B3030 LA403 loader still crooked....

[Sully2]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Sully,

Thanks for your reply...I felt my last post was a bit long winded but I can't even put into words my frustration.

I take it your B3030 is good and straight? I truly beleive this problem lies with the first run of the B3030. Mine was one of the first ones my dealer recieved. I should have known better then to get one of the first ones out. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif )</font>

Yeah..mine is straight for sure. I have no idea when it was made..but the dealer got it in for me mid september of 05 and I actually bought it the last of september.

The only practical way I see to find out what the problem actually is..is by "substitution". Install a new loader...if its out of square...then it cant be the loader.. Then take the NEW loader off and install a new ??"sub frame"?? ( Is that whats its called?? The frame that the "loader frame" bolts to??) If its STILL out of square..it has to be the location points where the "sub frame" bolts to the tractor itself...and THAT would require some "real head scratching measuring" to find out where..just what..is "out of spec".

At the ABSOLUTE WORST...the subframe might have to have some or all of the holes on the "high side" .."slotted" just enough to allow the whole loader/loader frame to sit down square and proper...and then torque the bolts up properly...and THEN.."align drill and ream" a hole thru BOTH the subframe AND the loader frame and install a "tight fitting shoulder bolt" thru that reamed hole....that way it CANT move out of position.

But I dont think it would ever have to come to all of that!

 

[Barnboy]

Ok I think ive finally found where the problem is. I have also suffered with a crooked loader and have measured every inch on this loader. I think I have narrowed it down to this. If you measure from the bottom of the cradle bracket to the inside of the pipe (see picture) I come up with a 3/8" difference. Check yours and see what you come up with. I'm calling my dealer tomorrow and getting the rep back out here to get his opinion.

 

[Barnboy]

Here's another picture. With the setup I used in the picture I measured 2 7/8" on the left side (sitting on the tractor) and 2 1/2" on the right. That would correspond to the offset of the loader. Maybe we just need a new cradle??

 

[jlbota]

Barnboy,

Very interesting information for sure! I am going to check mine out and do the same measurements and see what I come up with.
If anyone that has a newer B3030 without this problem could do the same measurements and chime in that would help to.
I have another call into my rep but he is in California this week for something.
Thanks for the post and I will post my results after I get it measured.

Jason

 

[kingoflawns]

I will check my machine and post here asap. I purchased my 3030 in october 2005, both my 403 fel & 2782 snowblower are dead on. I have followed all the threads on this fel situation from day one and my theory has always been something off kilter in the loader stanchions. I think barnboy is onto something here, good work!

 

[Sully2]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Here's another picture. With the setup I used in the picture I measured 2 7/8" on the left side (sitting on the tractor) and 2 1/2" on the right. That would correspond to the offset of the loader. Maybe we just need a new cradle?? )</font>

YEP! The bolt holes in the loader frame are out of position..!! And at 3/8's of an inch difference..ya cant SLOT the holes and use it...or you wont have any "meat" around the top set of holes in it. NEW loader frame!!

 

[jlbota]

Barnboy,

I think you are on to something. I checked the measurements on my loader and it is just a tad over 3/8 difference. When I measured before in this area I measured from the bottom of the plate where your long level is sitting up to the bottom of the tube and it was exactly 4 inches on both sides. So what I think is wrong according to the measurements you found is that the tube is not welded in square to the mounting plate and its kicking the whole left side up and in at the top throwing the whole thing off.
I sure hope this is it.....it makes sense that it would be.
I didn't try to check the actual square of the tube in relation to the mounting plate but it has to be off.
I am really anxious to see what measurements King of Lawns comes up with. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[kingoflawns]

I took the tape measure to the 3030 yesterday, everything is dead on & the bottom of the tube on the stanctions is 19"from the ground up.

 

[Barnboy]

Well thats good. Then the problem must be in the left side cradle. I gave my dealer a copy of this thread friday. He said he was going to take the copy with him to the service meeting this month. I'm going to ask for the rep to come out and request a new cradle.

