Possible bent 400cx loader arms on 09 4720 cab tractor

[Ramairfreak98ss]

It happened over the summer, i had a 3' deep hole maybe 20x25' in size i was digging burried concrete pieces out of before we backfilled it in the yard. I was curling the bucket and lifting the arms to get these pieces out and one of them put a lot of weight "didnt budge at first", on the right most corner of the bucket. It eventually popped out and i scooped it up, but realized that the arms seemed crooked, the bucket was noticeably lower on the front right side "looking out the cab".

I couldn't find anything tweaked or bent or anything.

I figured it was just the hydraulic cylinders off a little.

It never straightened out. Looking at it dead center in the front, it seems that the passenger side post that all the loader hooks to closest to the cab, is not center, like its almost wider "to the outside of the tractor" that the cab, where the drivers side post beam is inline with the cab. There are MORE inches, but about 1.5" between the hood and the passenger loader beam and the drivers side and the cab... I'm talking about the vertical part that says "400cx" on it.

I don't see anything thats actually bent, and those arms are wobbly, they move and shake if you put some muscle into them. They're also thicker than most other metal on the loader assembly and i can't see them bending... ever.

I was not driving at the time this bent, simply digging, i didnt drive it into something hard or run it into something, it was simply from lifting the loader bucket.

 

[Ramairfreak98ss]

Notice on the left, it is a little lower than the right side... i'll find the photos i took recently with the arms up in the air where its much more noticeable. With this 8' pusher box on the front for snow, as wide as it is, the passenger side rubs the ground and the left side is still 4-5" off the ground its so crooked

 

[beenthere]

Trade up, might be a good time.

Maybe you can try to bend it back by putting a load on the other arm.
But first need to determine just where it is bent, or if maybe an adjustment slipped and can be readjusted.
Check with your dealer for the installation/setup procedure that likely has info on adjusting.. I think there are some, but not absolutely sure about it.

Nice plow

 

[pmsmechanic]

I think you are not quite in the center of the tractor when you took the picture with the red snow blade on it. I'm going to assume that the windshield wiper pivot is in the center of the cab. You should take some measurements to each side from there. The frame of the loader could be straightened by just putting the low side onto your trailer and pushing down with the tractor. If that doesn't do enough then chain the high side to the trailer and lift up.

 

[UnclePaul]

I am not sure what the correct terminology is but if you tighten the bolt in the end of the latch for the loader on the passenger side that would raise that side more of the ground. At least a 300cx works that way.

 

[Rustyiron]

We all need to remember that our big or little tractors are not built to be earth moving equipment. We've all done it, (worked them to 200% of their design) and the same go's for all of our "tools", tractors, trucks, or real "earth mover's". My opinion is that AG based tractors loaders are built & designed mainly for "chores" around the farm or home and need to keep this in mind.
I'm sure you probably noticed some "movement" to say the least, when you push around that 8" pusher box that you didn't expect to see. I sure did while trying my 8.5' snowplow (on a crappy dirt road) that I usually have on my SS when I put it on my Kub m9540, to the point that I'm building a frame mount for the plow. That's a pretty machine you have there, run it and see if it settles back a little. Find a flat pc. of parking lot to pop the loader off and "park" it on it's stand.
Then check it out with a 4' level and a tape measure to see what's going on.

 

[mechanic327]

Tough to tell by pictures how bad it is bent. But, sometimes to get it level again, you can fool with rear tire pressures. I would try that.

 

[lugnut5]

Have an 08 bent the loader plowing snow the cross tube is the week link check for cracked paint on the inside and bottom of the tube. Put it on a buddies frame machine chained the good side down lifted the bent side with a porta power took 3 tries and it went back on the last shot. Put a piece 1/2 steel tube on the inside and 3/4 cussets on the bottom of the tube good as new

 

[Notforhire]

Rustyiron is correct. Ag loaders are intended to be material handlers. If you intend on doing similar jobs in the future, you may want to trade your machine for something yellow.

Bill

 

[Ramairfreak98ss]

I think you are not quite in the center of the tractor when you took the picture with the red snow blade on it. I'm going to assume that the windshield wiper pivot is in the center of the cab. You should take some measurements to each side from there. The frame of the loader could be straightened by just putting the low side onto your trailer and pushing down with the tractor. If that doesn't do enough then chain the high side to the trailer and lift up.

Yeah i realized the photos here arn't straight on... i didn't take them, we'll leave it at that

I had the machine on our trailer just prior with the arms up in the air "looking really crooked to the right" without a bucket or box and the phone died so i couldnt use the cam then.

Someone referenced that lower center support tube being weaker than the rest and possible rust, although this one doesnt have any rust yet, i did see paint chipped at one corner, maybe that tube is bent or broken at a corner and now its stuck crooked like that.

My main goal is to find out WHERE it is bent, as i know its bent for sure, and it doesnt seem to ever straighten back out either.

I realize digging deep into the ground isnt really what this thing was meant for but certainly not the first time we've been doing some digging with it likely beyond what it was designed to dig..

And we have a lot of machines for work, but with the exception of a backhoe or excavator, the 4x4 capability, this was the most perfect machine for what i was digging into without getting potentially stuck and at high angles going down or up.

We have JD track skid steers which possibly would have worked, but didnt want to get a machine totally mudded up as there was some mud at the bottom digging into just for 10m of digging.

Skid steers, haha forget about it, they get stuck in dirt at high angles so quickly its not funny, dirt or mud or whatever.

We have small JD skids like a 320 and larger ones like a 332D.

We also just got a 2013 deere 524k front end loader with a 3 yard bucket, which probably has the power to dig out everything i was digging all in one bucket scoop, but again, didn't want to drive it across the back yard and have a hard time backing up and turning etc.

We have far more JD yellow stuff than green stuff, with that said, i've overworked our little simplicity legacy xl garden tractor with a 27hp diesel and 48" front bucket with modified hydraulic pressure raised than anything ive done with the 50,000$ JD 4720, nothing is bent on that loader which is basically a "hobby" loader for a garden tractor.. just saying !!