Hey guys, Does anybody have any opinions on the bobcat roller suspension, good, bad? I get it rides smoother, but is there a tradeoff to that, does it make it spongy when your cutting with the bucket? Do attachements work better or worse? Thank you, Daren
no i dont think its spongy because the front idler is still solid, it's not like the cat ctl's with the stupid torsion suspension. The only thing i've heard is that some people have busted leaf springs but that's because they hit 4" curbs with the machine wide open throttle full drive. it rides so smooth i guess they thought they could just glide right over it, lol
I'vs seen the leaf springs broken, but the guys at the Bobcat dealership say it is because the undercarriage frame gets jammed with mud to where one side of the leaf spring won't flex. Particularly when the mud freezes. They also said they are seeing the suspension bolt holes egg out from the bolts hitting them when the leaf springs flex too far over rough terrain that does not give, such as rocks, curbs (even slow), and frozen ground (they say this is he worst condition). Once the holes egg out the leaf spring flexes too far and snaps the spring. The guys at the dealership say they see more failures than you might think.
I will say that I have no direct experience with this system, just interested in the replies.....I always thought BC was on to something with that design. It seems simple enough to not cause too many issues, but effective at cushioning the ride. I guess, though, as has been stated, there are limitations to everything depending on the conditions. Does anyone know how expensive of an option it is?
I think it is around 900.00 for the option. It takes a few minutes to get used to it the first time you run it. I found that when leveling sand or gravel as the bucket loaded up it would seem to dive a bit but after several minutes you get used to it and naturally make the adjustment. I believe it helps extend the life of the track as it allows a little more flexibility in the undercarriage contact with the track. I have had no problems so far with any broken springs or parts. The one T320 has about 2600 hours now.
Thanks for the replies guys, I haven't heard of to many problems with broken leaf springs from the dealer. I would guess most of the problems are attributed to inexperienced or employees who just don't take care of the equipment. Curbside, that diving is the thing I heard about and wasn't sure how big a deal it was. I'd be going from a rubber tired machine to the suspension so, I would guess it wouldn't be noticeable anyway. Daren
If your going from wheels to tracks you won't notice as you will already be getting the feel of a new type of machine.