the rear shackles aren't broken and the leaf isn't hitting the bed. I've seen many of them.
 
   / F series leaning #6  
Is your 5600 still leaning?

My 5610 started leaning to the left yesterday! :eek: :D
P7080013.JPG

But not much.
P7080016.JPG P7080014.JPG
 
   / F series leaning
  • Thread Starter
#7  
Is your 5600 still leaning?

My 5610 started leaning to the left yesterday! :eek: :D
View attachment 382168

But not much.
View attachment 382169 View attachment 382170

Yes it is! I still have to get it to the shop. I bought the chipper for it and though it's rated for it, it leans hard to the right when the chipper is on. The chipper is probably heavier on the right when the feed table is on the right side but it will lean with any heavy attachment even if it's slight.
I plan on getting it into Bobcat soon. It's only got 100 and something hours on it.. and no hard use so I doubt anything is bent/twisted. I noticed some of the bolts that hold the suspension are mounted different on each side.. don't see how that could be an issue but I think someone goofed at the factory. Maybe I have a weak spring..

Keep us posted on what you find...

After looking at your pics again, that's what mine does when the weight isn't centered..
 
   / F series leaning
  • Thread Starter
#8  
Update.

Had my F series into the shop. I think I have just north of 100 hours on it just mowing or using it around the shop and one or two chipping jobs. Asked the dealer, who has a good service department, to verify the lean when the bucket is full and, sure enough, they did.
The response I got was that the pumps and motor are loaded up on the same side of the machine and that's causing the lean. I asked about myself as a counterweight (still leans with just an operator) and I was told that they would forward my concerns to Bobcat.

I'm going to follow up. Something isn't right. My B series didn't lean except when I was missing a frame stop. I paid a lot of money for the F series and I like it but if this is a design issue, why hasn't anyone else noticed it until now?

Anyone else with a lean?
 
   / F series leaning #9  
I was leaning the other day trying to smooth out a driveway, not fun. Finally realized the bolt vibrated out of the front of a rear leaf spring.
 
 
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