What did I break?

[BlueKnife]

From now on I'll remember to keep it closer to the ground until the SSQA is locked..

Good call. This is what I mean. Anything can break, if it's abused enough. A bit of care and thought prevents a lot of problems.

 

[hube2]

The loader arms don't seem to be bent ...

I found a picture that clearly shows what we're talking about being bent or twisted.

 

[Shawn T. W.]

I think it was due to the extra 46lbs from having the front tires loaded. I'm kidding...

I know your just kidding, but you forgot that I got rid of the liquid when a changed to the 8 ply rated tires ... Of course they are a tad heavier than the factory 4 ply rated ones ... But in-order to put in the puncture sealing stuff the dealer had, it had to go ... !

 

[Shawn T. W.]

Ok, I got home today and got some looking at it ... Definitely out of wack!

Video of before ...
Messed up

The cross member was actually bent, kinda hard to see ...

So I tried what the video showed ...

Almost perfect ... I measured it and it's off by 1/8" ... Close enough for me!

Cross member is now straight again!

Final "test" ... I hooked it to the bucket with no drama, just like when it was new 4 years ago!!!

THANK YOU Everyone!

I consider it "Resolved" due to the helpful TBN participants!

 

[S854]

I’m not trying to be Johnny Raincloud here… but…

In your first video you were pushing one bracket of your SSQA, compressing the cylinder on that side, in response, the other cylinder extended… if the cross tube was just tweaked, that wouldn’t happen… something is broken…

Look at the bar where it attaches to the left side of the SSQA… the arrow appears to point to a cracked weld…

Might be worth investigating further…

 

[kneedeep]

I have to tweak my fork frame occasionally when it gets twisted out of sync as the fork tips get so out of line it won’t go in a pallet. This is on a 85hp machine that lifts 2000# loads weekly.
When lifting heavy equipment with FEL, I use a wrecker hook attached with a short chain to the frame of forks vs the forks themselves.
Your picture looks like the small crossbar between the arms may be bolted. If so, consider taking it out and building a stronger crossmember that will resist twisting the frame so much, especially lifting from only one side.
I also agree using the FEL like your first pic is overstressing the tractor loader arms.

https://www.northerntool.com/products/ironton-80in-chain-with-15in-grab-hook-56643

 

[SPYDERLK]

I’m not trying to be Johnny Raincloud here… but…

In your first video you were pushing one bracket of your SSQA, compressing the cylinder on that side, in response, the other cylinder extended… if the cross tube was just tweaked, that wouldn’t happen… something is broken…

View attachment 5642669

Look at the bar where it attaches to the left side of the SSQA… the arrow appears to point to a cracked weld…

Might be worth investigating further…

Good! Either theres an actual failed area, or the T bar is weak to the point of design negligence.

 

[Shawn T. W.]

Look at the bar where it attaches to the left side of the SSQA… the arrow appears to point to a cracked weld…

The cross member is not welded to the arms, it fits in a slot and is held there by the bolt ...

Everything works like when it was new now.

 

[MARK FROM LI]

Oh Baby Fergie! I understand why the thought that fluid skipped the piston entered your mind...and since one side goes up and the other side goes down it does seem like a hydraulics problem ....my guess, and it is only a guess is a seal in the spool valve......maybe call a hydraulics shop and just ask....do you rebuild spool valves, let me tell you why I am asking ...you might find someone who can give you some advice over the phone (good talking to you Shawn)

 

[MARK FROM LI]

When I posted my response I had not seen that you straightened out the cross member, but I agree with @S854 that something in the hydraulic system still has a problem

 

[350c]

Ok, I got home today and got some looking at it ... Definitely out of wack!

Video of before ...
Messed up

The cross member was actually bent, kinda hard to see ...

View attachment 5632135

View attachment 5632164

So I tried what the video showed ...

View attachment 5632181

Almost perfect ... I measured it and it's off by 1/8" ... Close enough for me!

View attachment 5632234

Cross member is now straight again!

View attachment 5632246

Final "test" ... I hooked it to the bucket with no drama, just like when it was new 4 years ago!!!

THANK YOU Everyone!

I consider it "Resolved" due to the helpful TBN participants!

"Resolved", but I suspect the crossbar is weaker than before after being twisted.

 

[ruffdog]

Oh Baby Fergie! I understand why the thought that fluid skipped the piston entered your mind...and since one side goes up and the other side goes down it does seem like a hydraulics problem ....my guess, and it is only a guess is a seal in the spool valve......maybe call a hydraulics shop and just ask....do you rebuild spool valves, let me tell you why I am asking ...you might find someone who can give you some advice over the phone (good talking to you Shawn)

The curl cylinders are plumbed in parallel so they do NOT act individually. The crossbar only has to overcome friction and stiction to keep the ssqa brackets timed.

