On Mon, 27 Aug 2007 22:27:16 GMT, Ecnerwal
wrote:

The bigger the pin, the lower the (unit) pressure. That makes for
happier bearings. My backhoe (which makes pretty good log mover with
some hooks and chain) is bushed, but it's bushed with steel on most of
the serious points. Some of the steering is bushed with bronze. Grease
daily - partly for lube, partly to keep moving the dirt out. I rebushed
some points with a steel-backed teflon bearing of very high PV from MSC.

If it's bushed, even with plain steel, you just drive out the bush and
put in a new one - simple. Often the bushes are also hardened, and you
replace bushes and pins as a set - they may also be soft, and you
replace just the bush most of the time.

If it's not bushed, or (thank the idiot that had my backhoe before I was
dumb enough to buy it) worn so far that the wear is outside of the
bushing, you need to weld it up and line-bore it - a pain in the
buttocks, specialized equipment, etc...


Hadn't thought about using hardened bushings, that's a really good
idea and pretty easy to do.

Thanks everyone for the replies.