Linkage shims 80mm

[heymccall]

So, I've got an NDJ 325FLCR with a loud knock, clunk, when the stick swings back over center. Far more pronounced when bucket is loaded.
I want to shim the barrel end of the stick cylinder 80mm pin.
I believe as the stick cylinder goes from tension to compression, it is jumping from adjacent ear to opposite ear, as it has 3/16" clearance there.
Cat parts is down at the moment, but, using the pdf below, I found listings for 80mm shims.
093-0083 @ 1mm
133-2425 @ .5mm
093-0115 @ 2mm

Any way to determine if they are metal or urethane (plastic)?



Also, I saw this...
How would you go about determining if that has occurred?

 

[Nige]

093-0083 @ 1mm
133-2425 @ .5mm
093-0115 @ 2mm

All three are high carbon steel.

 

[heymccall]

How would I find the plastic (urethane) ones?

All three are high carbon steel.

 

[heymccall]

Rooting in my "collection", I have the following in urethane:
166-1481 62mmx120mmx2mm
166-1482 71mmx129mmx2mm

 

[heymccall]

Digging further, I see this
And, that (166-1486) looks to be the 80mm id plastic shim (polyolefin, from Cat).

From below

 

[DB2]

What about that McMaster place ? They seem to have everything else.

Sorry didn’t see the reply that you had found them already.

 

[Nige]

How would I find the plastic (urethane) ones?

Just found the same thing.
166-1486 - 2mm thick, 82mm hole, 141mm O/D.
And that appears to be the only one. There is nothing thinner than 2mm in any sort of plastic.

 

[heymccall]

All I wanted was the polyolefin ones anyways.

What about determining if a plate is loose in the boom?

 

[Nige]

What about determining if a plate is loose in the boom?

Care to expand a bit on that.? I'm not with you.

 

[heymccall]

This one feels (and sounds) different than just the stick cylinder barrel walking side to side as the cylinder goes from tension to compression and back.

 

[Nige]

No way that I know of to determine a loose baffle plate inside a boom other than suurgery.
Could the stick cylinder pin bore at the end that is banging be not exactly square to the axis of the stick.?

 

[DB2]

Much trouble to remove the suspect cylinder and give it a shake ? The boom I mean.

 

[Lagwagon]

How would I find the plastic (urethane) ones?

Why do you want plastic over steel? A few years ago I ordered what I thought were 90mm steel for my boom, came as plastic to my surprise. I wasn’t game enough to use them as my reckoning was that the side to side stick movement would squish them out. I couldn’t think how they could possibly stand up to that sort of beating.

 

[heymccall]

Aside from the fact that they are used OEM by Caterpillar, I find that they cushion any side to side movement and appear to outlast steel shims. Mind you, these are for lateral shimming of horizontal pin joints. I'd never use them in a vertical pin application like a wheel loader center pivot.

Another reason that I can't really explain is that, even fully greased up, they tend to shed debris faster, and I find my wear faces tend to wear less. I suppose it's because the debris shedding tends to prevent the grease from becoming liquid sandpaper.

 

[heymccall]

Remember that the lateral loading of horizontal linkage pins will never exceed the compressive strength that would result in permanent deflection or damage of the shim. The link below discusses compressive strength of a similar "plastic".
https://www.thesteelsupplyco.com/blog/shims-steel-vs.-plastic

 

[John C.]

I've not heard of loose baffles inside a boom without the boom showing cracking on the outside. Was a big C series problem for years.

 

[heymccall]

We've cracked the boom on a 320C, both 324D, a 330C, and a 345C. Always near the boom jacks, in the side plates. Two ran around the corner. Always accompanied by a rust stain, which is the only way I've ever found them.
Also, broke the boom's stick boss or nose on a 330B and just had a new nose welded on a 314DLCR.

 

[heymccall]