• 18 parts
  • Checked September 2026

Parts of a Wheel Loader

An articulated wheel loader from the side, with the bucket half raised.

Parts of a Wheel Loader

Name Date

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
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Write the name of each numbered part.Answer key

  1. Bucket
  2. Lift arms
  3. Lift cylinders
  4. Tilt cylinder
  5. Cutting edge
  6. Teeth
  7. Front frame
  8. Rear frame
  9. Articulation joint
  10. Steering cylinders
  11. Axles
  12. Tires
  13. Cab
  14. Ladder
  15. Handrails
  16. Engine hood
  17. Radiator
  18. Counterweight

Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry. Licence: own work.

Each numbered ring is a button. Use the arrow keys to move between them and Enter to choose. Names are read out in Study, and once a part is answered.

Next step Next: inside a hydraulic cylinder

All 18 parts on the diagram

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Loader linkage 6

  1. Bucket The wide scoop at the front. It picks up loose material and carries it.
  2. Lift arms Two arms that carry the bucket and raise it. Some call them the boom.
  3. Lift cylinders One under each lift arm. They push the arms up.
  4. Tilt cylinder Works the linkage on top of the arms that tips the bucket.
  5. Cutting edge The hard front edge of the bucket floor.
  6. Teeth Points fixed along the cutting edge of the bucket.

Frames and steering 6

  1. Front frame The front half of the frame. It carries the front axle, the lift arms and their cylinders.
  2. Rear frame The rear half of the frame. It carries the cab, the engine and the rear axle.
  3. Articulation joint The hinge between the front frame and the rear frame. The loader bends here to steer.
  4. Steering cylinders One each side of the hinge. They swing the front frame against the rear frame.
  5. Axles One under the front frame and one under the rear frame.
  6. Tires A large tire at each end of both axles.

Cab and engine end 6

  1. Cab The operator sits here. Its frame is a roll-over protective structure, ROPS.
  2. Ladder The way up to the cab.
  3. Handrails Rails to hold when climbing up and down.
  4. Engine hood The cover over the engine, which sits behind the cab.
  5. Radiator It cools the engine. It sits at the back of the machine.
  6. Counterweight A heavy block built into the very back of the loader.

How this list was compiled: Every name checked on 2026-09-30 and kept only where at least two of these use it. (1) Wikipedia, Loader (equipment), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loader_(equipment) : bucket, two booms or arms, articulated steering about a pivot point between the front and rear axles. (2) A maker's wheel loader user manual, full text at https://archive.org/details/manualzilla-id-5986446 : bucket, teeth, lift arm, lift cylinder, front and rear frames, steering cylinders, cab, ROPS, engine hood, radiator, counterweight, front and rear axle, tires, ladder. (3) A second maker's wheel loader specification manual, full text at https://archive.org/details/manualsbase-id-550232 : bucket, cutting edge, teeth, lift arms, lift cylinders, tilt cylinder, articulation joint, front frame, cab with ROPS, hood, radiator, counterweight, axles, tires, ladder, handrails. (4) Front End Loader Operator, Open Pit Mining Job Training Series (US Department of Education, ERIC ED246295), full text at https://archive.org/details/ERIC_ED246295 : bucket, cutting edges, teeth, lift arm assembly, tilt cylinder, front frame and rear frame, articulating points, steering cylinders, cab, radiator, tires, ladders and handrails. Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry; no maker's drawing, nothing traced. Licence: own work

How it works

A wheel loader, also called a front-end loader, seen from its left side with the bucket half raised. The parts fall into three groups: the loader linkage at the front, the two frames and the steering, and the cab and engine end.

Read the full guide

The bucket and its arms

The bucket hangs on the ends of two lift arms. A lift cylinder under each arm raises it, and the tilt cylinder on top works the linkage that tips the bucket. The cutting edge is the front of the bucket floor, and teeth are fixed along it.

Two frames and a hinge

The front frame carries the arms and the front axle. The rear frame carries the cab, the engine under its hood, the radiator and the counterweight. The two meet at the articulation joint, and the steering cylinders swing one frame against the other, so the loader bends in the middle to steer.

  • ROPS stands for roll-over protective structure. On a loader it is the frame of the cab.

Questions and answers

What are the parts of a wheel loader called?

At the front: the bucket with its cutting edge and teeth, the lift arms, the lift cylinders and the tilt cylinder. Then the front frame, the articulation joint, the steering cylinders and the rear frame, with the cab, engine hood, radiator and counterweight.

How does a wheel loader steer?

It bends in the middle. The front and rear frames are joined at a pivot between the two axles, and hydraulic steering cylinders swing one against the other. This is called articulated steering.

What are the arms on a loader called?

Lift arms. Some sources call them the boom. The two arms carry the bucket, and a lift cylinder under each one raises it.

What is the back of a wheel loader called?

The rear frame. Its very end is the counterweight, a heavy block built into the back of the machine, with the radiator just above it.

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