Front End Loader Not Level

[moondog933]

While looking at the front of my new M7040 I noticed the FEL bucket is not level compared to the front grill on the tractor. I have not dug much dirt with it as of yet so its hard to tell if it is digging deeper on one side. I have checked the tire pressure in the rear tires and have set the the FEL bucket on a hard surface to see if maybe one corner touches first. All seems ok. Any ideas ?

 

[Harvey9]

MoonDog

Park it on a flat / level surface then have another look. Check tire pressure in all tires. Take a tape measure and measure away, you'll soon determine if the loader is off. Good Luck

Harvey

 

[Stubbyie]

It is possible to 'tweak' the loader arms.

Is the machine new or new-to-you? If a previous owner is involved you may never know what they tried to do.

There have been other posts on here (search by subject and narrow by Service Dept Vic) on same topic.

Loader arms can be re-tweaked to match but you have a grasp of what happens to the entire system when things start moving around under large amounts of stress/strain.

Be certain what you're seeing. Make all tires correct on PISG--rear match and front match.

See if you find a place on the tractor you can set a level (maybe using a clamp or rubber bands) that is a straight line. Top of ROPS, brace bar for loader across top of dash, somewhere.

Then start at loader arms using a second long level or level strapped to straight lumber or piece of steel and work your way toward bucket.

Compare level bubbles at multiple locations working toward bucket with level resting on loader arms raised slightly above hood.

You may want to strap #1 level down tight and then lift tractor with jack or by shimming tires until you get a perfect bubble. Then test at different locations proceeding toward bucket using #2 level.

Sounds more complicated than it is.

I'm a stickler and noticed one day one loader bucket was goofy looking.

Used process described and quickly tracked down had managed to bend top of loader bucket--cutting lip was fine, loader arms and cross-braces were fine.

Not worth worrying about (it's a light-duty replacement bucket), but now I KNOW what I'm seeing and KNOW the loader arms aren't damaged.

Oh yeah, make certain both levels are known 'good' and read the same when stacked atop one another otherwise you're chasing ghosts.

Please post back how you proceed and your experiences so we may all learn.

 

[Tx Jim]

It is possible to 'tweak' the loader arms.


Loader arms can be re-tweaked to match but you have a grasp of what happens to the entire system when things start moving around under large amounts of stress/strain.

Be certain what you're seeing. Make all tires correct on PISG--rear match and front match.
.

Stubbyie
Front tire pressures will have ZERO affect on whether a FEL bucket is level but rear tire pressures can definitely affect bucket levelness. I do agree loader arms could be tweaked.

 

[Stubbyie]

This is an interesting set of posts that got me to thinking...

Discussion at the moment is how does front tire pressure influence level-ness of loader.

As an example, one front tire is effectively flat (5-psig) and the other front has 40-psig. Standing out in front and looking toward the front of the machine, not considering the loader, the front tilts downhill to the low pressure side.

Now consider the loader on the tractor with one flat front tire: will the loader stay 'level' if the entire tractor tilts downhill on the front on one side? Ideally, shouldn't the loader exhibit the same angle or tilt that the machine it's mounted to does?

That's why, when looking at how the loader sits on the machine, I confirm the tire pressures involved.

I'm interested in observations of other forum posters. And if I'm missing something I'd sure like to better understand how tractors and loaders interact.

 

[Tx Jim]

Stubbyie
Unlike the rear tires which do require equal pressure the front axle on all tractors I've seen have a """"pivot point in the center of the tractor""""" that will compensate for one of the frt tires having more or less air pressure than the other tire. Only exception is if one tire is low enough to put frt axle against the frame stop.
Jim

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Yea sorry Stubbyie, a flat front tire will not tilt the tractor side to side.
To test this, put a level on the hood (observe points on level), put a 2x4 chunk of wood on the ground and drive one front wheel on to it, tractor will remain at same level that it was without block.
Now do the same except with the rear wheel, that will put the tractor at a tilt.
Tractors only have movable suspension on the front.

 

[Stubbyie]

Like I said, interesting topic. I plumb forgot about the front axle center pivot point.

So it looks like this weekend I'm heading out to the machine shed with a couple long levels and a camera. Not often I find myself deliberately letting air out of tractor tires. Or using a camera.

Now if I could just convince the dang barn cats to use the bicycle pump.