Hi All, We have a kukoda scoop (22D). I have managed to damage / split the cap that retains the ball, that is mounted on the front axle / dolly - not great timing, leading into Christmas! :| I am getting a new retaining cap machined, but I'm having trouble seeing how the shank on the ball is fastened to the front axle. I have attached a picture from above and below the shank. Looking up from below the axle, there is a blind, threaded hole in the bottom of the shank. There is also a slight bevel at the end of the shank. Not sure if that could be the start of a thread? If I can, we would like to remove the ball, rather than splitting the cap for assembly. Any insight / advice would be greatly appreciated! Looking at it, I can't see how it's being retained. Would appreciate any help and advice!!
Looks like a taper on the stud. Perhaps there was a heavy washer and a bolt supposed to retain it ? Can you try jacking up from underneath?
Hi DB2, Thanks for your reply! The drawbar from the scoop came away (sheared off) and ran up the back of the dozer, levering the ball through the collar. If it was a straight pull, I would have thought that would have done the trick.. Not sure I can exert more force on it than that - the inner edge of the collar has been levered down and out. I will turn it upside down and see if I can drive it a little bit, and see if it moves. It will have been in there a while, but.. You're correct, from the image it appears that there is a taper on the stud / shank. However, by eye it's fairly uniform.
By the looks of the weld in the second picture, it appears like it might have been field repaired before. No telling what you might find. It might just be beat in until it bound up good.
Never heard of a Kukoda but that hitch looks to be of similar (identical) construction to the old Cat 400 series. If it is, the ball-stud is tapered and should be retained by a bolt and washer. Clearly this hasn't been present for a long time and bearing in mind the scraper has been working OK we can assume the ball stud is stuck good n tight in the tapered socket. Back in the day, the only way to get them out was to turn the axle over and have at it with the BFH. We didn't often have to heat up the socket but I think in your case you may have to.
If this is the case and someone welded the whole stud/socket in while assembled it may be stuck pretty good. Some heat will be your friend in that case.
It also looks in the first picture looks like the pin should be down another 1/2 inch or so. That would also even it up at the bottom, for the lock bolt with heavy washer to work properly. My thought is that the welding repair warped things a bit, somebody beat it to refusal and left it at that point, and said ***k it, lets try it and see what happens. It may have had a longer lock bolt that fell out if they bothered to put one in.
What about cutting the whole poorly welded bushing out then slicing it in half to remove and save the ball? Make a new bushing to weld in that fits the taper of the ball. Maybe a new ball and/or socket off a dozer or Cat scraper could be adapted?
You could weld a heavy plate vertically around the ball (red).shape so you can get jacks (green)under the plate. Jack up evenly .may also need a little heat and beet.