skid steer repair question

[skeeballhead]

Can some of you Bobcat guys give me some insight. Have an LS170, low hours. Forward, reverse, turning just seems to be extremely tight, almost jerky. My last machine, an L180 would just sort of glide into forward, reverse, slowing down etc. Smooth as silk. I checked the shock abosorbers on the linkage, they looked fine. I have my thread in the NH area, but no responses at all. Machine is an 05 with 550 hours. Just seems like it should be much smoother. Unless the shorter wheelbase affects it or something or I don't feather it well enough or I was spoiled by the L180, who knows. Anyone have any advice??

 

[Bobcatdan]

All I can say is check tire pressure, way high or low can affect ride. Wheelbase can make a big diffence in ride between short and long. I know enough about NH to be dangerous, but that is not saying much. One thing that can make bobcats jerky, the steering levers that connect to the pump shafts get loose on the shafts allowing play. This can give a delayed effect in the steering and make them very hard to drive. Every NH I ever worked on had total different steering from the last NH I worked on so I have no idea what your steering is like. Best luck.

 

[Mike10]

The steering controls between the two models are completely different. The large frame loaders have servo assist making it effortless to move the control handles. The LS170 has no hydraulic assist so the it takes more effort to use. The longer wheelbase and more weight in the rear of the loader also makes the large frame loader a smoother machine to operate. It is like anything else that is new to you, you have to use it to get comfortable with the controls.

 

[skeeballhead]

The steering controls between the two models are completely different. The large frame loaders have servo assist making it effortless to move the control handles. The LS170 has no hydraulic assist so the it takes more effort to use. The longer wheelbase and more weight in the rear of the loader also makes the large frame loader a smoother machine to operate. It is like anything else that is new to you, you have to use it to get comfortable with the controls.

I didn't realize the larger frame loaders had a servo assist for the handles. I just figured it wouldn't be so jerky so to speak. I was spoiled with my larger machine(L180).