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wjohn 
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 Topic: Name/Source for Bushings/Sleeve Bearings
Posted: 20 Jun 2026 at 9:43am |
I am running into a number of bushings/sleeve bearings on my older ACs that I haven't been able to find off the shelf equivalents for from SKF, McMaster-Carr, or wherever. Examples would be the CA steering gearbox bushings and rear lift rockshaft bushings. The ones I can find online for the ID I need have too thick of a wall, so the OD is too large to fit.
Am I searching for the wrong names? Is there some secret source for these still out there? Did Allis really use custom-made special thin-walled bushings in everything... that would seem odd to me?
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1939 B, 1940 B, 1941 WC, 1951 WD, 1952 CA, 1956 WD-45
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Jim.ME
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Posted: 20 Jun 2026 at 2:29pm |
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The bushing/sleeve may have been made by, or for, AC to their spec. Have you found any with the right OD, but a bit small on the ID? Many bushings get reamed to the proper ID after they are installed, they often are not sized properly to work without that step being done.
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IBWD MIke
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Posted: 21 Jun 2026 at 5:46am |
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Have you checked AGCO? You might be surprised.
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wjohn
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Posted: 21 Jun 2026 at 8:38am |
 IBWD MIke wrote:
Have you checked AGCO? You might be surprised. |
I always check AGCO. $95 for one of the steering gearbox bushings (takes 2!) makes me want to check all other sources first!
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1939 B, 1940 B, 1941 WC, 1951 WD, 1952 CA, 1956 WD-45
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wjohn
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Posted: 21 Jun 2026 at 9:07am |
Jim.ME wrote:
The bushing/sleeve may have been made by, or for, AC to their spec. Have you found any with the right OD, but a bit small on the ID? Many bushings get reamed to the proper ID after they are installed, they often are not sized properly to work without that step being done. |
Most of them would be too small by 1/8-1/16" which seems like a lot to take off with a reamer, maybe?
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1939 B, 1940 B, 1941 WC, 1951 WD, 1952 CA, 1956 WD-45
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8070nc
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Posted: 21 Jun 2026 at 9:32am |
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It could be done with a adjustable reamer in steps. If you know somebody with a lathe they could size them in a few minutes. Ive done it in a milling machine before i had a lathe just takes more time
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Tracy Martin TN
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Posted: 21 Jun 2026 at 9:35am |
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I made many of them. Soft jaws in lathe and turn the ID to proper fit. HTH Tracy
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wjohn
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Posted: 21 Jun 2026 at 11:41am |
The original bearings appear to be steel-backed bronze (or similar copper-based metal on the ID). They have pockets for lubrication retention. If they were designed to be reamed after installation, it couldn't have been much more than a touch up reaming.
Maybe they really were custom for AC/Ross/NH/IH etc.? Still seems odd to me that these thinner-wall bushings appeared to be so common in ag equipment back in the day, but are very difficult to find now. Due to the usage I just figured they had to be off the shelf items back in the day.
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1939 B, 1940 B, 1941 WC, 1951 WD, 1952 CA, 1956 WD-45
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DanielW
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Posted: 21 Jun 2026 at 8:25pm |
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Look up 'DU' bushings (made by Garlock/GGB), or 'TH' bushings made by Daemar. Think that might be what you're after. Pretty common in the industrial world. Both companies make several similar types of bushings, but the DU or TH are the most common. The DU and TH bushings are interchangeable - just different names for those offered by different companies.
Edited by DanielW - 21 Jun 2026 at 8:25pm
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DiyDave
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Posted: 21 Jun 2026 at 8:57pm |
I think McMaster Carr has sintered bronze bushing stock, comes in a 13" blank, choose size and cut out your bushing on a lathe... 
Just checked, they have both rods and tubes, you just need to know the ID and OD. Search sintered bronze bearing stock. Longest they now stock seems to be 6-1/2" long...
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SteveM C/IL
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Posted: 21 Jun 2026 at 10:41pm |
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I doubt anything but steel backed bronze with all those little pockets would hold up on the rock shaft area of a WD. A bronze sleeve would be pretty thin in that area and probably squish out.
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DanielW
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Posted: 21 Jun 2026 at 11:29pm |
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The DU and TH bearings I mentioned above are exactly that: Hardened steel outer shell with a porous bronze/ploymer I.D. with pockets for lube entrapment. And very thin wall. Meant for very high loading - much higher PV-rating than your typical 660 bronze bushings. I strongly suspect that's what Allis used - DU bushings have been around for ages. Never had a WD/CA apart to know for sure, but I know they're very popular in the industrial world, and I know both my old IH haybine and Fordson steering arm used them.
Edited by DanielW - 21 Jun 2026 at 11:36pm
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Gary Burnett
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Posted: 22 Jun 2026 at 7:58am |
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For just a bushing look into neopreme bushings.On the concrete block machine I used to run and work on the Besser company replaced the brass and steel bushings with neopreme bushings and they would out last either steel or brass,Cheap and buy the outside diameter you need and drill to fit.
