Grapple Bucket pops off 2013 299D

[Jeffrey Bandel]

5 months ago my grapple bucket was coming off. I took the rosebud to the bottom of the bucket and heated/hammered back to square. It hasn't come off until today. The work I did looks good.

When I have the bucket tilted slightly down and push down on the front it pops right off the quick attach. I spilled some hydraulic oil on it and that's when it started. I know that's not the problem, it's only exasperating it. Here are some pics. Any ideas?

 

[Tyler d4c]

If it's tight fitting of the coupler then the pins are pushing up to far means there wear or something damaged on the locking mechanism. I'd nearly bet money the grapple is loose on the hitch.

 

[Jeffrey Bandel]

Pic

 

[Jeffrey Bandel]

Hanging free

 

[Jeffrey Bandel]

Slight downward pressure

 

[Jeffrey Bandel]

Pops right off

 

[Jeffrey Bandel]

Gap on left side. It slides back and forth about 1/2 "

 

[digger doug]

Post #6 upper piece left side looks like it's cracked off.
right side shows good weld.

 

[Jeffrey Bandel]

I can't see anything cracked. Here is another picture of the left side

 

[Jeffrey Bandel]

Here is a picture of the lock downs.

 

[John V]

How's the taper on your wedge pin look? Should be a nice flat slope. Yours looks pretty worn where it engages the attachment. Also check where the wedge pin hits the attachment. I just finished welding up that spot on a bucket that was missing a good 1/2" of material there from wear & tear.

 

[digger doug]

https://wiki.opensourceecology.org/images/f/f6/Sae_j2513.pdf

make a cardboard or plywood template of the above, and use it to check your top & bottom
angles as well as fit.

 

[funwithfuel]

What's the condition of your overcenter springs? Those wedge pins should never have play, the spring should always drive the pin tighter.

 

[Jeffrey Bandel]

How's the taper on your wedge pin look? Should be a nice flat slope. Yours looks pretty worn where it engages the attachment. Also check where the wedge pin hits the attachment. I just finished welding up that spot on a bucket that was missing a good 1/2" of material there from wear & tear.

I'm not sure how it looks relative to a new one. I've been using the hell out of my stump bucket lately and it never comes off.

 

[Jeffrey Bandel]

What's the condition of your overcenter springs? Those wedge pins should never have play, the spring should always drive the pin tighter.

So if I hammer on the bottom of the pins and there is no play the springs are good?

 

[Jeffrey Bandel]

https://wiki.opensourceecology.org/images/f/f6/Sae_j2513.pdf

make a cardboard or plywood template of the above, and use it to check your top & bottom
angles as well as fit.

That looks like a good start.

 

[funwithfuel]

What I mean to say is that the wefldge pins should be under constant tension to always tighten up. Unless they're at or beyond their mechanical limits.

 

[Jeffrey Bandel]

What I mean to say is that the wefldge pins should be under constant tension to always tighten up. Unless they're at or beyond their mechanical limits.

OK. My lock down levers I can lock down with a finger. They are very well greased but maybe not enough spring pressure?

 

[John V]

OK. My lock down levers I can lock down with a finger. They are very well greased but maybe not enough spring pressure?

Should probably need more than finger pressure. It’s kinda annoying that your mechanism parts are buried in the frame of the quick attach. Might have to take the quick attach off to get a good look at the springs in there. Should be two springs, one for pretensioning the handle so it doesn’t automatically lower itself when you have thing detached, and another bigger spring that keeps tension on the wedge pin.

 

[Jeffrey Bandel]

I measured this distance on my stump bucket and it was around 15 inches. My grapple is 16 inches. This pictures shows the bottom of the grapple bucket.