homemade bushings

[slowgo]

I am building a loader for my B7100 and can not find the bushings I need for the pivot points. I am going to use black pipe and stainless steel pins, that would be removable and easily replaceable, for the black pipe bushing might wear out fast, thoughts-concerns- any try this before? any input would be nice to here thanks

 

[ShaunBlake]

I'd prefer bronze, or graphite-impregnated bronze. That being said, the purpose is to provide, first, a good bearing surface, and second, a sacrificial surface.

Sounds like you're providing the second objective; perhaps more often than you'd expect.

Would you consider drilling and cross-drilling your stainless pins and threading them for Zerk fittings, and grease them every time you use the loader, or every 8 hours, whichever comes first? Ideally, take it a step farther and cut grease channels in your black pipe to distribute the grease.

 

[PHPaul]

I think you'd be better served to either find, or have made, some hardened bushings. There's a LOT of stress on loader pivot points and you'll wear out black iron very quickly even with conscientious lubrication. I'd expect the softer bronze would be even worse.

Try McMaster-Carr or Graingers or a similar source. In a pinch a machine shop could turn you a set but that might be a tad pricey.

When I got a 3 point hitch-mounted backhoe for my tractor, the stresses from the top mount on the hoe egged out the attachment point on the tractor almost immediately. I took the bracket off and had a machine shop bore the holes back round and fit some hardened bushings.

Just sold the tractor after 27 years, 25 of them using the mounted backhoe and the bushings are as round an solid as the day I installed them. Money well spent.

 

[D2Cat]

Like PHPaul mentioned, get something better then what you're suggesting. If nothing else find someone nearby with a lathe in their shop and ask them to fab some. Those hobbyist with lathes are always looking for something to make. They'll have fun, make something useful, make it like you need it, and charge a very fair fee.

 

[BadDog]

There are many types of bronze, some so hard and tough they cause the hard steel pin to become the wear item. So that's not necessarily an issue assuming the right alloy is selected for making a bushing so that it's either sacrificial, or not.

 

[zoomy]

Like Baddog said there are many types of bronze. Back when I was designing dies and machinery all our high pressure wear surfaces used aluminum bronze. The major alloying material is aluminum which gives it wear resistance and oxidation resistance. It is very tough and will work very well as a pin bushing.

 

[slowgo]

thanks for the info will post pics when completed

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Black steel pipe has a ridge in it that makes using it as a bushing lousy.

Stainless is not a good material for the pins as it gulls too easy and will bind and get stuck.

Bronze does not hold up well for shock load bearings.

Look at DOM steel (Drawn or mandrel) for the bushings / fixed connections.
For the pins use cross and end drilled grease zerk pins.

1" is a good size.
Also pin the loader pins to keep them from rotating on the thin edges.

 

[Wbk]

I am building a loader for my B7100 and can not find the bushings I need for the pivot points. I am going to use black pipe and stainless steel pins, that would be removable and easily replaceable, for the black pipe bushing might wear out fast, thoughts-concerns- any try this before? any input would be nice to here thanks

If you have a spring shop in your area the older trucks use bronze bushings and hardened pins, the Ford Louisville used a 4" X 1" ID bushing and a 1" pin. Some of the really old 1/2 tons used even smaller pins and bushings. Hope this was helpfull.

 

[barts]

You may be able to use Delrin for bushing material, depending on the loads involved. If you can fit large enough bearings to hold lbs/in^2 down to 10k psi or so, these will work for you. Otherwise, bronze is a good choice. Preventing the pins from rotating is important.

- Bart

 

[ShaunRH]

Delrin is an odd choice on a tractor. Very soft, basically in the nylon family.

I'd just order a length of hardened steel tube at the right size for the bushing holder and then use a length of bronze tubing as the bushing. Make a bunch of them and change as needed.

 

[Diydave]

I think what would probably work for loader bushings would be oil-lite, Its a sintered bronze bushing stock, porous for holding oil and grease next to the pin. Mcmaster-carr, enco, MSC, all should have 12" lengths in stock...

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Loaders for these tractors do not need bushings!
Bushings are better suited to either precise movement, constant movement or high speed operation.
Your just wasting time and money to set it up with sleeves, bushings and pins.

 

[Tooljunkie]

I have to agree with wolfman. Dom tubing and 1" drilled pins. Make the bushings in three pieces, one in loader, two narrower for frame and vise versa when needed. I think softer pins, hard bushings. What would you rather wear out?
Pins, man!
And when bushings do finally wear, theres enough room with dom tubing to ream out to next oversize. Keeping up with lubricating is what slows the need for replacement. As it is-a set will last many years.

Stainless doesent play well with other metals-in a moving parts situation. Free isnt always best.

 

[sawmill]

I also agree with Wolfman. Get a piece of seamless mechanical tubing,
1 1/2" o.d. X .250 wall thickness for the sleeves. Get a piece of 1" 1018
shaft for your pins. Have the shaft turned to give you .010 clearance. Drill the shaft 1/2 the length and tap it for a zerk. Cross drill it for grease relief. Slide the pin into your sleeves when you tack them in place (for alignment). Remove the pins before welding the sleeves out. Weld clips on the pins to prevent rotation.
Use plenty of grease and grease it every 10 hours of use and you're home free.
It's not rocket science.

 

[Zimcocomp]

I need to replace the bushings welded into the FEL arms. Any suggestions for material to use for this?

 

[Zimcocomp]

An update as to how I handled replacing the bushings in the arms for the FEL. I purchased a length of tubing, used for bushings, that would go from one arm to the other. After carefully removing the old bushings I welded in the new bushings at the arms and then cut off the excess. I beveled the edges slightly to remove any burrs. This allowed perfect alignment of the bushings.

 

[torch]

I used a similar technique when I built my FEL, except I cut the bushings to size first and used a length of round bar of the same diameter as the pins to align the bushings.

Buying the bar may be cheaper than buying excess DOM tube.