hey fellas, got two questions and would really appreciate the feedback. just got myself my first telehandler and went with a 01 8042 legacy series skytrak. the only problem im seeing is that when its fully extended, and i retract in, it starts to wobble and vibrate like craaaazy! whole machine start shaking. Any ideas why? second question. do i grease the boom and chain, or just 40 weight oil? Someone told me just use either 40w or 50w..is that fine? Thanks!!!
I've always used grease on booms. I'd spray chain lube on the chain. If it shakes while retracting first thing I would grease it. If that doesn't fix it make sure your not missing any wear pads.
We usually use the spray can of chain lube on the chains. Then we use a lithium grease and brush it on the booms. If its that bad, like Knepptune said you might be missing a wear pad or its just hanging by a bolt.
Thanks so much fellas for those suggestions! i just checked my wear pads, they all seem to be tight and present it shakes so much even the main boom cylinder starts shaking like crazy. and i hear the hydraulic pump whirring louder than usual while retracting. ist that normal?
chains tight? Manuals are free downloads through JLG website too in case you need them.
While youre looking you might want to check the booms and make sure they arent tweeked anywhere. It doesnt take much to hang one of those up.
ok so just went to check it again. not sure if normal, but when i retract the boom, the chain get all wobbly and start waving ...normal? and anybody recommend a good place to get the wear pads? thanks.
thanks for that. can you explain what you mean by tweeked?
Tweeked would mean slightly bent, bowed, or not straight. If thats the case it can put the wear pads in a bind and not want to retract easily. We had a boom that was tweeked and it was very labored when retracting the boom at horizontal. I dont think its normal for a chain to wobble from side to side or twist (if thats what youre saying). They might bounce a bit when retracting but thats about it i would think. Any JLG dealer will be able to get you the wear pads, not sure in Belize though.....
I would also make sure the pads aren't worn out or have too large of a gap. If the chamfer is worn off the pads you may be digging into the bolts. I forget what the gap is supposed to be but I'm sure that will be in the manual. ISZ
I'm not familiar with the Skytrak 8942, but I have to repeat what pajibson stated...are the chains tight? If the extended/retract chains aren't at the correct tension you will get a severe oscillating vibration when retracting the boom sections on pretty much any brand telehandler.
when retracting there should be about 2 inches of sag from full extension, grease the booms and check all wear pads for being tight. There are several grease nipples for these units and some are hidden in the back of the boom, when they are dry or a wear pad is loose it will be noisy and hard to retract. Overtightening the chains can be very bad for the boom so keep that in mind. I usually adjust them a few turns then retract again and recheck sag to get a proper setting. These units had a few issues over the years like the motor mount plates cracking at the welds and the wiring harness rubbing where the harness wraps around the engine.