Cab on my 643 is super heavy to lift - can gas springs/dampers quit working?

Hi friends,

The cab on my 643 is super heavy. It's extremely hard to tilt it even by two full grown men (jokes welcome ).
There are two gas springs/dampers, one on each side of the cab. Se picture below. I've also notised that some models have a horizontal "spring" between the chassie and cab back window. I guess it's for assisiting when tilting the cab upwards? I can't find such a spring on my 643 though.

So, I wonder if the gas springs/dampers might be bad (out of gas?) and don't assist in tilting the cab anymore? Anyone had this problem before? This machine is quite old and prob. from early ~1980 something.

Cheers to ya' all!

BRs /Stefan @ Sweden

The gas dampers go bad. Same concept as a Car hood or Trunk (boot?) LOL.
Not sure on a Spring for your model. My 99' does not have a spring. You can go to Bobcats website put in your model and PIN number and look at the schematic re Spring.
But it should not take a lot of force to safely lift the cab. There should be some type of Lock Out / Release to safely keep up and lower. Here is what mine looks like...

Look at #10 & 21 22 & 23 on cab..
I do not see a spring.

ByggareBobby said:

The cab on my 643 is super heavy. It's extremely hard to tilt it even by two full grown men (jokes welcome ).
There are two gas springs/dampers, one on each side of the cab. Se picture below. I've also notised that some models have a horizontal "spring" between the chassie and cab back window. I guess it's for assisiting when tilting the cab upwards? I can't find such a spring on my 643 though.

So, I wonder if the gas springs/dampers might be bad (out of gas?) and don't assist in tilting the cab anymore? Anyone had this problem before? This machine is quite old and prob. from early ~1980 something.

Click to expand...

Your probably just uses the gas struts to assist lift the cab.

My 2013 S650 was the same way. Way to heavy to lift.
Got a new pair of gas struts for it and I can lift it with 1 hand now.
Those gas struts loose pressure over time and stop helping lift.

I replaced the lift assist cylinders on my 742B and still find it very heavy to lift. Make sure the hinges are not rusted up.

dfb said:

I replaced the lift assist cylinders on my 742B and still find it very heavy to lift. Make sure the hinges are not rusted up.

Click to expand...

Alright thank's for the heads up. Do you know if left/right cylinders are the same? I recon that there are different part numbers for left vs. right?!?

They are different. Did you look up your model & number on the Bobcat link I posted above? Once you do, look at the Cab. You will see the struts. Left and right.

ByggareBobby said:

Alright thank's for the heads up. Do you know if left/right cylinders are the same? I recon that there are different part numbers for left vs. right?!?

Click to expand...

The right strut has a latching / locking mechanism that needs to be pressed in to lower the cab. The left one does not.

Tlawdogg said:

They are different. Did you look up your model & number on the Bobcat link I posted above? Once you do, look at the Cab. You will see the struts. Left and right.

Click to expand...

Hi, The link to the parts catalogue unfortunately gave me this 403 error message but I had a look in a PDF that someone posted (see attatched picture) for the 642 model and found the following part numbers:

6700171:
#10, CYLINDER GAS, W/O lock - Also Order 6675257 clevis - Was
6700000

or...

6670730:
#10, SPRING, GAS, W/O lock - heavy duty - 6670730 Gas spring to be
used when loader is equipped W/Cab Enclosure. Because 6670730
Gas Spring in heavy duty w/larger diameter, (2) 91G-410 Screws,
with low profile heads, must be used in place of 35C-410 Bolt
located behind gas spring on left side of ROPS - includes clevis on
both ends.

...and

#48, GAS SPRING, GAS SPRING, NLA - W/Lock - Order 6664205 gas
spring, 6708189 tube & 6701174 washer - MUST ALSO ORDER
7169877 decal - Was 6701176, A

It seems like the left side gas spring referrs to part number 6670730 and on the right hand side there are a few components that builds up the complete gas spring w. lock mechanism 6664205+6708189+6701174 (referred to as #48 in the manual)?

Cheers!

//Stefan : )

dfb said:

I replaced the lift assist cylinders on my 742B and still find it very heavy to lift. Make sure the hinges are not rusted up.

Click to expand...

Thank's I'll make sure to check this

Phil314 said:

Your probably just uses the gas struts to assist lift the cab.

My 2013 S650 was the same way. Way to heavy to lift.
Got a new pair of gas struts for it and I can lift it with 1 hand now.
Those gas struts loose pressure over time and stop helping lift.

Click to expand...

That's great to hear. I'd really like to have that "lock" as well as it's quite heavy and I don't want to be chopped into two pieces when messing around under the seat ;-)