Make your own gibs for splitter?

[kbrown]

I have an MTD 20 ton splitter (same unit as Troy-Bilt, Cub, etc) and it seems I need to replace the two gibs on the ram assembly; MTD part number 781-0351. A friend of mine works in a metal shop and said he could cut me a few of these, but needs the exact dimensions and type of steel.

Since mine are so worn down, I don't know if I would have the correct size; it seems that they are 2" long, and 5/8" square. Looking at the ram assembly where the two gibs are located, it seems they could actually be a bit bigger, like 3/4" square to give more wear time.

Anyone have any experience with replacing theirs? I would just order some, but they seem expensive for just a piece of soft steel and if I can get them for free, then hell yea!

 

[Beetle-Kill]

I pulled the part#. They are shear pins, a consumable part. Your buddy could whack out a dozen of 'em - 5/8" square Hot Rolled. Cheap as heck. Treat 'em like underwear, use 'em for a few weeks and try a new pair. Or was I looking at the wrong part? :bug:

 

[Dune]

I pulled the part#. They are shear pins, a consumable part. Your buddy could whack out a dozen of 'em - 5/8" square Hot Rolled. Cheap as heck. Treat 'em like underwear, use 'em for a few weeks and try a new pair. Or was I looking at the wrong part? :bug:

This be true, mild steel will suffice. Grease will add lifespan.

 

[Jags]

Wuts a gib? :long:
Pic please.

 

[Dune]

A gib is any replacable or adjustable device used to take up slack or provide for linear movement on a machine. Foe example the bed of a milling machine uses adjustable gibbs to maintain freedom of movement in the intended direction while reducing movement to a minimum in all other directions.

What the OP is talking about is wear bars that guide the end of the splitter piston rod along the I-beam bed of the splitter.

 

[Jags]

What the OP is talking about is wear bars that guide the end of the splitter piston rod along the I-beam bed of the splitter.

Thanks Dune. I suspected as much, but have never heard ANY part of a splitter called a gib. Shoe, shuttle, wear bar - yes...so I learnt sumptin today.

Having extra meat on the wear bars is not going to gain much. After they wear to a point of sloppy it needs to be fixed to eliminate binding. 1/2" thick vs 3/4" doesn't really give you "more" to wear away. But on the other hand, it doesn't really hurt much either.

Edit: My opinion is that mild carbon steel will be the best material to use (and the cheapest).

 

[smokinj]

What the OP is talking about is wear bars that guide the end of the splitter piston rod along the I-beam bed of the splitter.

Thanks Dune. I suspected as much, but have never heard ANY part of a splitter called a gib. Shoe, shuttle, wear bar - yes...so I learnt sumptin today.

Having extra meat on the wear bars is not going to gain much. After they wear to a point of sloppy it needs to be fixed to eliminate binding. 1/2" thick vs 3/4" doesn't really give you "more" to wear away. But on the other hand, it doesn't really hurt much either.

Edit: My opinion is that mild carbon steel will be the best material to use (and the cheapest).

I dont see any gains form a wear or speed point of view.......Not sure I get this one?

 

[Dune]

Yeah, there is no point in using any kind of tool steel, in fact it is best not to. Use of harder wear bars would simply wear out the I-beam sooner, rather than the sacrificial wear bars.

 

[Jags]

What the OP is talking about is wear bars that guide the end of the splitter piston rod along the I-beam bed of the splitter.

Thanks Dune. I suspected as much, but have never heard ANY part of a splitter called a gib. Shoe, shuttle, wear bar - yes...so I learnt sumptin today.

Having extra meat on the wear bars is not going to gain much. After they wear to a point of sloppy it needs to be fixed to eliminate binding. 1/2" thick vs 3/4" doesn't really give you "more" to wear away. But on the other hand, it doesn't really hurt much either.

Edit: My opinion is that mild carbon steel will be the best material to use (and the cheapest).

I dont see any gains form a wear or speed point of view.......Not sure I get this one?

There really isn't.
From what I gather is that the OP is wanting to replace the worn out slides for the splitters "shuttle" or my new word - Gibs.

 

[smokinj]

What the OP is talking about is wear bars that guide the end of the splitter piston rod along the I-beam bed of the splitter.

Thanks Dune. I suspected as much, but have never heard ANY part of a splitter called a gib. Shoe, shuttle, wear bar - yes...so I learnt sumptin today.

Having extra meat on the wear bars is not going to gain much. After they wear to a point of sloppy it needs to be fixed to eliminate binding. 1/2" thick vs 3/4" doesn't really give you "more" to wear away. But on the other hand, it doesn't really hurt much either.

Edit: My opinion is that mild carbon steel will be the best material to use (and the cheapest).

I dont see any gains form a wear or speed point of view.......Not sure I get this one?

There really isn't.
From what I gather is that the OP is wanting to replace the worn out slides for the splitters "shuttle" or my new word - Gibs.

Now I get it...Thanks

 

[Beetle-Kill]

Thanks for the explanation Dune. I knew I jumped the gun calling them shear pins.

 

[Dune]

Thanks for the explanation Dune. I knew I jumped the gun calling them shear pins.

Glad I could finaly be of help here after all these years.

 

[kbrown]

Thanks for the advice everyone! I'm goin with the offer from my buddy to have him cut me four of them; that should be great for a while. As for the size, I had come up with the larger size because of the design of the ram assembly - the two bolts used to adjust the gibs over time seem like they need to be screwed all the way down which means I could put larger gibs in there and get more use out of them. I did notice the beam needs some grinding down on the edges where there has been some excess wear so once that is done and greased up it should be good to go. Just wondering, has anyone else had to do work to the beam over the years because of this?

 

[thewoodlands]

Wuts a gib? :long:
Pic please.

Is this what they are talking about.




http://int.custhelp.com/ci/fattach/get/50714/1270065216






Zap

 

[Jags]

Wuts a gib? :long:
Pic please.

Is this what they are talking about.




http://int.custhelp.com/ci/fattach/get/50714/1270065216






Zap

Zactly! And 5/8" square stock should be pretty common to most metal working shops.

 

[kbrown]

Great find on that article Zap! For all the searching I have done, I never came across that one. Interesting; I will have to check to see if mine was one of those units.