Key takeaways
- Bushings and pins that wear out quickly point to bores out of line
- A pin that binds or will not pass through is a strong sign
- Oval bores and uneven wear show the bore has moved
- Weld repairs near a bore can pull it out of position
- Measuring the bores tells you how far they have drifted
Align boring is the repair for bores that no longer line up. The symptoms show up in the machine well before anyone measures a bore, so knowing what to watch for can save a lot of wear. This guide lists the signs, explains how bores are checked, and shows what the repair does.
What are the warning signs?
Most signs appear first as wear. A pin and bushing set that used to last a season starts to need replacing much sooner, or one bushing wears out while its neighbor looks fine. Grease may purge unevenly, and play develops at a pivot that was tight when it was new.
Other signs can be heard or felt: knocking at a joint under load, a linkage that moves stiffly, or a pin that has to be hammered through. Each of these says that the bores holding the pin are not on the same line.
- Pins and bushings wearing out fast
- A pin that binds, or will not go through at all
- Uneven wear on one side of a bushing
- Slop or knocking at a pivot after a new bushing
- Visibly oval bores or a shiny wear band inside a bore
Why bores drift out of line
A pivot carries load every time the machine works, and loads are never perfectly even. Over time the bore wears on the loaded side and goes oval. Impact bends or stretches a housing. Heat from a nearby weld repair can pull a bore a little off position.
Once that happens, replacing the bushing treats the symptom. The new bushing sits in the same crooked bore and wears the same way.
How bores are checked
A bore is measured for size, shape and position. Size tells you the wear, shape shows whether it has gone oval, and position shows whether it lines up with the next bore. For bores that must share one axis, the check is whether a straight bar or the pin itself passes through them cleanly.
Pictures help the shop plan the repair. Photos of the bores with a scale in view, the pin or bushing size and the machine make and model will get a first opinion before you take anything apart.
What align boring does about it
The repair restores a single centerline. Oversize or damaged bores are built up with weld and then cut with a boring bar that runs through all the bores on one axis. The result is bores of the right size, in the right place, in line with each other.
The align boring page describes the shop process. If the machine cannot be moved, the portable align boring page covers the work done at your site, and the field preparation guide tells you how to get ready.
Next step
If these signs sound familiar, send photos to the shop through the quote request or call (775) 359-5570, Monday to Friday, 7:00 am to 3:30 pm.
Sources
- Boring (manufacturing), including line boring (2026-10-18)
- OSHA, Machine guarding (29 CFR 1910.212) (2026-10-18)
