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mike-uswest's avatar
mike-uswest
Explorer III
Sep 05, 2025

Pin to use in slide motor on a Arctic Fox 25Y Trailer 2016.

I had the slide on my trailer that went out here at home and wouldn't pull back in before leaving on a trip.  Had a mobile repairman come out and dropped the motor which was working, and the pin going into the socket an the drive or the rack and pinion track was destroyed.  He has spent four weeks trying to find a replacement pin with no luck.  I have now tried and found several pins, but am unsure what the requirement of the pin should be.  A couple of the RV repair shops here said to use a shear pin shat would fit the 1/4" hole in the shaft long enough to fit the arms of the socket.  I am not sure of the steel hardness of the pin.  Calling Lippert who makes the motor, they said they don't sell the pins and said anything should do.  I have boughten dowel pins that are 1/4"X 1 1/4" that look good and made a pin from a 8 hardness bolt using the smooth upper area of the 1/4" bolt which would probably be stronger and am unsure which to use, or does it matter? Any thoughts would be appreciated.  The summer is disappearing.

Mike

 

 

4 Replies

  • Agreed, use grade 2 steel unless you have a reason to believe the shear pin was even softer.

  • shear pins are normally just a mild steel, the idea is for them to be softer than all the other "stuff" so if there is a jam up it is the shear pin that breaks and not the gears being wiped out.  

    • mike-uswest's avatar
      mike-uswest
      Explorer III

      Thanks for the reply. That is what the trailer repair shops said.  My problem turned out to be finding a pin with the right dimensions.  I used a dowl pin that was pretty close to the right size, and it seems to be working .  I got a couple for safety.  Thanks.

      Mike

      • StirCrazy's avatar
        StirCrazy
        Moderator

        ya a lot of times they will even use brass dowel pins as shear pins.  the main idea is the shear pin is there to protect the rest of the system from damage.  it has to break before the other components or it isn't doing its job, and instead of a 10 buck repair you have a 1000 buck repair.  you need to find out for sure what the drill rod was made of, but for now just go to a metal supply store and ask for a chunk of mild steel drill rod the length you need. might have to buy a foot of it, if so cut it into a few shear pins so you have spares.  I think I have a bag of 20 shear pins for my snowblower in the shop😁

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