Hey guys, My cat 430E drives at a max speed of 20 kmh before it starts to bounce around and become unstable. How do I fix this so it is able to drive faster/while being safe on the road?
Have you checked the normal things like tire condition, tire pressure, tie rods, etc. Lots of things could cause this.
Tyres are ok and at 40psi for front and 30psi back; haven't checked tie rods (how does this affect it?)
If the ball and socket connections in your tie rods are worn out and real sloppy, you'll get the front wheels steering on their own (exaggeration, but hopefully, you get the idea) causing the whole machine to be difficult to drive. If the machine is new to you, also make sure that you have a counterweight in the front. They have to be taken off for various repairs and might not have been put back on. That would definitely cause it to be hard to drive, especially once it starts bouncing.
Ok noted. Your explanation just now was very clear so I'll look into those items. Thanks a lot man.
That is quite normal for some T/L/B's. I always roll the the front bucket all the way back and then keep the hoist really close to the road. When the bounce starts you gotta lower the hoist a little and slow down to maintain control. I think different brands of tires react differently on the road also.
Mine is pretty bouncy on my back, country roads, almost everywhere there is a crack filled with tar I can expect a fair amount of rocking back and forth, which gets pretty scary.
Maybe your front tires are foam filled, that can get a bounce going pretty good at speed on hard road.
Raised on a farm and we put water in the tires for added weight and traction. Problem is on the road the centrifugal force puts the water in one location and cause the tractor to bounce like crazy. Maybe that is what yours has, water in the tires?
Are those the pressures recommended by the tyre manufacturer.? I had a brief look for the 430E and depending on manufacturer & tyre type the recommended pressures for front tyres were anything in the range of 45-64psi and for rears it was 34-58psi.
Does your machine have ride control? If so is it functioning correctly? If not sure post a s/n