420 c pin and bushing question

[JD440ICD2006]

I will just add a general comment about parts for these old crawlers.
The more affordable parts we can find, have produced, etc., the stronger and longer this hobby will last.
Short term thinking has taken it's toll on a number of good hobbies and companies, albeit, a few greedy people got rich.

[Tigerhaze]

hi guys, while were at it,, can someone post the pin to pin measurement? thanks.

Courtesy of CrawlerHeaven:

http://www.crawlerheaven.com/wearlimits.htm

[Paul Buhler]

Thanks Rex.

As I'm learning, it appears that the pins and bushings I need will fit a large number of older JD crawlers; this means more incentive for some business to gear up and make them available again. Here's hoping I/we find that business.

Paul

[JD440ICD2006]

Due I am sure to my lack of understanding with this stuff, but it would seem the "demand" would have already spurred a company or two in to producing these pins and bushings.

[Paul Buhler]

Hi: I've collected this info so far.




I have this as a Word doc, or .pdf and can send it via email if anyone wants it. I can't seem to figure out how to make the images larger and easier to see here. Paul

[Lavoy]

Here it is in a nutshell. I have been selling pins and bushings for almost 15 years. You are correct in assuming that there is not enough demand to produce them which is why they very seldom import them into the US any more. If there was demand, there would be supply, but there isn't, so they don't.
The 3 or 4 sets a year I averaged does not constitute demand. I used to stock 10-15 sets at a time. Three years later I still had inventory, so I quit stocking them, and that was when I was doing pins and bushings for $900/set installed, and people still complained about the price. Now, the last price I heard for sure that I know of anyone buying them was $1300/set aftermarket not installed. At the time I was doing this, I was my suppliers largest single purchaser of 420 size pins and bushings in the US, now they no longer even purchase from the people that made them for them.
I can get pins and bushings any time I want, they are still being manufactured. But, unless someone wants to loan me $20-30,000 interest free for a few years until I burn through the inventory level I have to buy now to get them, it just isn't going to happen that way.
In addition to all of this, add in the fact that there are not many track presses left in the US to do this size pin and bushings, and you have less demand.
Not to pee in anybody's cornflakes, but Chuck's analysis is dead on.
Lavoy

[Tigerhaze]

Paul-

I will get you photos over the weekend.

Here are the photos I took of the pin and bushing- as you can see there is a small bevel on the end of the pin and the inner lip of the bushing but it appears to me to maybe be more from the manufacturing process than an actual functional requirement-someone else would have to confirm that.

[Paul Buhler]

Thank you for taking the time to do this. A picture is worth a thousand words. I think that you are right. Some other people have PMed me with helpful info and support too. So the project moves forward. Paul

[pop pop]

ya, the bevels and radius need to be there,, they keep the edges from getting mushed out and galling,freezing(locking up),, also prevents chipping the pin. there are more reasons too,,,