Has anyone added an aftermarket boom suspension on their wheel loader? Is it worth the cost to install a factory system? I'm interested in all input I can get? Thanks a bunch
By "boom suspension" do you mean ride control?
Yes, probably most commonly known as ride control
What brand machine, year, serial number. Some Oem kits may be available, and I think if you Google, there were a few company’s a few years ago that installed. cost? No idea! And depending on the age of the machine is it worth it?
Cat 926. 1984 94z00882
No factory system available for a machine of that vintage. Ride control only became vogue around the late 90s onwards. You're stuck with aftermarket or so it seems, so plumbing it both hydraulically & electrically could be a challenge. It may be a dumb question but why do you think you need ride control.?
Lol. I’m getting old and would like a little more comfort. Actually there will be frequent occasions that I’ll need to road the loader from site to site instead of hauling it and I believe it will be easier on me and the loader.
Trade for a volvo equipped with BSS and don't look back. Smoothest boom suspension available when tuned properly.
I was really impressed with JCB’s also. Still gonna research the aftermarket avenue though.
The challenge will be accumulator displacement. Having the correct cavity to cushion the + side of the lift cylinders. Volvos system is very simple and robust and could be retrofitted to any machine with some hoses and flanges. and a simple switch and relay. It wouldn't be integrated to speed or gear selection like the factory but would function beautifully anyway. Did cat offer boom suspension on a subsequent model that perhaps used the same control valve and loader frame? That may be easier to retrofit.
I am also looking into that. A little apprehensive about the cost from cat but I have to be thorough.
Is ride control going to help with empty bucket roading? I found the cat I ran with it, it only really made a difference when loaded, not so much with empty bucket.
I think the set-up pressure in the accumulator could be dialed in for empty bucket transportation or full bucket but pry not both.
Well i have a baby cat 908M, for snow removal only, I had a John Deere 244J, did not have ride control, bucket or plow blade roading that machine on our city roads, was like riding a bull! IMy suspension seat bottomed out several times, my 908M, with ride control and air suspension is like driving my pickup, with empty bucket or a 2,300 lb blade on the front I think OP just wants a smooth ride!
I will definitely have to check into the volvo set up also...but i am hoping for someone with experience in the aftermarket ride control to chime in and see how those compare to factory setups.
Obviously cost will be the largest factor in my decision whether or not to add to my fairly out dated but low hour machine. It would need to return its investment by two factors, minimize repairs and value added at trade-in or sale.
Try 1-800-990-7923, ask for Paul Imm @ Paul Weaver Construction equipment. Few Years ago someone in VT had it done, i have no idea on cost
On large platform loaders L150 and larger there were 2 accumulators. One had a light charge one had a heavy. This was for empty bucket/loaded bucket differentiation. You had a cushy ride either way. A small side note that nearly everyone overlooks. Your primary suspension component is your tires. Check ops manual for recommended air pressure. They're designed to take the load, they don't need high pressure, they have all that surface area. Front axle should show a little squat unloaded with the bucket off the ground.
I paid for and hauled the loader home on last friday after it had brand new tires put on it, the tire store put 45-50 psi in them. (they came with the loader) I got my operators manual for it yesterday morning and it recommends 35psi for the L3 bias tires...I lowered the pressure to 35 and its still dang rough...the ground is frozen here so that's not helping...lol
I will give Paul a call and quiz him about that....thanks
After the holiday, try the number i provided, worth a shot...
Would it be possible to install an air ride seat or something along those lines that would be much easier to do? M695SC Scraper Seat MB Air Suspension Seat | Ultra Seat Corp.
It would but part of the equation is to save a little wear and tear and fatigue on the machine also...
If I may, when I had my John Deere 244J, I thought the same, so I purchased a Grammar Air ride seat (12 volt for my machine) did it help? Well yes and no, I no longer bottomed out like the mechanical seat, but to be honest, when we were roading it, and you hit something just right, the momentum starts , and your riding a bull! That machine went 18.5 mph Now my newer CAT 908M( about 14K lbs machine) top speed on level ground 22-23 mph, with ride control and air ride seat, same travel route, 95% smoother. HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!
I dont think ride control will reduce loader wear ,more the opposite as it will rattle less but move almost constantly but will make a big difference to comfort . If it is just for transport and an empty bucket ,then a pair of lever taps if you want to turn it off or raise the machine with the bucket or dig hard into the ground paired with some accumulators can only improve things . Check cylinder pressure with an empty bucket and have at least 1 accumulator at 50 to 75 % of that pressure at a very rough uneducated guess or better still get the pressure and capacity spec for a newer cat of similar size if the the loader frame and geometry are still similar .
** For the OP, please keep us posted which route you decide to go, I'm curious myself what cost would be and other options, others have mentioned. Good luck!
It will take shock load off turning joint, loader arms and axle trunion.
It really makes a difference in a pit. I had a 980G that was sent to certified rebuild about 6 years ago. It came back back from the dealer the ride control was DOA. We were doing about 125 trucks a day then... the dealer got there in about 2 days and re charged the system. When your just a little older than dirt and really busy... ride control is a huge plus... to operator comfort, machine wear and load efficiency.
