Tweaked FEL

[mercdv]

You got to understand that it is hard for us to diagnose this from seeing a few pictures. We all just have to go off our personal experiences and what little we can see in the pictures. If it truly happened just from a lift, I would have to agree that the best possible explanation is a failure in a cylinder or the hydraulics. It could be a failed cylinder or a failed relief valve. Whatever failed, it would most likely have left one boom cylinder applying way more force relative to the opposite cylinder under load. In theory this could cause some major twisting. That just looks like a heck of a lot more than that from pictures though. Now, pictures can make things look worse than they are or even make things look less damaged so keep that in mind while we are stating what it looks like to us from the photos. It could also be a defect/problem in the boom or mast attachment areas but there aren't good pictures of those areas to tell.

 

[strantor]

Maybe one of the lift cylinders is plumbed backwards so they were fighting each other. The one who was lifting was winning (always more force on extend than retract on a single-acting cylinder) until the load got on it, and then the backwards guy started winning.

 

[ovrszd]

Maybe one of the lift cylinders is plumbed backwards so they were fighting each other. The one who was lifting was winning (always more force on extend than retract on a single-acting cylinder) until the load got on it, and then the backwards guy started winning.

I assume he has previously used the FEL with no problems.

 

[1010]

Maybe there's a cracked weld somewhere that failed and caused such a major shift and twist.

Certainly could be now. It could be a cylinder not doing its part and caused the shift. So he said he's 200lbs over the recommended weight. If he wasn't centered and each fork almost equally with the same pressure, then the unequal load shoved the loader to one side, the lighter side. Loaders aren't strong side to side flex. It's up and down only.
And being made gods knows where, and no telling how crappy of a metal and fabrication is being done.

As I said in the other broken weld FEL thread this might the coming trend.

 

[mercdv]

And it looks like the ram heads (at the attachment pin) are bent.

You can remove the cylinders and take those to a hydraulic shop to see if they can repair them. It totally depends on the shop (how big of a shop) and how much damage to the cylinder on whether or not they can fix them. That is usually a heck of a lot cheaper than replacing the cylinder if they can be fixed.

 

[MossRoad]

Some side pictures may be helpful.

 

[crashz]

I'd like to see the loader mounts. Right side of the tractor.

I had a long response and some questions, but realized it was impossible. Hydraulic failure, 6 inches off the ground could not do that. It took some substantial force from the right side to move the loader frame like this. Maybe the problem manifested itself with the heavy pick, but I think the damage was actually done before this. Could have been hardly bent at all, but weakened.

Was this machine rolled over at any time?

 

[mykleh]

I agree check the mounting points.. my 7108 I didn't notice once wasn't fully in the "saddle" on one side when I put the bolt in after putting it back on once and the first time I picked something up it shifted and then I almost shi*ted and had to walk away as I thought I had trashed it.. found it back where it belonged and put the bolt back in and everything straightened out.

 

[CincyFlyer]

Just one note: hasn't virtually everyone with a loader tried to lift over its capacity and simply had the relief valve open?

 

[4570Man]

Just one note: hasn't virtually everyone with a loader tried to lift over its capacity and simply had the relief valve open?

Yep. That is going to happen. Any loader that can’t take it WILL fail.