Heavy Equipment Forums Heavy Equipment Community

JD 544H Pivot Movement

BrystarShop · 2019-10-10 14:49

Hope we can get some guidance here. We have a 544H s/n DW544HX574096 that was brought in for excessive movement at the pivot point. When applying the brakes going forward or backward the front frame would make an audible "CLUNK" with obvious movement. Upon inspection it was determined that the bearing around the lower pin had failed, and we elected to rebuild the entire section. New pins, seals, bearings, bushings, etc. After getting everything back together, the movement is still there. This loader does not have ride control. There is about 3/4 - 1" of space on top of our plates top and bottom (see pictures). I went to the local JD dealer and checked out their machines. They are the same design, but the spacing is equal for the most part. They said that if the bottom frame(s) have become oval shaped this could lead to the movement, but we verified everything is concentric and round. Any help would be appreciated. We ordered every part that was shown on the diagram for these two joints. Thank you.

Replies27
  1. #1Nige2019-10-10 15:52

    Is the movement up & down or back & forward..? Can you take a video of it.? All it needs is to move the transmission from neutral->forward->neutral->reverse->neutral with the brakes applied. Most people post their videos on Youtube then link them.

  2. #2BrystarShop2019-10-10 15:57

    I can work on getting a video, but I can tell you the movement is up and down. It's the front half of the machine sliding up and then thumping back down.

  3. #3BrystarShop2019-10-10 16:17

    Here is the video:

  4. #4Bls repair2019-10-10 18:04

    How tight do the bushings fit?

  5. #5partsandservice2019-10-10 21:52

    I can tell you exactly what is wrong from experience. There is a sleeve that goes into the bottom of the front frame where that plate bolts on . The part number for the sleeve is T182265. There are actually two of those sleeves and they stack on top of each other. The second one can be installed by simply removing that bottom plate to push the second sleeve in . This will center the hinge fork. When looking up the part in jd it will show quanity one for that sleeve. But one is listed on the engine frame line item 7 and the second on the loader frame line item 20. Same part number. I had this same issue on a J.

  6. #6partsandservice2019-10-10 21:57
  7. #7mg23612019-10-11 05:26

    Welcome to HEF Brystar ! Partsandservice is correct. Looks like you are missing the bushing based on the amount of movement. If you noticed the bushing has a slight recess (taper) to one end. When the two bushings are installed in the bottom the bushing on top has the taper up and the bushing on the bottom has the taper down. When all assembled the engine frame should sit almost in the middle of the loader frame.

  8. #8BrystarShop2019-10-11 11:00

    I'm replying to you, but also to PartsandService - We did purchase and install those bearings, but I am unaware if the mechanics realized there was a taper. Perhaps they're installed incorrectly and that's allowing that movement? It will be a job to remove and inspect, but that's probably the way to go. As far as clearance, everything seems ok. There is maybe .002" between the pin and the bushings. This should be about normal, just enough to slide through but not enough to allow excessive lateral movement.

  9. #9partsandservice2019-10-11 14:28

    Suit yourself. The bevels being backwards would not allow the slack it would just damage the seal in the lower loader frame bearing assembly.

  10. #10BrystarShop2019-10-11 14:33

    Literally just got done talking with the mechanic and came in to reply. The bushings were installed correctly with the bevel facing the correct direction for the seal. I have a 3rd that we'd ordered sitting here that we were looking at. In your pictures above we ordered everything shown from the engine frame and loader frame diagrams. Just over $2,500 worth.

  11. #11partsandservice2019-10-11 14:44

    I am just trying to help. Those two bushings are the only thing that centers the fork , the top just floats in the center. You could jack the front frame so the fork moves to top and you could likely see that missing , IMO from afar , bushing.

  12. #12BrystarShop2019-10-11 14:59

    I definitely appreciate your help. That's the reason I signed up and posted here, because we're just at a loss. We did replace those two bushings, but if those are what hold it in place I'm wondering if the pin / bushing clearance was too much? Even though they're new?

  13. #13mg23612019-10-12 05:07

    Can I see a picture of the bottom joint (showing the bottom plate if possible, #10 above)? Were the bearings adjusted to a preload and not end play?

  14. #14BrystarShop2019-10-14 09:50
  15. #15partsandservice2019-10-14 23:34

    Humor me one more time. Remove that big bolt from the bottom and then the six bolts that hold that plate on. Make sure you can't see the bevel on the bottom on the bushing that is in there. If the bevel is in fact facing up, use longer bolts in that plate and push that bushing up with other bushing you have on hand and you will done with it. I respectfully bow out at this point.

  16. #16mg23612019-10-15 04:38

    When the frame is moving up and down does the lower pin move up and down or does the lower bearing slide up and down on the pin? Either way that lower joint has to come apart. Is the photo below supposed to be those bushings? I don't like the look of the one piece.

  17. #17BrystarShop2019-10-15 08:23

    The frame is moving up and down. That pin is galled from being pressed back out to inspect if everything was concentric.

  18. #18Nige2019-10-15 13:07

    But where exactly is the movement.? Is the pin moving or is the bearing moving.?

  19. #19BrystarShop2019-10-15 15:39

    Neither. When I slow the video down on YouTube to .25x it's the frame and bushing sliding up and down on the pin. Goes back to what I was saying previously about the bushings slipping up and down on it. I shot a video of the old pin and one of the new (spare) bushings. The new pin and new bushings in the machine do the same thing. ***EDIT*** I guess another way of saying this is that the respective parts are firm and fixed in their respective locations, but the frames are moving independently of each other. See video here:

  20. #20Nige2019-10-15 16:43

    Yep, but your video is of the upper pin in the hitch. MG's question referred to the lower pin/bearing/spacer(s) assembly, which if it's anything like a Cat hitch is the one that "holds" everything from moving up and down, or at least that's what it's supposed to do........ The function of the upper hitch is simply to keep the front and rear frames in the same relative position and let the machine pivot without everything falling apart.

  21. #21partsandservice2019-10-15 22:10

    I said I bowed out but maybe I did not explain well and can't help myself. As long as all the parts are in place it has no way for it to slide up and down on the pins. The OTHER T182265 is not in the stack on the bottom pin.

  22. #22partsandservice2019-10-15 22:15

    I usually put the lower T182265 with bevel up to make it easier to start when pushing it up into place.

  23. #23BrystarShop2019-11-05 09:10

    We finally got an opportunity to pull this in and look at it. Here's what the bottom looks like with the plate removed.

  24. #24BrystarShop2019-11-05 10:35

    We tried this and the "extra" bushing went all the way in. Apparently, when the 2 (TWO!!) "mechanics" that worked on this told me they had installed the two bushings I should have checked their work. To quote Ronald Reagan, who was quoting an old Russian proverb - Trust, but verify.

  25. #25partsandservice2019-11-05 13:06

    Good deal, glad you got it!

  26. #26Nige2019-11-05 17:17

    I trust that the “slop” has now gone from the hitch and also that you have inserted the old bushes where the sun don’t shine into the two mechanics who worked on it..?

  27. #27BrystarShop2019-11-05 17:55

    They're no longer here. But I'll hold onto these just in case.