Hi everyone, newbie here, both to the forum and tractors in general. The wife and I were at an estate sale a couple of months ago and purchased a LG Montana Tractor 4340 to help maintain our 115 acres. With the full cab, heating and air, it seemed perfect for me. It seemed to run and operate good so we bid and won the bid for it. After having it delivered though I started noticing things that I failed to see at the auction. Bad battery (minor, replaced), bolts missing from the left front corner of the skid plate(?) to connect to the frame (minor, replaced) but to me, a major item, three grease fittings missing from the left side of the bucket on the arm. The holes were filled with grease so it wasn't till I started to do my initial PMCS on it that I noticed. Replacing the fittings was easy, nothing wrong with the threads and the new fitting went right in, but, the bucket hangs about 1 1/2 inches lower on that side. Trying for a flat scoop is impossible as the bucket corner just digs in and makes a mess of everything. The hydraulic piston measures out the same length on both sides so I don't think that's the problem. Might anybody have a suggestion of what I can check for. Can't take it in to have it checked, it was either a truck and trailer (to haul a tractor) or the tractor, and I really needed the tractor to get things done around here. Thank you
you could check for the pin between the loader and bucket and excessive wear, another thing to check, took me years to figure out, the pressure in the back tires.... if one tire has less air pressure or a different size tire, it will throw the front bucket out of kelter.
I assume that measuring the od of the pin and the id of it's receiver should tell me if there is excessive wear, or will it be that obvious? How difficult are they to get out and back in? If there is excessive wear might the pins be generic enough that a tractor supply store would carry them or would I need to find someone specifically with Montana parts?
Darn, thought of something as soon as I posted my last. You can actually see the whole arm lift lower than the other when you lift the bucket. The right are comes up before the left does.
Sounds like your loader arms are tweaked. You may be able to fix it by lifting on something you can't lift with the high side, but, if you're lucky you'll have to use a larger machine, or chains and a jack.
bvfdfire - While resting on the ground should there be any movement at all in any of the pin locations along the length of the bucket arms if you were to grab the arm and try to move it? While at rest on the ground, you can see there is movement in the joints if you push and pull on the arms manually as well as when the bucket is lifted, you can see the joints(?) (to clarify, any place where a pin holds two sections together) shifting when the bucket is lifted. Mitch504 - Could you expound please on the use of the jack and chain idea? Should the pins all prove ok I may have to try it. The tires are the same size and dimensions as well as pressure.
I also have a 4340 can not find loader arms. Can anyone point me in the right direction since they have been discontinued?