L481 bucket not level

[rodburner]

(LA481) The left lift cylinder is always extended 1/4 inch more than the other making the bucket on the left about an 1 1/2 higher. I dont think it is the control valve because the cylinders seem to share a common line. I have flushed the system and tried to adjust the attachment points. Ideas...........anyone?

 

[Bulldog]

I think I would remove the bucket and check all the pins and the holes in the boom and the bucket. The boom is what keeps the bucket level (square) with the tractor. The dump cylinders just change the angle the bucket sets.

If you are on level ground it can't be but a few things.
Low or uneven tread depth on rear tire.
Bent boom arm.
Worn bucket pin or bushing.

 

[rodburner]

Thanks for the reply Bulldog that was my exact thinking at first. I have had the bucket off and replaced the pins. When I got the tractor it had bolts in the bottom of the bucket that were smaller than the pins allowing the bucket to level itself when it was let down. After getting all over this thing with a tape measure and degree indicator I discovered the difference between the boom cylinders. As long as the bucket is off the ground the left cylinder is extended ¼ inch more than the right. Both cylinders have the same numbers stamped on them. I am thinking of swapping the cylinders to see if the problem moves to the other side.

 

[Bulldog]

How did the holes in the boom arm look? Unless the bucket or the mounts are bent the boom should hold the bucket in line. The dump cylinders have to move together if the bucket is straight with the boom arms. You about have to either have play in the arms or a bent bucket I think. Since it had bolts in the arms before I would say there's something wrong there. Keep us posted and good luck.

 

[rodburner]

Problem solved!!!!!
Removed the boom cylinders from one end and let bucket sit level on the ground, cycled the cylinders a few times and reinstalled. Of course one cylinder moved pretty much independently of the other until fully extended or retracted. Don’t really know why this solved the problem, all I care about is the bucket being level as it goes up and down.

 

[eserv]

Usually if a bucket isn't level on a Kubota the first thing I check is rear tire pressure. If that's OK then I look for someting bent.

 

[rodburner]

Tire pressure was equal. Like I said earlier I was all over this thing with a tape and degree indicator. We measured heights, distances and degree of angles on the arms and connections to the frame. We kept coming up with the same results. I hang with some pretty smart fellers and we always came to the same conclusion. With the bucket just off the ground there was almost a two inch difference from one side to the other. The only anomaly was the left cylinder was extended ¼ inch longer than the right. With the cylinders fully extended or retracted the distance would be the same but always came back to that ¼ inch difference when the bucket was just off the ground. I’m just glad it is working right, it can snow now.

 

[Bulldog]

Just curious, when you removed the cylinders was either one hard to get the pin out?

 

[rodburner]

When I first got the tractor most of the pins were locked up and all of the hoses were shot. I didn’t notice if there was an issue with the bucket before I made those repairs. I had to remove every pin and clean them up and replace the pins that had grease zerks. I also had to repair the lower pin holes on the bucket because someone had put bolts in place of the pins and the holes were slightly worn, had to reface and bore back to round.

 

[rodburner]

Well just got the old bota out for winter work and noticed my bucket problem is back with a vengeance. I went through everything I did last year with no change, I must have been on unlevel ground when I thought it was fixed……….or drunk maybe.
I will try to keep my explanation as short as possible and apologies for incorrect terms. I am convinced the boom is tweaked at the cross tube, I removed the bucket and let the arms down and the right arm hits the ground first. I removed the backhoe and brackets for a better view of loader attachments.
One of the first things I notices was the vertical mounts mid tractor were not at the same angle, off about two degrees. Found a crack where the horizontal arm to the rear axle connects to the round tube of the vertical mount. The crack had pulled apart and the vertical part that holds the boom pins had twisted away from the correct angle. Unfortunately pulling that back together and getting the uprights at the same degree of angle made things worse, now have a 3”difference with the bucket.
After looking at everything this makes since. It appears as if someone put way to much down pressure on the left side of the bucket causing everything to tweak. One might think just stress the other side in the same manner but I don’t think that is the answer, concerned about damaging something else or braking mounting bolts and such. None the less the problem must be solved and I cannot afford a new loader.
Being a welder here is my solution. I am going to use a dial indicator in different locations and lightly stress the boom in the direction it needs to be tweaked. It seems that where the dial indicator has the most deflection would be the place to heat with a rosebud and attempt to realign. I fully understand that even if this works it will weaken the area that is heated and make it brittle, but it is worthless right now. The only way I will be able to clear snow is let air out of the back tires so it self levels under a load.
I am going out now to do my dial indicator experiment and will report my finding (if any) before I go after it with a torch.
Input, ideas, warnings………..anyone?

 

[rodburner]

All level now!!!!!! Just hope it stays that way.

As suspected the stress was all located in the boom cross tube right side, at least that was the only place I could find a degree of deflection when under a load. I put extra pressure in the rear tires, placed the bucket on the ground under pressure, put a level on the tractor body, heated the tube and let cool. It didn’t take much heat until the bubble centered in the level.

Went back to an area that I had tried to flatten out last year with no luck because the right side kept digging a trench. With a level bucket it took three passes in two minutes. I feel like I have a new tractor.