Loader My FEL bucket is not level

dreamer · Apr 30, 2011

As the title says, my FEL bucket is not level. It is on my less than one year old B3030. I think it is a LA403 loader. The right side is at least 1 inch lower that the left side. It makes it kinda unhandy to work with. Tire pressures are correct and equal side to side. It was like this upon delivery, I thought I could live with it but I guess I would like to correct it if possible. Any ideas? Thanks.

dreamer.

SPYDERLK · Apr 30, 2011

It sounds like a dealer/warranty problem. Have you told them about it? If not, at this late date they are probably going to say you damaged/twisted it.
larry

LD1 · Apr 30, 2011

Might try raising the loader ALL the way, and holding it there for about 3-5 seconds while still trying to raise it with the valve. The PRV sould open so no harm will be done in that 3-5 seconds.

Sometimes one cylinder will get a little ahead of the other. Since they are plumbed in parallel, it wont self correct, you have to physically extend or retract the cylinders ALL they way to get them even again.

And If that doesnt do it, somethind sounds either bent or tweaked somewhere and I'd contact the dealer.

BXpanded · Apr 30, 2011

Park the tractor on a hard flat surface and measure from the ground to a point on the rear axle on each side. Make sure each rear tire is the same height. The height of tires can vary even with equal pressures. If not the same, adjust the pressure untill all is even. A few psi will make a significant difference in the height of a tire of that size. Check the bucket and see if the out of level condition still exisits.
If still not level, consider just adjusting with the rear tire pressures. If this is not agreeable, or the difference is too great, loosen the bolts mounting the loader to the tractor frame. With the bucket on the ground and the bolts loose, the loader might level itself. If not, try "helping" a bit with a prybar to take the play out of the mounting bolts. Retighten the bolts.

Don87 · Apr 30, 2011

If all else fails, and dealer won't cover it..............latch onto the front of a 3/4 ton ford pickup with the 'high side of the bucket and pick it up till it straightens.

If that doesn't work.......switch to a 1 ton or larger til the problem is corrected.

Or take the easy...........more expensive route and take the entire loader assemby to a frame shop and have it straightened.:thumbsup:

CWB · May 1, 2011

I think if you go back a couple of years you'll find a number of posts on this issue - at that time there seemed to be a manufacturing issue that affected a lot of the 3030 FELs. Perhaps you got tractor equipped with older inventory, of afflicted with the same issue (I think it was attributed to a jig problem). In that case it's going to be hard to correct. I live with the same issue, having bought a 3030 back then, but it doesn't bother me.

Ductape · May 1, 2011

CWB said:
I think if you go back a couple of years you'll find a number of posts on this issue - at that time there seemed to be a manufacturing issue that affected a lot of the 3030 FELs. Perhaps you got tractor equipped with older inventory, of afflicted with the same issue (I think it was attributed to a jig problem). In that case it's going to be hard to correct. I live with the same issue, having bought a 3030 back then, but it doesn't bother me.

Right on. I haven't seen any discussion here on it in years, because it was just the very early 3030s (2004 or so?) that had the problem. Seems hard to imagine there would be a loader that is 5 or 6 year old stock........ but worth looking into. I agree.... the problem back then was the jig for the mounting brakets. The holes to mount the loader to the tractor frame were off slightly on one side.

I do think my first course of action would be to loosen things up on a level concrete surface and see if things settle back to level. After that, I'd be talking to my dealer.

dreamer · May 2, 2011

Thanks for the ideas. I will try the suggestions this week when I get some time and report back.

dreamer.

WaxMan · May 2, 2011

Mine was off too, and I figured I would live with it, but my blade soon wore uneven about 1 inch back further on the right then the left.
I did allot of spreading and back blading loam it was a pain in the butt one side would always dig in and make a line in the dirt. So instead of having nice level grading there was a line every five feet. I learned to feather it out and probably became better at working the loader because of it. (600 hrs later you should see the way I separate rocks out and work the loader with the finesse like a pro)

I have read other posts about it and at about 300 hrs I slotted the mounting holes about 3/4 of a inch on one side to even it out. It was better but never perfect after the blade wore.
I would get it straighten now unless you always want your blade uneven.

allen in texas · May 5, 2011

I had the same problem with my L3240 and 724 loader. I went through all the same steps as you, tire pressure, level surface, all that...

I took it to the dealer and they changed the rear tires. :confused2:
I already knew it wasn't the tires.

I left it with them and went shopping with wifey and when I came back, they had put a new bucket on it. Now it was perfect. :thumbsup:The first bucket was built slightly off and it caused it to sit on the loader unlevel.