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wjohn
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Posted: 22 Jun 2026 at 6:43pm |
DanielW wrote:
Look up 'DU' bushings (made by Garlock/GGB), or 'TH' bushings made by Daemar. Think that might be what you're after. Pretty common in the industrial world. Both companies make several similar types of bushings, but the DU or TH are the most common. The DU and TH bushings are interchangeable - just different names for those offered by different companies. |
Thanks! That was very helpful. Unfortunately, even with those, neither appear to offer a 1.25 bore bushing with 1.375 OD, as one example... They are 1.406 (1 13/32) OD. Which maybe tells me things have just shifted over time and what used to be a common off the shelf size used by at least several equipment manufacturers went out of style for some reason. I supposed I could turn those down a bit if I get a lathe (which I do need to do).
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1939 B, 1940 B, 1941 WC, 1951 WD, 1952 CA, 1956 WD-45
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wjohn
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Posted: 22 Jun 2026 at 6:44pm |
SteveM C/IL wrote:
I doubt anything but steel backed bronze with all those little pockets would hold up on the rock shaft area of a WD. A bronze sleeve would be pretty thin in that area and probably squish out. |
Yes, this would be my concern even if I could make something out of bronze stock-type material. I think that steel backing with the thin layer of bronze is probably necessary to last very long.
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1939 B, 1940 B, 1941 WC, 1951 WD, 1952 CA, 1956 WD-45
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DanielW
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Posted: 22 Jun 2026 at 7:37pm |
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Interesting. I would have bet dollars to buttons that's what they used, but I guess not. If you're having some made, consider C954. It's a pretty popular material to make custom bushings from in the industrial world. It's an aluminum-bronze alloy - not your basic bronze. Much higher load/PV capacity than regular bronze.
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Gary Burnett
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Posted: 22 Jun 2026 at 9:48pm |
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As far as bronze bushings holding up under weight, on a Besser Block machine with bronze bushings on a 6 inch diameter shaft and between the weight of the shaft and the mechanicism it lifts and lowers every 9 seconds easily weighed more than a WD tractor.they would hold up a long time making several million concrete block a year.
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Tracy Martin TN
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Posted: 22 Jun 2026 at 11:43pm |
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932 or 954 aluminun bronze will be fine. Better than what come in it. The steel backed bushings are sintered metal, we made them at my first job. It is soft enough to be formed and not break. I personally make most of mine out of 932 or the tough stuff, 954. HTH, Tracy.
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No greater gift than healthy grandkids!
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WF owner
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Posted: 23 Jun 2026 at 5:48am |
Gary Burnett wrote:
For just a bushing look into neopreme bushings.On the concrete block machine I used to run and work on the Besser company replaced the brass and steel bushings with neopreme bushings and they would out last either steel or brass,Cheap and buy the outside diameter you need and drill to fit. |
I'm not doubting what you said, but that amazes me. Who says you can't teach an old man anything?
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Gary Burnett
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Posted: 23 Jun 2026 at 6:54am |
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The thing with bushings is they need to be made out of something that will wear down and not wear down the shaft.
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Alex09(WI)
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Posted: 25 Jun 2026 at 1:19am |
Pretty sure the rockshaft bushings that you are looking for are these: https://awtractor.com/product/225815v-lift-arm-shaft-bushing/
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wjohn
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Posted: 26 Jun 2026 at 6:28pm |
DanielW wrote:
Interesting. I would have bet dollars to buttons that's what they used, but I guess not. If you're having some made, consider C954. It's a pretty popular material to make custom bushings from in the industrial world. It's an aluminum-bronze alloy - not your basic bronze. Much higher load/PV capacity than regular bronze. |
Thanks. I think the "best" thing to do for the rockshaft bushings is probably to bore the mounts out to that slightly large diameter so they'd accept off the shelf bushings DU etc. these days. That would also take care of the ones you tear into and find out the rockshaft wore through the bushing decades ago, and now the bore of the casting is oversized/out of round. I think there is enough meat there on the CA and WD mounts to make that work? Of course I do not have enough machining equipment yet to make that happen on my own.
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1939 B, 1940 B, 1941 WC, 1951 WD, 1952 CA, 1956 WD-45
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wjohn
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Posted: 26 Jun 2026 at 6:31pm |
Tracy Martin TN wrote:
932 or 954 aluminun bronze will be fine. Better than what come in it. The steel backed bushings are sintered metal, we made them at my first job. It is soft enough to be formed and not break. I personally make most of mine out of 932 or the tough stuff, 954. HTH, Tracy. |
Thank you! I will keep those materials in mind when I get some machining equipment. That is the goal someday... Even a little Atlas/Craftsman lathe would be handy for smaller stuff like that. I've been keeping my eye out for one to start with.
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1939 B, 1940 B, 1941 WC, 1951 WD, 1952 CA, 1956 WD-45
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wjohn
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Posted: 26 Jun 2026 at 6:42pm |
Gary Burnett wrote:
As far as bronze bushings holding up under weight, on a Besser Block machine with bronze bushings on a 6 inch diameter shaft and between the weight of the shaft and the mechanicism it lifts and lowers every 9 seconds easily weighed more than a WD tractor.they would hold up a long time making several million concrete block a year. |
It would be interesting to know what the pressure on that was compared to a WD rockshaft. That is a lot of bearing area compared to the rockshaft bushings.
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1939 B, 1940 B, 1941 WC, 1951 WD, 1952 CA, 1956 WD-45
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wjohn
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Posted: 26 Jun 2026 at 6:51pm |
Yep, those would be the CA ones. You're out of stock though!
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1939 B, 1940 B, 1941 WC, 1951 WD, 1952 CA, 1956 WD-45
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