Asplundh lr-50 lift ?s

[Diy mechanic mike]

Hello, has anyone ever replaced the pivot cam on the upper/lower boom connection point? my cam is cracked between the two cable grabs obviously not going up in it til I swap it out which I have a spare from another truck but I'm trying to get it apart and I just got the pivot pin out and the four bolts out that I thought connected the upper boom end to the lower boom end but it's not breaking loose. There are two keys in it and it seems to me they just align it for the bolts.... but not sure cuz it's not coming apart. I'll post some pics of the project......

 

[Diy mechanic mike]

The red arrows is where it appears to split apart....

 

[Diy mechanic mike]

There is the main pivot pin and leveling sprocket.

 

[Diy mechanic mike]

There is one of the keys, I think are for just aligning it up for the pin to go thru but not 100%. Hoping there is another crazy person like myself out there that has done this or can maybe help out??

 

[Diy mechanic mike]

So is there anyone that could tell me how this separates? I have been trying to press it apart with a 5ton bottle jack and its not budging but im also being careful not to push it to much cuz im not exactly sure how it comes apart. Part of me is wondering if the lower connection point of upper boom is threaded onto the lift cam shaft and thats why the set keys are there to keep it from unthreading while the cam turns to lift boom, but that also seems like overkill considering it has set keys/weld-on retainers with four bolts bolting the corners together also keeping it from turning. But im not 100% sure, would be great if someone who has messed with one could pop on and say cuz idk who i could even contact about it since they are obsolete. Anyone know an old asplundh manufacturing division mechanic that worked on these? My service and parts manual dont show or say anything about this issue. "My luck" seems to always pan out this way with parts/service books. Haha

 

[mattLeo]

is anyone still using an 1980s era bucket truck? with the cable driven upper boom, hydraulic lower boom? I hear Asplundh recommends retiring those fiberglass booms after so many years, but my boom doesnt have any cracks, i guess i need to have it Xrayed inspected, especially at the ends where it sleeves the metal joints. any advice/ input here? thanks.

 

[Luztree]

Call Allan Black. Superior aerial. (919)528-2535. Or. (330)577-6046. He knows it all. Worked on them all. He’ll get you straightened out.

 

[Bill G]

is anyone still using an 1980s era bucket truck? with the cable driven upper boom, hydraulic lower boom? I hear Asplundh recommends retiring those fiberglass booms after so many years, but my boom doesnt have any cracks, i guess i need to have it Xrayed inspected, especially at the ends where it sleeves the metal joints. any advice/ input here? thanks.

I had one and Asplund was after me to scrap it. The upper cable was frayed. I sold it but after that found out Rockford Riggng could do it for $350

 

[Diy mechanic mike]

Much needed update... I did get that part separated and replaced. Took some acetylene heat and some pb blast and the 5 ton mini bottle jack and she popped apart. Sounded like a gun going off when it did, guess it was together for so long it was almost bonded as one haha.

BTW I did get replacement drive cables for the upper boom from a company out of Canada unirope. They build cables for cranes and stuff alike so a very trust worthy company since your life depends on those cables. Think they were around 2k shipped for both. But over all the lift has been good to me since my restoration process of getting the lift and truck back going for use. I don't use it daily but I get a good amount of use out of it and I have made my money back that I have dumped into it. Now I'm wanting to get a pony motor for running the lift so I'm not wearing down the truck engine and burning so much gas. So I believe if you take care of your equiptment or catch a used one before it reaches the point of no return for a good price they are worth it and totally usable. However I wouldn't push any limits just cuz it is an older unit, like lifting heavy logs with boom or too much weight in bucket is a no go forsure. I also try to be as smooth as possible with the hydraulics when moving so I'm not jerking it around just to be easy on the old joints. Everything seems tight with it and I have the cables adjusted correctly according to the asplundh line lift manual and I've been greasing everything about every 2 or 3 tree jobs cuz like I said I don't use it daily. It's been a great unit for the money I have in it. Which is minimal, I think I have like 7k in it total (including buying the truck for 2k)and I have fixed alot of stuff on the truck mainly but the lift has all rebuild cylinders except outriggers, few new hydraulic lines, drive cables, hydrofluid, filters, even coated the fiberglass boom and lower boom center piece and painted the unit and truck. Tons of stuff to the mechanics of the truck. And all the labor done by me. Which I would put 10k on atleast if you took it to someone. Gotta be willing to put in some labor hours for the cheap deals. It was defiantly a fixer upper but it's just about all fixed up now for a work truck anyway.