Pin. Bushing. Fit.
A custom pin and bushing set can be machined from the worn assembly, an existing sample or a drawing, but the critical information is the required fit between the pin, bushing and housing rather than the diameter of any one piece by itself.
- Situation /
- Planned work
- Steps /
- 5 to get moving
- Bring /
- 4 things
- Call /
- 337-837-2314
A custom pin and bushing set can be machined from the worn assembly, an existing sample or a drawing, but the critical information is the required fit between the pin, bushing and housing rather than the diameter of any one piece by itself.
The OEM kit is unavailable, the lead time is too long, or the equipment has already been repaired to a nonstandard size. The part names are simple, but the repair is not: the pin, bushing and housing are a system, and copying one worn piece without understanding the mating fits can make a new set feel loose on day one.
What to do
- 01
Bring the pin, bushing and housing information together
The best sample is the whole relationship: old pin, old bushing and the bore they run in. If the housing cannot come in, provide accurate bore dimensions and photographs showing how the assembly is retained and lubricated.
- 02
Determine which surface is supposed to move
Some assemblies are designed for the pin to rotate in the bushing; others lock the pin and let the bushing or joint move elsewhere. That changes the fit, surface finish and where wear should occur.
- 03
Recover the intended dimensions instead of copying wear
A used pin is smaller where it carried load and a used bushing is larger in the same zone. The target dimensions are reconstructed from unworn areas, standard fits, mating geometry and the actual duty of the joint.
- 04
Choose material and hardness for the wear pair
The pin and bushing should not simply be two pieces of whatever steel is available. Material, heat treatment and lubrication have to work together so the replaceable wear component sacrifices itself instead of the expensive housing.
- 05
Machine and verify the assembled fit
The final check is not two independent diameters. It is whether the pin, bushing and housing create the intended clearance or interference when assembled.
Questions People Ask
Can a machine shop make an excavator pin and bushing from the old parts?
- Yes. A job shop can work from the worn samples, but it should recover the intended dimensions rather than copy the wear. The housing bore and the way the joint moves are part of that calculation.
Can you make an oversized pin or bushing after a bore repair?
- Yes. If returning the housing to the original size is not practical, a repaired bore can be paired with a custom pin, bushing or sleeve sized to the new geometry.
What information matters besides diameter?
- Length, retention method, lubrication holes or grooves, surface finish, material, hardness and the required running or press fit all matter. A correct diameter with the wrong fit is still the wrong part.
Send us the part.
337-837-2314 — or send photographs and we will tell you what we can do.