ls 180 boom boom not level

[twinriversmarine]

Is it possible to level the boom arms on a LS 180. The arms are over an inch off, I measured the hydraulic cylinders on both sides at the end of the cab and they are way off. How do you balance the arms to make the bucket/forks/ attachments level? Please help!!

 

[Tazza]

Has the boom been bent? and are the tryes worn evenly at the front and back so it's sitting level?
It is possible the previous owner hit something or lifted something on one side that bent an arm. It may be a fair bit of work to adjust it though as you would need to cut and re-weld it to get it rite again.

 

[twinriversmarine]

Has the boom been bent? and are the tryes worn evenly at the front and back so it's sitting level?
It is possible the previous owner hit something or lifted something on one side that bent an arm. It may be a fair bit of work to adjust it though as you would need to cut and re-weld it to get it rite again.

The high side(right) has been welded previously. I have owned the machine for almost a year it was fine when I bought it, I lift a lot of block pilings and lumber. The tires are fairly new and worn even. I just moved a bunch off ill and now one arm rubs the frame and the other rubs the right tire. The arms are way off and not close to level. The hydraulic rams on the arms are not even which is what I think is causing the problem. Is it possible I lifted something with one fork and not the other causing them to not be in balance? Can ou drain the fluid and reset them? I am new to skid steers but have worked on many engines and hydraulic systems and they just seem to be out of sync. Thanks for the help

 

[jerry]

The high side(right) has been welded previously. I have owned the machine for almost a year it was fine when I bought it, I lift a lot of block pilings and lumber. The tires are fairly new and worn even. I just moved a bunch off ill and now one arm rubs the frame and the other rubs the right tire. The arms are way off and not close to level. The hydraulic rams on the arms are not even which is what I think is causing the problem. Is it possible I lifted something with one fork and not the other causing them to not be in balance? Can ou drain the fluid and reset them? I am new to skid steers but have worked on many engines and hydraulic systems and they just seem to be out of sync. Thanks for the help

The lift rams are fed from a common source so they move equally against the load so taking fluid out of one won't make a difference.
When the boom is down do both sides sit on the stops? You could rest the center of the boom on a block so it's off the stops and disconnect the lift cylinders or just relieve the pressure witht the engine off , then it should be apparent where it is bent. If it has been welded before it's kind of suspect that that is where it is bending.

 

[jerry]

The lift rams are fed from a common source so they move equally against the load so taking fluid out of one won't make a difference.
When the boom is down do both sides sit on the stops? You could rest the center of the boom on a block so it's off the stops and disconnect the lift cylinders or just relieve the pressure witht the engine off , then it should be apparent where it is bent. If it has been welded before it's kind of suspect that that is where it is bending.

I see what you are thinking that if you twisted the frame one cylinder took more oil than the other and now can't get rid of it although the frame should have sprung back and equalized them. You could try letting oil out of the one at the fitting to see what happens. If it helps though I think that would mean there is movement in the frame either a crack or a really worn pin.

 

[Tazza]

I see what you are thinking that if you twisted the frame one cylinder took more oil than the other and now can't get rid of it although the frame should have sprung back and equalized them. You could try letting oil out of the one at the fitting to see what happens. If it helps though I think that would mean there is movement in the frame either a crack or a really worn pin.

I'm with Jerry on that too. The rams have a common oil supply, so there is no need to calibrate them. They are the same diameter so they exert the same amount of force to keep the arms moving at the same rate. That doesn't mean if they have different length rods in them that at full extension that they wouldn't try and twist the arms. Some rams have bits inside that limit the extension of the ram, i guess there is a possibility one has one and the other does not? Remote chance, but who knows.
I too suspect the weld point to be where the problem is, it may have stretched.
If the rods were different lengths on the rams, there is a possibility they are pulling more on one side than the other when fully lowered, but i didn't think they would have enough power to bend anything.

 

[twinriversmarine]

I'm with Jerry on that too. The rams have a common oil supply, so there is no need to calibrate them. They are the same diameter so they exert the same amount of force to keep the arms moving at the same rate. That doesn't mean if they have different length rods in them that at full extension that they wouldn't try and twist the arms. Some rams have bits inside that limit the extension of the ram, i guess there is a possibility one has one and the other does not? Remote chance, but who knows.
I too suspect the weld point to be where the problem is, it may have stretched.
If the rods were different lengths on the rams, there is a possibility they are pulling more on one side than the other when fully lowered, but i didn't think they would have enough power to bend anything.

Thank you for the response and thoughts. You guys are correct I found a crack in one arm and when looking at it the arm is twisted as well. The crack is very small but I assume this is throwing it off. I'm going to take some pictures to show you guys then it will go under the knife. Thanks again will keep posted