Maximum cylinder extension?

LD1 · Feb 23, 2016

I think the plan of attack is correct as long as the cylinders don't hit the loader arms, and you do put the mechanical stops back on.

The cylinder won't destroy itself under hydraulic power even if hard stops are not put back on. The issue is outside forces. Like bucked dumped all the way and jsi g the cutting edge like a bulldozer.... Or dumping a heavy load with inertia and sitting full extend hard. The mechanical stops keep the piston from busting the rod cap off the cylinder

4570Man · Feb 23, 2016

It won't hurt the cylinder to bottom out. The lift cylinders very likely bottom out and my curl cylinders bottom out when curling up.

Leejohn · Feb 23, 2016

The stops are there to help to clean the bucket.

LD1 · Feb 23, 2016

Bottoming out when curling up isn't a big deal. It's bottoming out when extending, then applying additional outside force trying to tear the cylinder apart

houser52 · Feb 23, 2016

I appreciate all the useful info so far. Sounds like it's not as big of a concern as I thought it was.

Jabonee · Feb 24, 2016

houser52 said:
I looked at Messick's diagram of my cylinder. It shows and lists the piston, head and o-rings inside but no description or pics of a sleeve.

OK sounds like your cylinders do not have internal stop. So you need to manuely determin max extension. Pull pin on bucket end. disconnect hoses. (Messy,Careful) pull rod out and measure. Careful if you decide to modify stops. You can get too much roll and throw the geometry off causing the bucket to bind and not roll back. :thumbsup:

Xfaxman · Feb 24, 2016

Jabonee said:
OK sounds like your cylinders do not have internal stop. So you need to manuely determin max extension. Pull pin on bucket end. disconnect hoses. (Messy,Careful) pull rod out and measure. Careful if you decide to modify stops. You can get too much roll and throw the geometry off causing the bucket to bind and not roll back. :thumbsup:

Why disconnect the hoses?

Why not just pull the pin and power extend, like he already did?

houser52 · Mar 1, 2016

Update-

After taking all the measurements of the dump cylinder while connected and disconnected to the SSQA, it looked like I could gain 1 1/2" of extension if I cut the stops off of the loader's boom.
I only cut off the stop tabs and the reinforcements were left on the boom and SSQA. Those reinforcements now serve as the stops. I ended up gaining 1 1/4" of extension and the cylinders still clear the boom when extended. That extra 1 1/4" of extension left me with 1/4" before the cylinders bottomed out and I now have almost a full dump with the loader raised all the way. It's a lot better than before.

I just cut off those stop tabs on the bottom of the boom.

With those stop tabs gone, now the SSQA stops contact those reinforcements underneath where I cut the tabs off. The cylinders are 1/4" from full extension.