Quick Attach Engagement question

[hslogger]

I have a number of front end attachments for my ssqa. I have found that the one that fits best is the bucket that came with it. Others sometimes I would fight a bit and get to the point in my head maybe I am gonna bend the heck out of it. I started greasing the underside of the V now and then with bearing grease and a putty knife. I hardly ever have any hook up problems any more and so far haven't wrecked any of the linkages. I also, ALSO keep the underside of the V and the the ssqa assembly on the tractor end really clean of dirt, twigs, flying monkeys'.

 

[Smokeydog]

Good pictures Xfaxman.

Important that bottom gap is tight. Play there, up and down moves and wears the wedge pin.

 

[TWD]

I'm thinking of adding a fork attachment this spring. Where are those 3/16" pins you mention? Who made your forks?
Now that I've thought about it, forks with a 4000 lb rating seems too light for the M59 loader. Especially since I don't know how they figured the stresses. In today's world I wouldn't put it past them to use forks that are rated at 2000 lbs each and call the combination 4000 lbs. That's the kind of thinking that earns engineers a law suit for negligence - as it should.

On my SSQA I don't think that the SSQA bevel pins can move at all by shaking the bucket. Once engaged, those are some big heavy springs - and I believe they are adjustable for compressive force....at least they look to be. Mine have enough compression that it is necessary to use a 3 foot cheater to release the handles even when the pins have been recently greased.

Like I said, I dropped one side of a bucket once. No load and close to the ground, but I thought it had tweaked things - it hadn't. Now after putting the new implement on I always raise it up a foot and and shake it a few times to make sure that the top V's are engaged fully on both sides. About one time in five it isn't. After that I lower the bucket to an inch off the ground & can stand in the bucket to rotate the handles overcenter as far as they will go without the cheater.

It used to be that was all I did, and then when mine came loose that day I changed the procedure. What had happened was I thought the bevel on the bottom of the SSQA pin was engaged and wasn't. The handles rotated, but one pin didn't come down. Mud stopped from entering fully into the heavy steel slot in the bottom of the bucket SSQA receiver.

So now I carefully visually check that the bevel on BOTH big vertical pins is engaging the bottom of the SSQA for half the length of the bevel - on both sides..... and that the springs are properly extended.

I always feel a bit stupid when I have a tractor accident. And I've had plenty in 60 years. Learned each time.
For a while I wanted a hydraulic SSQA latcher. Now glad I didn't get one. I want to inspect it the latch myself. Every time.

I wonder if the other types of FEL QA are any better?
rScotty

I'll have to test out adjusting springs or stops, mine hop for sure even with my good fitting Kubota buckets.

That wouldn't surprise me. My Fork attachment (and Grapple for that matter) are Titan, chinese import... They lack Qaulity Control, and the Grapple is 1\8" slop on the bottom, I plan to shim that. The issue with the fork attachment is where the pin goes is only 3\16, so it's way too thin and already stretched some... I was wrong thinking around 2600lbs wasn't much for something rated 4000, and it was flat and even load...boy was I wrong there. Buying a $500 Fork attachment vs $1000-1200 not worth the saving... buying a <$2000 grapple that's actually really heavy duty that needs fine tuning\shimmed vs. $5000... that was worth it IMO. Comparing Kubota or my eTerra attachment plates to Titan... there's no comparison the quality and quality control is easily 2x better on the kubota and eterra attachments.

I've already started cutting metal to add wings to some attachments and going to add 1/2" strips to the top -- more of a safety to notice something isn't correct than to fix slop. I do need to shim my grapple though.

Some guys have added stop blocks so the pins can't be forced up with the levers down:
View attachment 733608

Also check that the lever is taking the top of the spring over center:
View attachment 733609
This prevents the pin from pushing up on the spring and raising the lever, unlatching the attachment and bending the tube.

The other problem area is too big of a gap at the bottom, this is the main cause of bent tubes:
View attachment 733611View attachment 733612

It can be corrected by adding a shim plate:
View attachment 733613View attachment 733614

That stop block is great! I will be adding those! That usually isn't my concern but having seen the pins bounce on hard shakes and having caught some limbs with the grapple on handles this will be useful.

Can you elaborate on the "Also check that the lever is taking the top of the spring over center:" how would you adjust this?
My lever does bottom out\touch the side of the bucket as pictured, and no gap on bottom of my kubota bucket I'm testing with and the pin still hops if I'm shaking it like I'm trying to unload sticky mud or clay.

by the way... thank you everyone this is great

 

[Xfaxman]

Can you elaborate on the "Also check that the lever is taking the top of the spring over center:" how would you adjust this?
My lever does bottom out\touch the side of the bucket as pictured,

Adjust by grinding the lever where it touches the frame so it can move farther over:

Washers can be added to increase spring tension if needed: