Loader SSQA mount play

[Smokeydog]

Using skid steer grapple I bought about 25 years ago on a M59. There seems to be excessive play in the mounting. Can’t see damage on the tractor or grapple side. Don’t note excessive wear.

At the shop I could slide 1/4” plates between the lower tractor hitch and grapple tab. I also could put a 1/4” plate between the wedge pins and lower mounting tabs with a little spring pressure. The wedge pins have some space between them fully engaged and the lower grapple mounts adding to play.

Didn’t notice excessive play with a previous tractor with a OEM bobtach hitch welded to the loader. Few tractors had ssqa back then.

It would seem easy to shim up the lower ssqa mounting tabs with 3x14x1/4” plates. Weld in 2x2x1/4 plates where the wedge pin lands. That would give a nice contact patch.

Question is this unusual or should consider an alternative method? A few other slots I was going to cover with the shim on the lower ssqa tabs that I don’t need.

 

[Peter 315]

I have a set of forks that are new and I shimmed up the lower mounting tab and just made the slots a little tighter ...... 1/4'' flat plate

 

[Gordon Gould]

I bought a grapple for my M5640 and did the same thing as Peter to tighten it up a little. I bought a SSQA plate for the same tractor for a snow plow mount and it was to tight. I cut off the top angle and moved it up. Seems like poor fit up is to common for a standard mount but there are a lot of manufacturers of tractors and implements.





gg

 

[Fallon]

Titan attachments had a few batches of pallet forks from China that had issues a while back & I got one of em. SSQA pins wouldnt make contact with the slots on the impliment frame they were so loose. I got a few bucks back from them & welded some bar stock across the holes to tighten them up. The angled ends on the pins made decent contact after I made the holes 1/2" skinnier or something. It was a few years ago so details are fuzzy.

Fundamentally the SSQA design is meant to be self-tightening & tolerant of some slop. Things do wear a bit & are made to different tolerances.

 

[Smokeydog]

I bought a grapple for my M5640 and did the same thing as Peter to tighten it up a little. I bought a SSQA plate for the same tractor for a snow plow mount and it was to tight. I cut off the top angle and moved it up. Seems like poor fit up is to common for a standard mount but there are a lot of manufacturers of tractors and implements.

View attachment 648818

View attachment 648819

gg

Shimming smaller definitely easier than making bigger. Nice work.

 

[Smokeydog]

Made two 1/4” plates. Using a small pry bar able to see 3/8” would be better. Made two 3/8” plates. Cut the hole 3/8” narrower for the wedge pin so it would make contact with about 3/8”-1/2” spring compression.
Welded in new plates. Added some 1/4” plate gussets for added strength to the bottom 4x4” square tube. Paint dries fast when metal is warm from welding. Now grapple is nice and tight in the ssqa mount. Ready for another 25 years of use and abuse.

 

[Peter 315]

Looks just like what I did on my forks good job........:thumbsup:

 

[Gordon Gould]

Your two plates look real good!! It is hard to know for sure from the picture but I wonder about this gap too. It should fit tight there if that is an actual gap. Maybe that's a before pic and you already filled that ???



gg

 

[Smokeydog]

First picture was before showing gaps between the tractor ssqa, grapple and wedge pin. Sorry for lack of explanation.


After 3/8” plates, shim welded in.
Now tight in the right places.

 

[Gordon Gould]

Great - Before and after makes it easy to see what you did. Thanks for the clarification.

gg

 

[dstig1]

I had a similar issue with my grapple, but there was a secondary effect due to how Kubota makes their upper mount for the SSQA. You will note that it is bent leaving a V-shaped gap pointing towards the implement. If the implement has a full plate for the mount, then this is fine, but if there is any gap up there like my grapple had, then it can pop right out of the SSQA like mine did. I added shims like you did and it did not solve the problem, until I figured out the issue with the upper mounts. Not the same thing you are seeing, but just an FYI. I had a thread on it... Here it is https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/206260-gator-grapple-fix-kubota-ssqa.html?highlight=

