At CONEXPO 2026, Liebherr presented the upgraded LR 1400.1 SX crawler crane for the first time with derrick equipment and a suspended counterweight system. Driven by the need to expand the 612-horsepower LR 1400.1's range of applications, these two upgrades boost the crane's lifting capacity-particularly for heavy lifts when configured with long booms and luffing jibs. The crane delivers a 441-ton load capacity, a 566-foot maximum hoist height, and a 407-foot maximum radius. The boom configuration can be determined in advance via Liebherr's Crane Planner 2.0 software, allowing lift planners to validate stability before the crane is ever transported to the site.
The engineering innovation is the "VarioTray" system. The suspended counterweight consists of a main and an additional counterweight, adjustable by an infinitely variable hydraulic extension device. The VarioTray allows the additional counterweight to be flexibly increased or reduced without the crane being stopped-the derrick boom can be extended or retracted under load to optimize the counterweight moment for each specific lift radius. Previously, a crane configured for a heavy, short-radius lift had to carry the full counterweight to every subsequent long-radius lift, over-stressing the crawler base and preventing the crane from traveling on soft ground. With VarioTray, the crane carries only the weight it needs for each lift, reducing ground bearing pressure by up to 22%.
The second breakthrough is the "Gradient Travel Aid" and "Ground Pressure Visualization." The Gradient Travel Aid's machine control system automatically calculates the crane's center of gravity as it travels on uneven terrain. If the crane approaches the boundary of its safe operating envelope on a slope, the system warns the operator before the crane leaves the safe area. The Ground Pressure Visualization system calculates the crane's ground pressure in real-time and compares it with the site-specific allowable bearing capacity, which the site engineer inputs based on geotechnical data. If the crawler tracks are approaching the bearing failure threshold of the soft fill beneath them, the system automatically limits the slewing speed and hoist acceleration to prevent dynamic bearing spikes that could cause the crane to settle unevenly. The self-assembly system also allows independent and quick assembly of the crawler side frames, carbody, and rear counterweights, reducing the support crane time required for setup.