 

[jlbota]

The more I think about it I guess it's actually possible that the right side might be the culprit and not the left. There really is no way to tell just basing it off the measurement difference. I am guessing the left side is the problem.
I talked to my dealer this morning and he is going to get the service rep's approval to go ahead and replace both sides. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[rbargeron]

Would it be possible to loosen the cradle bolts and shim the top ones on the "high" side and bottom ones on the "low" side? Might only need the thickness of a washer on each side. It will give the cradle a little reverse twist and the loader might straighten out. It's just soft steel - you can't hurt it by pushing it around a little. Anyway, it would prove the concept and then you could decide whether to press the dealer for a new cradle.

 

[jlbota]

I know this may not seem funny to some but I had to share my sense of humor....I just took a look at my B3030 brochure and there is a picture of a B3030 with the loader bucket flat on the floor and it seems to be crooked also. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Yeah I know it could be another factor making it look that way but come on ...It is a little funny ...Right?
It just makes me wonder even more how Kubota didn't catch this problem beforehand they had pictures. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[SnoFalls]

Maybe it's the same machine you purchased /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[rbargeron]

In my post above about shimming, I should have said to take out the bolted spacer before experimenting with the shims. Once the two side posts are shimmed to the same height off the floor, see how the bottom spacer fits back into place - if it doesn't fit , you have the same thing Barnboy found.

Loosening the cradle bolts may show what's causing the twist. With the bolts loose enough for everything to relax, the loader may lay flat on the floor and look ok. Then, as the bolts are tightened, it will be clear what is moving to make the loader crooked. The idea of the shims would be to freeze the relaxed alignment.

As always, prompt cheerful refund if info is bogus. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Take care, Dick B

 

[andyd107]

Went thru this with my b3030hsdc. The only fix is to remount the loader with the bucket flat. My dealers inventory had 3 with the same problem. I felt the dealer thought I was crazy but not after he check his own. I personally believe it's a kubota problem that they would rather not deal with. I think the mounts are forward slightly on one side. Kubota should step up to the plate instead of blaming the dealer not mounting it right. I also think after a period of use it will show up again. 40 hours and so far so good.

 

[Barnboy]

I'm holding out for new cradles. If they cant fix it i'm going to trade up to a 3130. Kubota needs to get this fixed. You just dont spend this kind of money to say well it ok it will work. I really like my B3030 for size and weight but this loader thing has me concerned about future Kubota quality. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

 

[jlbota]

Been waiting all week for my dealer to call me back on the next step. He told me by Wednesday he would call me but of course he dropped the ball again.
It just gets old....
I am annoyed with my loader because if I try to do any fairly precise work with my loader that right hand corner is always digging in first....I have to get creative with it.
Honestly the way I am feeling now about the whole thing I would just try a different brand of tractor after this if Kubota doesn't step up.
I know all brands have issues and I am willing to take "some" time to get an issue resolved...but 8 months of this stuff is getting crazy. You can't tell me no one at Kubota knows about this problem. But they sure act like its news to them. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[jlbota]

I am not sure how your dealer fixed your loader in that fashion because there are no adjustments on this loader. I could loosen it all up and drop my bucket flat and tighten it all back up and it would go right back into the crooked position. Where the shoulder of the bolt goes thru the mounting plates there is no wiggle room for adjustment. The only way I could see anyone getting any adjustment would be to grind out the bolt holes in the mounting plate but I told my dealer I wanted no such thing done to my new tractor.
I am not saying your dealer did this but I am curious how he fixed it for you.
I am however glad he worked with you on it and got you going. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Barnboy]

I agree with you 100%. No drilling, reaming or spacing on my new tractor. It was not designed for that. My dealer has been in meetings all week so I havent had a chance to talk to him yet. He did get a copy of this forum and the pictures. My dealer has been open minded about this and is trying to get it fixed. We have just been waiting to see what we can learn from others as well as what we have done and shared on this site.

 

[kingoflawns]

Well said, kubota needs to make this right, these machines are not cheap as we all well know. Set a timetable for kubota, if they meet it great, if they dont, a class action lawsuit will get their attention!