Chromed sleeve, bushings, and seals for firming arm's pivot, JD 60/90 drills. Chromed steel sleeve is 62mm length for 60/90-series. (The 50-series requires a different length of sleeve; see the kit ARI.NG69)
Install tool for firming & closing kits
Removal tool for firming & closing kits
Keeping the firming and closing arm pivots working properly can be a real hassle on the JD 50/60/90 drills. Even after Deere upgraded them circa 2009 to include seals, they still have a habit of packing full of dirt and not taking grease. But these pivots will run smoothly and you’ll never have to grease them again! The seals for the firming & closing pivots have a Teflon coating on the seal contact lip and are designed to run dry, unlike a competitor product — and these kits have an extensive track-record since ’09 proving their durability and trouble-free nature. The bushings themselves are fiber-wound Teflon impregnated, and the steel sleeve has a hardened chrome finish, for smooth action, and proven to last at least as long as OEM (significantly longer in some conditions).
Note: On 50-series,* the firming arm has a pin welded in – this must be removed and a hole drilled in the arm at that spot, and requires a 50-series bushing kit as the sleeve length is longer than the 60/90-series.
*Doesn’t fit the earliest 750s.
The main pin & bushings at the front of the opener on the JD 50/60/90 drills (where the arm attaches to the rockshaft) is another wear item, and it’s critical to maintain furrow width. If these get sloppy, the furrow gets narrower and the boot and firming wheel no longer fit, and seed placement is awful. The first time around, simply rotate the pin by 180-degrees (loosen the bolt locking it in position; put a pipe wrench on the end of the pin). If this has already been done, and they’ve gotten sloppy again, the next step is to replace pins & bushings. These = main pin kits have been in the field since 2013, and proven to last at least as long as OEM in tough conditions, and sometimes significantly longer. Front pin bushings are steel with a Teflon inner layer, and the pin has a hard chrome finish. Whether merely turning the pins, or doing a complete rebuild, be sure to retorque the retaining bolt to spec when finished; inadequate torque can result in the bushings spinning in the opener arm, ruining it.
About Opener Main Pin Kit
How to Install Bushing Kits on John Deere 60/90 No-till Drills
How to Install Opener Main Pin Kit on John Deere 50/60/90 No-till Drills
Content of this page is copyright 2005-2024 Exapta Solutions, Inc. (reprint with written permission only).
Thompson wheel covered by U.S. Patent No. 6,907,833. Liquid delivery feature of Valion seed tube guards is U.S. Patent No. 8,978,564. Ninja seed bounce flap U.S. Patent Pending. UniForce U.S. Patent Pending. All rights reserved on other designs. Exapta is a registered trademark of Exapta Solutions, Inc. Keeton is a registered trademark of Precision Planting. Mojo Wire, Thompson wheel, Valion guard, Ninja flap, UniForce, DuraLok, No-till Seeding Explained, and No-till Seeding School are trademarks of Exapta. Disclaimer: Recommendations & page content are current, accurate, and believed to be broadly applicable as of the time of writing (Dec 2005) and last update (2005 – 2014). Because of diversity of soils, climate, crops, planter & drill models/designs marketed worldwide, combinations of attachments, etc., actual results may vary. No warranty is made as to actual results obtained. Should you encounter exceptions or worthwhile annotations to the statements made on this page, please contact us.
Derek is Kansas native who grew up in a 100% no-till farming operation. From an early age the benefits of no-till were made known to Derek by his father and by attending no-till conferences. From there he furthered his passion for soils while at Kansas State University getting his agronomy degree. He has had the experience of working in various roles and sectors of agriculture from sales and consulting, to management, which have all been within production agriculture. Derek has also worked in specialty ag markets such as turf and ornamentals.
Sales & Service Representative
Prior to joining Exapta, Bob Pagel was an Agricultural Territory Sales Manager for Ritchie Brothers, serving parts of MN, WI and IA. He continues to support his family farm in SE Minnesota.
Current Product Engineer
Jonathan Zeller joined Exapta excited to return to working with no-till planting equipment. He supported research of no-till planting and other ag related projects for 7 years with Kansas State University’s Agricultural Engineering Department after getting his engineering degree. He later worked 3 years for Landoll Company, LLC. where he gained experience in a design engineering role. Jonathan grew up on a small family farm in NE Kansas working with row crops, hay and cattle. Jonathan enjoys solving engineering problems and improving or creating products to be robust and easy to install and service.
