Kubota L3800 Loader problems... twisted??

[kubotagary]

Good Afternoon

I was using my Tractor today with the forks in together to dig out rose bushes the wife wanted removed. I would drive in, get under neath and pop the roots up, it was going swimmingly well, making short work of the bushes and without a drop of sweat!!

Then on my second last clump, i pulled out and noticed that one of the quick connects had come loose and the forks were only attached by the one side (right side i think...)

i lowered the FEL, and disconnected the one side and when i went to re-connect, i noticed that my cylinders were operating different speeds. The right hand side would go faster going down, but when the cylinder compressed, the right side would go up slightly slower.. this obviously caused massive problems trying to re-attach.

finally i got off the tractor and looked at things and it appears, that when facing the tractor, the left side is twisted maybe 3/4" to the left... so even when i try to by hand muscle the forks back on, it appears the "paddles"? that flip in are almost two wide apart..... best way i can describe the twist is that its like someone was facing the tractor and pulled the loader arm directly to the left....

hope this makes sense.. i am wondering whether anyone has had a similiar situation and can comment, or suggest what to do... i have a basic amount of DIY skills and my neighbor who has a case d40 is my go to guy for tractor lessons & help...

i added a few pics, before i turned the tractor off, i raised the FEL off the ground and curled it all the way up... and then went out 15 mins later, i found that the cylinder that seemed to have twisted has extended maybe an inch...

 

[DK35vince]

I read about this happening many times on TBN.
Its the toque tube (the tube running between the QA plates) are easy to twist if 1 side comes unhooked.
Its an easy fix.
Just twist it straight, or cut the tube, line it up straight and reweld.

 

[Carl_NH]

If you put the forks on the left side (bent side) and put a 4x4 block under the fork - do this on level ground/pad then use down pressure to bring it back into alignment and attach the right side. You will probably need to go a bit beyond say 2.5" to bring it in.

Probably best to have your neighbor spotting with you on the tractor. Go slow and see if this brings it back into alignment.

 

[s219]

Yep, you bent the torque tube.

 

[skyhook]

You could heat the tube and re-bend it back, but,,
May need to replace the tube, once bent, it could be a weak link for future bends.

 

[kennyd]

Morbid curiosity here, but what brand of forks do you have?

 

[BC Boy]

I thought I did this to my Kioti CK 2510…I sent a photo to my dealer…He said its an easy fix..like straightening a car frame…I took the tractor to him…wasn't the loader in my case..the weld on the mount tower let go…he re welded it and add a beefy gusset…It won't ever let go again..

 

[RLstangs]

Put one side against a tree and slowly move the other side out with the hydraulics until it bends the torque back straight and both attaching points are back even.

 

[kubotagary]

KennyD
i have HORST forks

took the QA part off by removing the retainer pins, then knocking the 2 large pins on each side
once the piece came off, it was more obvious to see the twist, where before you could see an obvious twist in the torque tube. My neighbor & I are taking it to a machinist tommorow(hopefully) and going to get him to twist it back , and bring it somewhat back to square. if at all possible i am going to see if he can make it stronger, perhaps a solid bar instead of the hollow tube...

will update when i can, thanks for all the help so far!
i went from panicking, thinking i destroyed a few $$ in the FEL to seeing some positive solutions

Thanks!

 

[s219]

You might not want to reinforce that -- I think the torque tube on QA models is meant to be the weak link that gives before you destroy something else. Kind of like a fuse. Someone else can probably confirm.

 

[DK35vince]

You might not want to reinforce that -- I think the torque tube on QA models is meant to be the weak link that gives before you destroy something else. Kind of like a fuse. Someone else can probably confirm.

I don't think it would hurt to reinforce.
My QA is heavy plate the whole way across (there is no torque tube).
I can take my bucket off and lift with a chain at full loader capacity in the center of my QA without damage.
Hard to tell here in this picture with my bucket on, but the only picture I could find

 

[DK35vince]

I found a better photo with the bucket off.
No bending this QA.
Plated the whole way across front and rear

 

[skyhook]

You bring up a good point, DK,,
I wonder if the original QA's can be "beefed" up across, with a plate similar to yours,,
has anyone ever done this reinforcing procedure, sure sounds logical.

 

[kennyd]

KennyD
i have HORST forks

Good, those are quality ones. I have read many cases where a cheap brand doesn't fit well and pops off the QA shoes.
So, after you get things straightened out, you must see why they came off in the first place to ensure it doesn't happen again. Strengthening the torque tube is ok, but if your forks pop of again you'll be in the same boat your in now.

 

[jeff9366]

I had $250 optional pin-on bucket on my prior tractor, a Kubota B3300SU. I had nearly the same problem, which started when one of the lynch pins securing the bucket flipped off in thick brush, allowing one of the pivot pins to fall out. If you have a pin-on bucket and work in brush, replace the lynch pines with screws and nuts.

 

[kubotagary]

*** Update ***

Got the call from the machine shop today and picked up my part
they did a great job bending it back into square
slid the pins back in and fired up the tractor, hooked up the FEL bucket and it was as new
the guy at the shop decided not to beef up the torque tube, deciding that it was a weak link for a reason,, and if it needed to be a solid pipe, kubota would have made it that way at the factory
anyways, i am back to tractoring, and you dont realize how much you rely on a tractor for small jobs until you are without yours
thanks again to everyone who was able to steer me in the right direction!

 

[skyhook]

I'm not too convinced on this 'weak link" theory,,
Then again, I suppose thats why they made those "weak link" front axles.
Personally, I would definitely beef up the front QA and better secure the latches.

 

[kennyd]

I am of the opinion that the torque tube is just to keep the QA shoes timed together, the implement (bucket, grapple, forks, whatever) should provide the structural rigidity to keep everything from twisting while is use. Some loaders and SSL's don't even have a torque tube or timing bar.

This problem happened because one side of his forks popped off, that issue needs to be addressed to prevent further damage, beefing up the tube is treating the symptom, not the disease IMHO.

 

[skyhook]

Ya, I hear what your saying, Kenny,
If you look further up the loader arms, you see a much larger reinforcement tube,
it just seems to me that a larger one should have also been installed at the bottom.
Your right, the attached implement will give it it's strength, once attached,
but a little more added wouldn't hurt, IMO,,
if this were to happen to me, I'd be a little gun shy next time,
this time it was only the tube that needed straightening,
imagine if the end forks on the loader arms had taken a twist.

 

[skyhook]

Check out this older thread, same problems and a few fix's....
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/kubota-owning-operating/117700-quick-attach-fix.html