Ride control does make a huge difference even in pit or roading empty you can see a mile away when they forget to turn it on The basics would be put in a accumulator teed inline to the lift cylinders with an electric solinoid valve to let the fluid in or just go by to function normally a few thousand would get that going May want an orfice or flow valve to dial in how fast the fluid can move into the accumulator
That is one of my options...but would there be a cavitation issue on the other side of the piston that may cause damage? Maybe install a tiny accumulator on the other side as well, and both turn on and off at the same time?
Plus side of cylinder is open to accumulators and spool is centered . Negative side of rod is open to tank, that prevents a harsh bang on the up-stroke. If it only acted on plus side, it couldn't rise, the oil would be trapped. Both logic valves, plus and negative have to be open at the same time.
If you have an open side to tank, then you need a different boom valve or an add on valve with a separate route to the tank when the valve is activated. Does that seem logical?
Yes, you would have 2 logic valves, one for positive one for negative. The spool in the control valve would be centered . So the plus side is open to the accumulators and the negative side is open to tank . You wouldn't have any "dig" with this option enabled since your down force would just be a loop to tank. I hope this clears things up a bit. If you already have boom float, you may have the negative valve or an acceptable substitute in place already.
I believe float is just a section in the the boom spool that joins both sides of the cylinders and the tank together.
So...am i understanding that in my current situation(I believe my spool does have float), when the control is in the center position, the negative side is open to the tank and it would pull-push oil from the tank as needed when the boom moves in response to rough terrain? If that is the case...I wouldn't need the second accumulator and it really would be a quite simple installation with just a "T", electric valve, accumulator and switch.
The float function is with the spool shifted all the way to one side. The center position holds the boom in one place.
Yes.
You would have to T both the piston side and the rod side of the cylinders between the main boom spool with a solenoid controlled valve to operate for two modes, digging and traveling. I haven't seen a schematic of the system but just off the top of my head I can see some pretty complicated hydraulics. Accumulator needs to be isolated when digging and then in parallel with the piston side of the cylinder when traveling. Rod side would need to be closed to tank when digging and then open to tank when traveling. Float section in main valve would be of no use for the ride control function from what I can see in my head. Keep in mind that my mind is a bit scarred from age and liquid beverages.
If the spool is centered and the rod side is open to the tank, I should only need a “T” on the piston side with a switchable valve to shut off the accumulator....am I understanding that right? (The rod side is what pressures the arms down)
The rod side isn't open to tank. Both sides of the cylinder are blocked with the valve spool in neutral.
double acting selector valve one port will tee to the rod side then open to tank other port will tee the piston side to accumulator when the valve isn't powered all ports will be blocked and system will act normally Just a sample valve https://www.surpluscenter.com/New-A...or-Valve-Dynamic-DSC-62-10-12-DIN-9-12678.axd
I think you have the right idea. The problem would be finding a valve large enough to handle the flow requirements. The other issue is where to mount the valve and the accumulator.
John, What do you think the flow requirements might be while the ride control is switched on?
The size of the hoses to the boom cylinders would determine the size of the ports on the diverter valve and that would take care of the flow requirements.
Wow....So probably 1" ports?
Should be equal to the hose diameter feeding the plus side of the cylinder.
dont need all that flow rate to go into the ride control you would set up the valve so it blocks when not activated So the tee would be in the say 1" line to the cylinder that feeds a port on the valve which is either blocked or open to tank and accumulator when its powered Just napkin engineering but with some though it can be made to work
Your 17 year old 926 will ride like a 17 year old 926 no matter how much you spend. There's not much you can do other than a good seat, ballast , tire psi and a kidney belt. Just about every loader that I've ever been on has way too much air in the tires. I like to (when no one is looking) load the bucket up as much as I can then air down. I like to see a nice bulge in the sidewall with a heaped bucket. What ever the front says and drop 5 psi on the rears. I have never had any problems doing this. In fact, unless you are running around in a pit in high gear, I can almost guarantee that you'll have a better ride, better traction and be more productive. Try it... it's free and if it doesn't work out for you, just air up. You've got nothing to lose.
On the bigger machines we ran a lot higher in the front tires than the rear. On a 988 we would run 70 in the front and 35 in the rear. It helps a lot with front to rear bounce you get going down the road. Don’t lower the fronts too much or you risk cutting the sidewalls if you catch a piece of tramp steel or sharp rock.
Radials ride way times better also
I probably will drop the pressure a bit but I need to be careful with the bias tires as they are not meant to flex on the sidewalls like a radial is. These are brand new tires that came with the loader and the next set will be radials but that could be years from now. I still hope I can come up with a reasonably priced "add-on" ride control system. I will give Paul a call tomorrow and see what he has to say as well.
Thanks everyone for your input and if anyone hears of an aftermarket system that works well....Please let me know. I will aslo update you all as I progress.
Any updates on this?
I don’t have any updates at this time. Several projects came up that required my full attention...and it is now farming season. Lol
I got a quote of $4500 from Severs today for BSC 40 for a 1.5 yard machine.
Is that in Michigan as well?
I think Sever is in Iowa. I found them on Google and called for a quote. I'm getting new tires installed tomorrow, so that might help with the ride a little bit. The boom suspension can wait.
You’ll like the new tires. I raided mine about ten miles the other day and it wasn’t too bad down a county road. I will probably hold off on doing a ride control scenario for now as well.