How to straighten twisted or bent lift arms? 863

[kilohertz]

Hi guys,

Last fall I noticed I was having a problem making nice level cuts or digs into the ground, then this spring I was warming up the machine and playing with the bucket and noticed what was causing the problem, it seems the arms have somehow been twisted so that the bucket is higher on the left than the right. It's much easier to see with the arms up as in the pics.

Could someone tell me the best, simplest way to rectify this? I am reluctant to just yank on it the opposite direction but maybe that is the answer. I used the cab as the reference line but you can see it in other positions as well if you know what to look for. Also when on the pavement, the left side of the bucket touches down first.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

 

[brdgbldr]

First thing I would do is look for any cracks in the lift arms. You will need to clean then look real well and focus on stress points like welds, pins and angle points, but look everywhere. I have found cracks in the midpoint of the arms.

Then look and feel for dents or deformations. The arms are hollow and can deform and bend.

Keep in mind that since the arms are on the machine, the bend or deformation may be more severe then it looks. The frame of the machine may be holding it straighter then it truly is.

The best way to straiten the arms is to remove them, get them on a flat surface, heat the bend or deformation and then use clamps and come alongs to straighten. The key is to heat to the perfect temp. Too hot you change the characteristics of the steel, too cold and you put stress in the steel.

You can also just try to bend them back using a system similar to an automobile frame straitening jig. This can however put stress in the steel and could potentially bend something else.

Hope this helps