 

[Smokeydog]

I had a similar issue with my grapple, but there was a secondary effect due to how Kubota makes their upper mount for the SSQA. You will note that it is bent leaving a V-shaped gap pointing towards the implement. If the implement has a full plate for the mount, then this is fine, but if there is any gap up there like my grapple had, then it can pop right out of the SSQA like mine did. I added shims like you did and it did not solve the problem, until I figured out the issue with the upper mounts. Not the same thing you are seeing, but just an FYI. I had a thread on it... Here it is https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/206260-gator-grapple-fix-kubota-ssqa.html?highlight=

Didn’t quite understand till I clicked on your thread link with pictures and explanation. Well thought out mods and repair. Clearly an oversight design flaw from the grapple manufacturer. Added expanded metal was a nice touch.

In the skidsteer early days the bobtach was a patented qa by bobcat. Advantages were quick mounting of a ever growing list of attachments. Some competitors made similar designs different enough to get around the patent but still able to work with bobtach brand equipment. After decades of legalization spats, patent expirations and change has led to universal ssqa. The size, strength and construction still vary. I purchased this grapple over 25 years ago during the ssqa wars. My Kubota brand equipment fits very well. Especially like the side flares on the B26 bucket to make it easy to guide in. Wish more ssqa had this feature as tractors have more visual impairment than skidsteers. I have only got my ssqa mounting plates from my local bobcat dealer for custom fabrications. They have always been a good fit and competitively priced.

 

[dstig1]

The expanded metal on the back of the grapple was a great add for brush. You can push into a pile and pick up more plus rest assured that a stick isn't going to poke right through and stab the radiator.

 

[Smokeydog]

Sticks are sneaky. Roots tend to be most vengeful. Some sort of grill protection should be a prerequisite for grapple operations.

 

[Gordon Gould]

There are other things that can get you too. One time I was crushing down on a brush pile with the grapple and a branch or something in the pile pushed up one of the SSQA latch handles. All the way up - so the grapple came unhooked on one side. Not good. I made some pins to lock the handles closed so it won't happen again.

gg

 

[Smokeydog]

Got to test moving big oak logs. Grapple stayed secured, tight and quiet. 3/8” doesn’t seem like much but made a big difference. Should have took the time and made the shims years ago.

 

[dstig1]

Good deal. Glad to hear it worked.:thumbsup:

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

There are other things that can get you too. One time I was crushing down on a brush pile with the grapple and a branch or something in the pile pushed up one of the SSQA latch handles. All the way up - so the grapple came unhooked on one side. Not good. I made some pins to lock the handles closed so it won't happen again.

gg

Been there, done that but haven't done any fixes and never had it happen again. Couldn't figure out what was going on for a few minutes with grapple hanging loose on one side.
I've had stick go thru and loosen hyd lines also.
Have a Titan SSQA front mounted backhoe, guess it's a front hoe. This is my second one. Improperly used the first one and damaged arms and sold it. Bought biggre tractor and have bought second hoe and it keeps popping out at the top on left side. My BIL has a machine shop so he made me a shim plate which I have drilled two holes holes orhe drilled holes in shim and gave me screw and nut and I drilled holes into attachment and mounted shim plate but haven't tried it yet. Will try when it warms back up and stops raining and report back with maybe pics if anyone wants to see them,

 

[Smokeydog]

Johnthomas, on mine there was two issues that needed shimmed. First the ssqa mount needed 3/8” shim. Plate thickness. Also the wedge pin needed 3/8” to engage properly done by narrowing the engagement slot. Now that new shim plate sees the compression by the existing mounting bracket but also considerable shear from the wedge pins. Particularly grapple loads at dump angle or back dragging. Over 4’ of weld bead holds mine. 2-4 bolts hold yours? A picture would help.

 

[Peter 315]

This is how I did my forks just made a shim to go over they other plate....