LA 853 Q/A dropping buckets - Kubota fix kit

slowzuki · Jan 9, 2006

I put the factory fix kit on the Q/A and thought I would relate some info.

It went on easily, it basically is a bushing fits inside the spring attached to the top of the q/a pin. With the bushing the pin cannot lift out of the tab spot.

It doesn't fix bad fitting q/a plates but does fix the tendency of the ramp on the pin face to slide up against the spring.

I'll try to get pics or scan in the instructions.

Part number 7J266-99200 price $13.79

Boondox · Jan 9, 2006

I'd love to see some pics.

Pete

chilibit · Jan 9, 2006

I have not had any issues with mine. Is the problem build date related?

slowzuki · Jan 9, 2006

Yes it is, only the early q/a's had a problem. I think the 723 loader was affected too.

The LA1002 loader was also affected.

I haven't have a problem with my kubota bucket but my forks come off with any down pressure on the tips. It broke the tip off one of my pins the first time and now I don't even do the pins up when using the forks. Hopefully I'll see if the kits fixes the problem.

My forks were damaged before I got them, they had pulled the top portion of the q/a plate apart on a too heavy load.

texbaylea · Jan 9, 2006

Do you know if the same kit works for the Q/A on a LA723? I have popped attachments off of mine a few times. A real problem when you have hydraulic connections.

Vernon

P.S. I added washers above the spring to give more compression and that has helped.

GeneD14 · Jan 9, 2006

I did the washer fix also. It has worked foor the last 1.5 years. See the attached picture.

slowzuki · Jan 9, 2006

The washer fix is sort of a cheat and doesn't work as well. Unless you add so many washers that the spring bottoms out, the pin can still rise out of the q/a. There isn't a good way to add that many washers and still be able to adjust the pin depth of engagement.

With the kubota kit I added a single washer in with the spring stack so there is zero spring action left on the q/a for my main bucket. It solidly pins in place.

Hard to explain but basicly the kit replaces spring action with a solid acting rod.

CT_Tree_Guy · Jan 9, 2006

Ken, I'm with you. I studied my options pretty carefully, but nothing I could think of would make that QA connection strong enough to keep the grapple in place when I clamped onto a heavy object and put 50 horses to the ground in 4WD low. Pop, pop, pop, grrrrr. Two 3/4" grade 8 bolts did the trick nicely.

slowzuki · Jan 10, 2006

CT, the thing is pretty strong, but kubota chose at first to leave some spring action so poorly built q/a plates would fit. They should have used much stronger springs though.

The washers add preload to make the pins reach a certain load before they move but once it hits that point the springs are no stiffer and just give way.

The kubota kit gets rid of the spring action so the pin physically can't retract like the original one.

texbaylea · Jan 10, 2006

slowzuki

With mine there is only enough spring action to keep the over center latching of the levers. On one of my attachments the springs are fully compressed just before the levers over center, takes a bit of extra effort to latch. The pins, therefore, can only move up 1/16 to 1/8 inch before the spring is fully compressed. Those are eyeball measurements of course.

Vernon