Combine harvester axle and king pin bushing challenges solved with Vesconite Hilube
17 August 2022

Metalfor, a leading Argentinian equipment manufacturer, has used Vesconite Hilube bushings for its Class 7 combine harvesters since 2010.

Vesconite Hilube wear-resistant, self-lubricating bearing material is used for king pin bushings on the steering system and axle pivot bushings on the back axle.

ā€œWe switched from bronze to Vesconite Hilube in 2010 since these are such important applications,ā€ a design engineer stated when Vesconite Bearings visited the company in 2022.

Metalfor applies grease to the bushings upon installation to increase wear life and it also installs a grease zerk for greasing if desired.

However, Vesconite is internally lubricated, which is advantageous if a farmer does not grease bushings for long periods.

Axle pivot bushings.

ā€œBecause this is such a crucial application and a failure results in super expensive and long downtime, we felt the protection of Vesconite’s internal lubrication is exactly what we needed to ensure a bulletproof design,ā€ the design engineer stated.

According to Metalfor’s design engineers, about 60% of the loaded combine harvester (roughly 25 metric tons) is placed on the back axle. 

The Metalfor engineers have not heard of a bushing failure since employing Vesconite bushings.

They also have never had to replace a Vesconite Hilube bearing because of excessive wear, unlike when bronze bushings were installed.

Vesconite Hilube king pin bushings on the combine harvester.
More BushTalk Articles
Want to know more?

    Name *
    Email *
    Tel *
    Country *
    Street Address *
    Street Line 2
    Post Code *
    Province/State *