253 rear lift problem

[msj]

I'm having trouble with my rear lift. I have had this tractor for 12 years and the rear lift has always worked well until this year. It lifts all the way in travel mode (all the way back then around the stop of working mode) but at the top of working mode it doesn't lift my bushhog off the ground as it has done for the previous 11 years. I have made no adjustments in the linkage postions and have adjusted my top 3-pt attachment as always. I mow a good bit of clover and can only get to a maximum height of 6-8 inches. The hydraulics fluid is full, and indeed when pulled to travel mode it picks the bushhog about 3 feet off the ground, but it is impossible to get it to stay in between 3 feet and a mowing height of 6-8 inches. What is causing this?

 

[gbs]

it would be only a guess as there are several things that could be wrong but years ago DIL was backing up with a scrape blade pushing some brush out of the way and his lift started doing about the same thing ,the blade had jumped so suddenly that it bent the control bars for the top link under lift cover, unusual thing to happen but it can