 

[hube2]

The torsion bar did exactly what is was supposed to do. The purpose of this bar is to keep the SSQA paddles in sync and be a safety feature. It is designed to bend and take the hit of exactly what happened in this case so that damage is not done to other parts of the FEL, like bending or causing other damage to the hydraulic pistons.

 

[D&D]

Look at the bar where it attaches to the left side of the SSQA… the arrow appears to point to a cracked weld…

Might be worth investigating further…

After zooming in, good catch.

 

[walnutman]

My Yanmar YT359C is pretty beefy there. Has no problem with asymmetric loading in general.
I realize once the connection is made it's all one unit. Picture just for enjoyment.
Interesting stuff here . Learned something.

 

[Gord Baker]

Yes, that is what seems to be the problem, I couldn't see anything bent, but maybe like the video shows, the rod between is twisted?

I was just surprised that I can move the paddles by hand, that's why I was thinking it was a hydraulic/valve/piston problem ...

If I just disconnect it from the bucket, they stay even, but as soon as I try to curl, they go all wonky!

In order to rehook to the bucket, I tip/curl the lower(left) side back, and push it against the bucket, then slowly curl it back while pushing, and once the right side is the same angle, I can slide it up to catch the lip in the bucket, and lift and lock the latches ... As long as there is something to push against ...

First time I chased it around quite a bit!

Cycle the

Last time I was home, I was trying to reorganize my barn, my little SCUT's loader wasn't able to lift the brush hog up, I took off the bucket and used just the SSQA paddles and chained it to it ... Then I could lift it!

View attachment 5605229

I went over a bump, and ... One side fell off!

Now the paddles are out of sync ... I can re-hook onto either the bucket or forks, but I gotta keep pressure against it to get both of them to slide up the bucket ...

Here is a little video ... I can move the paddles by hand a little bit, and they will get even, but won't stay that way!

SSQA

Cycle the Bucket Cylinders fully a few times. That may help correct the problem. I believe you have more lifting power with the Bucket. Check Specs.

 

[I'll get around to it]

I had the same problem - SSQA paddles (fingers) got out of alignment - I could hang my bucket on the paddles, but to lock the latches, I had to push the bucket against a tree.

The problem is a poor design of the Kubota SSQA adapter - the engineers must have assumed that we'd just be moving piles of feathers or wrestling small twigs with the grapple. There's no support at the load end of the paddles

I'm not a welder, so first time, my tech cut the /tie-bar, re-aligned the paddles and re-welded it (see circle in photo). Within a month, I had twisted the paddles out of alignment again.

I did some research - there are aftermarket SSQA adapters built like a brick sh**house, but I wasn't ready to shell out $1K+. Had my tech add a reinforcement of square tubing near the top of the paddles (arrow in photo). Same result as aftermarket at much lower cost.

I haven't had a problem since. If you decide to do this, be sure that the reinforcement tubing doesn't interfere with your SSQA attachments. Now I've got to be a little more patient when mounting my grapple to be sure the fittings aren't hitting the reinforcement tubing, but I designed it to clear them.

Good luck!

 

[boatmoter]

Last time I was home, I was trying to reorganize my barn, my little SCUT's loader wasn't able to lift the brush hog up, I took off the bucket and used just the SSQA paddles and chained it to it ... Then I could lift it!

View attachment 5605229

I went over a bump, and ... One side fell off!

Now the paddles are out of sync ... I can re-hook onto either the bucket or forks, but I gotta keep pressure against it to get both of them to slide up the bucket ...

Here is a little video ... I can move the paddles by hand a little bit, and they will get even, but won't stay that way!

SSQA

try lowering the paddles to the ground and lifting the front of the tractor off the ground to see if that brings them back into sync.

 

[Shawn T. W.]

I used the loader for a few weeks prior to the original post, hoping that if it was a hydraulic fluid type problem, that it would straighten itself out, it did not .

I believe now that the cross member is the designed "weak link" in case something like this stupid mistake should happen ...

My guess is also like mentioned above that since the curl cylinders are plumbed in parallel, that they act like a axle with a differential when both tires are off the ground, I can be turned forward, the other will turn backwards ...

I'm not home now, in CA, headed to MS ...

 

[SPYDERLK]

I used the loader for a few weeks prior to the original post, hoping that if it was a hydraulic fluid type problem, that it would straighten itself out, it did not .

I believe now that the cross member is the designed "weak link" in case something like this stupid mistake should happen ...

My guess is also like mentioned above that since the curl cylinders are plumbed in parallel, that they act like a axle with a differential when both tires are off the ground, I can be turned forward, the other will turn backwards ...

I'm not home now, in CA, headed to MS ...

Far TOO WEAK. ... And for no reason.