FEL subframe bowing

shvl73 · Apr 30, 2005

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( This makes me think that this is a problem that caught up with Woods at some point and this is/was their remedy. )</font>

I think he has the same KMW loader as I have.

JerryG · Apr 30, 2005

As far as fixing it goes. I would take a 4.5 grinder with a couple of cut off wheel and cut both sides off at the welds. Take it to a press and straighten them. Add reinforcements and then weld them back on. You might get by with just cutting the weld at the mounting upright and leaving the front intact. That is if the press is tall enough to accommodate it that way.

dbelisle · May 1, 2005

WOW ! Those pictures are interesting to me as I have the same tractor and FEL. I have taken down trees the same way you are describing but have a Backhoe to remove the stumps.

What was puzzeling at first is the hydraulics won't allow you lift more than the loader is designed for.

and if you put to much weight on the FEL or lift to much from the corner the back of the tractor would start to lift off the ground and you would loose traction.

But I think I might have the answer. To bend a sub frame like that you would have to put excessive down force on the right side of the bucket

But when you knock a tree over you would have a hole where the root ball was.

In your case if the left side of the bucket happened on the ground and right side was over the hole when you started pushing on the root ball , you would not only only have the lifting power of the hydraulics. but the power of tractors traction.

The left side of your bucket would be the fulcrum point for the combinded power of the hydaulics and the weight of the machine being transfered to the traction of the tires. The tractor wouldn't try to lift taking the weight off the rear tires so you wouldn't loose traction . The right side of you bucket would be forced down into the hole bending the sub frame out.

Something would have to give. either the tree is going to move or somethings going to bend.

It is the only explanation I have.

Good luck on getting it fixed and keep us posted

Dave in NH

harley53red · May 2, 2005

Well, I'm not sure I'll ever know just exactly what caused this. I can say that it already had a small amount of bow in it when I bought the tractor used ( You could see where the right hydralic cylinder had rubbed on the arm in the past!), but now it's MUCH worse. I was able to clamp it and heat it with a torch and pull it together enough to make the hydralics clear again.....but this won't last. I have a friend with a MIG welder & a plasma cutter. We plan to remove the old arms, reinforce each side of each upright with 1/4" plate steel, then weld an "A frame" shape made of drill stem in place of the bent arms. The "tip" of the "A" would attach to the front of the subframe and the 2 "legs" would be welded to the uprights. We're currently gathering materials and refining the plan. I'll let you know more and post some pictures in a few weeks when we get it done!

harley53red · May 17, 2005

Would someone out there with a 2810 HST with the ML 108H FEL mind looking at the subframe and telling me if the piece of pipe at the front of the subframe that slides into the channel on the front bumper when you attach the FEL is all the way back against the back of the channel...or is there a small space? Thanks for any help anyone can give. I am about to beef up the subframe and don't want to get this wrong!