Compact tractor loader needs twisted back straight

[azeller22]

I bought this tractor from an insurance auction and the last thing I need to do to make this tractor 'perfect' is straighten the boom. A car veered off the road and hit the bucket which in turn twisted the boom. Any suggestions on trying to twist this loader boom back? Thanks!

 

[Stimw]

I used to work a frame rack designed for straightening semi tractors and trailers damaged from abuse or accidents.
It really depends on what you have to work with and then your ability to "See" where it needs to be corrected.
Heat is not always the best way to attack it.

 

[bigdeano]

I would chain the high side to a stump and raise the loader. Maybe the hydraulics will be strong enough to twist it. You may have to chain a long piece of heavy steel or a log crossways and chain to the stump some distance to the side of the loader frame.

If you want to get tricky you could reverse the hoses on the lift cylinder on the high side, so it's pulling down while the other one is pushing up. That tractor looks like new. Good luck.

 

[tcreeley]

Can you order a replacement side or are both sides bent? Then swap over the cylinder/hoses?

I'd be tempted to bolt one side (short side) to something immovable, hook a chain to the other end and stretch it with a 4x4 pickup in low. to match the other side.

Good luck.

 

[Sprinklerman]

Check with a local body shop that has a frame rack . They can pull from all kinds of angles .

 

[Sysop]

If the hydraulics were strong enough to twist it back, that would mean the metal and/or joints are so fatigued it will no longer support the rated capacity and needs a lot more work to be ready to use...

Seeing where something needs corrected is really only necessary if you can't see how it was damaged. Considering it took a hit to the bucket, perhaps chaining the bucket to an immovable object in the area of the impact and reversing the tractor to get a pull opposite of what the hit caused could pull it back out. If you can see how it was damaged, many times trying to "reverse" the damage is easier than "repairing". I would consider the bucket to be scrap. Drilling or welding on it to put an anchor to pull from the main point of impact shouldn't be an issue.

If it does come down to IDing the bends for repair work, you may be able to inspect the paint/powder coat all over the unit for any signs of cracking. That will be the area that bent. Being black, you could even rub it down with some old Turtle Wax paste to help locating any hairline cracks. Cracks in the finish may not appear immediately.

 

[LD1]

Find out what kind of car hit it (weight), and from what angle, and from what speed.

Then buy a similar $300 junk car, make it weigh the same by either adding weight or removing stuff. And crash back into it at the same speed from the other side:laughing:


I dont think the long log sticking out the side and using hydraulics will work. I see the tractor tipping sideways long before any bending is done.

I like the reversing of one cylinder idea, and if that didnt work, a frame shop is about the only option I see to make it truly right so it works properly and doesnt eat pins or bind up.

 

[pmsmechanic]

If the loader arms still have the same profile then a frame shop would easily be able to bend it straight again. Put the loader on a trailer and take it to a body shop for an estimate.

After looking at the pictures again I would take the bucket to a fabricating/welding shop and have them bend up a new back to the bucket and weld it in. If the old back is cut out it will be very easy to straighten out the bottom. The one side is salvageable but the other side definitely needs some work. Maybe they could weld part of a side in.

 

[azeller22]

Thank you all, those ideas definitely help. I did get a hold of a guy at a Cat dealership who has some experience in these types of things so I'll see what kind of equipment he has for straightening. My main issue is getting it secured well enough to put some tonnage to it.

 

[azeller22]

This tractor has 1.5hrs on it

 

[DK35vince]

Let the car drivers insurance pay for the damage and get it fixed right.

 

[azeller22]

I would, but i bought this tractor at an insurance auction. It was sitting on a dealership lot when this happened.

 

[airbiscuit]

So when it's all put back together, you'll have to let us what kind of deal you got :tractor:

 

[azeller22]

Next week I'll be meeting a service tech from Caterpillar who has some experience straightening booms. I called a frame straightening shop today and they didn't want to try. I'll try some others. Stripping it down some more today, I think it can be fixed by simply cutting the lower rectangular tubing and welding in a new piece. I believe that is the weak member and where the twist is. I work with pipeliners and the welder says he thinks it's an easy fix, but I'll go that route after I explore twisting it back into shape.

 

[Xfaxman]

I would mount it on the tractor, chain the high side and use a bottle jack on the low side.

The trick is finding something to chain it to and be able to get the correct angle with the jack.

You need to go past straight because it will spring back a little.

 

[DieselBound]

It was hit on the left front, yes? Can you tell what areas of the arm got stressed? I'm thinking that somewhere the paint is going to tell you where.

I have to wonder whether this really can be straightened, that the structural integrity might be compromised. With more square tubing I could see cutting and welding for correcting, but these arms look pretty rounded.

 

[azeller22]

The arms seem solid, I can see the twist in the lower box beam and believe that's the culprit and would be the weakest link.

It looks like the car ran into the left bucket wall and went airborne off it.

 

[Plantation Paul]

Check with a local body shop that has a frame rack . They can pull from all kinds of angles .

A good frame machine would work. They have jacks, blocks, chains etc to bind it down and make it twist. I used to operate one long time ago and it was strong enough to tear up some stuff if you weren't careful.

 

[buickanddeere]

Metal hardening , fatigue then breakage could be the result. Most people here have broken something when they had it bend back just about straight.

 

[Xfaxman]

Metal hardening , fatigue then breakage could be the result. Most people here have broken something when they had it bend back just about straight.

That won't be a problem with his loader, it isn't bent very much.

I have straightened a bunch of bent stuff over the years and haven't seen any thing break later on.