Loader BENT BUCKET

[ray66v]

I have done lots of this kind of work in the body shop.

It's an easy fix, if he has some basic equipment.

And, I would definitely use heat on the cutting edge.

 

[wdchyd]

I'd use a bottle jack under the cutting edge.....then a heavy chain hooked on both front corners and under the bottle jack.....pumping the jack up will straighten the edge, moving the jack to one side or the other if need be

 

[k0ua]

I'd use a bottle jack under the cutting edge.....then a heavy chain hooked on both front corners and under the bottle jack.....pumping the jack up will straighten the edge, moving the jack to one side or the other if need be

That would be my first effort on the problem too. I don't think that little "smile" in his bucket is that big of a deal.

You can make your 20 foot log chain shorter by making up a grab hook to grab hook back to back as a "chain shortner"

 

[jmc]

Maybe put the fork back on upside down, in the bucket's center,(like someone already mentioned) curl the bucket all the way back so the fork is as vertical as possible, and drive forward with the fork tip against something that won't move. You might have more traction force than hydraulic force, especially on pavement.

 

[jmc]

The best way to keep it flat would be to throw those clamp on forks in the scrap pile where they belong and get some SSQA forks.

I think the inspiration for clamp-on-forks was the bottle opener.

 

[4570Man]

Here is what I straightened today. This was 1 inch thick and 3-1/2 inches wide. It was bent in a steeper radius than the bucket. It was bent about 1/2 inch over a 8 inch length. It was all my 30 ton press wanted, but I got it within about 1/16 of straight with no heat. You are only fooling yourself saying a bucket can't be straightened.

 

[joefromga]

What did you do to bend it if a 30 ton press barely bent it back?

 

[4570Man]

What did you do to bend it if a 30 ton press barely bent it back?

I didn't bend it. It was already bent when I got it.

 

[orezok]

My bucket was bent a little due to clamp on forks before I added additional supports. I used a farm jack in the reverse position (pulling). Put a strong back across the top of the bucket and jacked the bow right out.

 

[npalen]

I'd use a bottle jack under the cutting edge.....then a heavy chain hooked on both front corners and under the bottle jack.....pumping the jack up will straighten the edge, moving the jack to one side or the other if need be

A floor jack worked for me in this scenario. I've also used a bottle jack for chain straightening but the floor jack seems a bit more stable. Just be careful.

Edit: I also put a C-clamp laying horizontal at each end of the bucket to keep the chain from slipping off the bucket ends.