D15 Limited Lift Travel

Guys I have a Series II D15 I've owned for a couple years now but has always had a aggravating problem . The lift works ok and is strong but seems to have a very limited amount of travel on raising and lowering . It doesn't seem to pick up as high as it should nor does it lower the lift arms anywhere near the ground . I do own a shop manual (if I could find it )  but no operators manual that would tell me how to use the lift . I'm sure its probably an adjustment it needs but have no clue where to start . Oh BTW it does have the factory 3 point hitch . Any help would be appreciated . Thanks


Edited by ric44 - 24 Jun 2020 at 8:40am

About the only implement I use is a bush hog and a blade . I realize I can change the pitch of the hog with the top link but that doesn't really affect the lift arm travel . I don't expect the arms to go ground level but they are a foot and a half from ground at lowest point . could the top link be holding them up too far or limiting the upward travel of the lift ?

Yes there are indeed 2 holes in the draft arms and at present they are bolted through the outboard hole .  After looking at it just now it seems in the proper position to lift fully just really needs the lift arms to go lower as I cannot hook to the hog without really blocking it up .


Edited by ric44 - 24 Jun 2020 at 10:55am

Any easy way to free up the adjustable lifting links ?  They aren't really frozen but impossible to turn by hand . Penetrating oil daily for a week or so might do it ? The grease fittings both took grease but those fine threads on the coupling seem to be the problem .

Edited by jaybmiller - 24 Jun 2020 at 2:28pm

Maybe someone with a factory 3 point hitch will chime in with some lift arm travel measurements . Be interesting to know if it corresponds to mine . I plan to take the hog off tomorrow and get the draft links freed up . Thanks for everyone's help .

Ok back at it this morning . Got one of the draft adjusters free the other one is coming around . Here is a pic of the lowest my lift arms will go even with me standing (300lb) on them . As you can see its nowhere near as low as it should be . I pulled the dash lever lift control down past its detent and I can hear the valve unloading but the lift arms only go down this far and thats it . Took a pic of some more linkage thats hooked to the quadrant arm and I assume it has something to do with the traction booster ?  This  has me puzzled for sure .uploads/19309/IMG_0099.jpguploads/19309/IMG_0098.jpguploads/19309/IMG_0100.jpguploads/19309/IMG_0106.jpg

Edited by ric44 - 25 Jun 2020 at 10:21am

After looking at the linkage in the third pic it seems to me that someone may have repositioned the piece that clamps on the rockshaft and that the linkage rods are in a position that prevents any further downward movement of the quadrant (upper) arms . Gonna try loosening the 2 bolts to see if it will let the arms drop lower .

And remember a factory 3pt 15 has position control combined with the traction booster. My 15 looses adjustment ever so often and does this

Edited by Gatz in NE - 25 Jun 2020 at 11:06am

Yes the clamp on the rockshaft is what always moves on mine it’s just clamped with those two bolts and yours looks like it is clocked wrong like it has slipped I’ll look at mine when I get home