Rocker Arm Bushing Maintenance

Rocker arm bushings play a critical role in ensuring smooth, controlled motion in vibratory conveyors. Bushings act as a cushion between the rocker arm and its brackets, absorbing vibration and reducing friction. Over time, the rubber wears down—compromising performance and potentially leading to costly downtime.

Worn bushings can cause misalignment, increased stroke, and accelerated wear on other components. Replacing them proactively helps maintain conveyor efficiency, reduces noise, and extends the life of the entire system. Additionally, loose debris can get caught and packed in the space of worn bushings, inhibiting movement causing excess wear to the bushing bracket and hardware.

While usage conditions vary, bushings should typically be inspected quarterly and replaced as soon as signs of wear are present. Rocker arm bushings are the most commonly replaced part on well-maintained equipment

Replacing bushings in large batches is the most efficient use of maintenance downtime. Be sure to check stroke after replacing to ensure the new bushings have not decreased the stroke below design tolerance.

A smart way to save money is to swap out just the rocker arm bushings instead of the whole arm. It fixes the issue without the cost of a full replacement, and you still get solid performance. Less waste, less labor, and more savings for you.

Watch for these signs of wear:

Excessive lateral stroke or noise
Visible cracking or deformation
Looseness or lateral movement in the rocker arm
Uneven wear patterns on adjacent component

A quick tip: Replacing rocker arm bushings takes time and requires the equipment to be shutdown. To minimize any down time, we encourage customers to have multiple spare rocker arms available for quick replacements. Simply swap out for the arm that has worn bushing, start the equipment back up, and then replace the bushings on the rocker arm at a later time.

If the alignment of the bushing brackets is incorrect, call Action immediately before replacing them.

Regular maintenance of rocker arm bushings is a simple yet powerful way to keep your vibratory conveyor running reliably. Don’t wait for failure—inspect, replace, and keep things moving.

Bushing Fixture

How to remove old bushings:

• Gather all rocker arms that have worn bushings.

• Align the open side of the fixture base with the press. Ensure there is enough clearance under the fixture for bushings to be fully removed.

• Place the rocker arm into fixture base, place the bushing extractor on top of the worn bushing. Double check the alignment as to not damage the rocker arm.

• Use the press to fully unseat the bushing, flip the rocker arm around and repeat for the other side.

How to install new bushings:

• Gather all rocker arms that need bushings installed.

• Align the flush side of the fixture base with the press.

• Place the rocker arm into fixture base, place the bushing seating puck on top of the new bushing. Double check that the alignment of the bushing is straight with the slot in the rocker arm to not cause damage.

• Use the press to fully seat the bushing, flip the rocker arm around and repeat for the bushing on the other side.