Cyl Rods

That 1045 cylinder rod will work nicely. What wear those rods out more than anything else is when the outer seal goes and dirt gets into the brass bushings and imbeds. Rocks and junk coming over the blade or getting kicked up ding the rod and then the dings start wearing/tearing the seals up.

At the dealer if the rods were not scored from dirt but just the chrome bad we had them rechromed but can,t remember where we had it done.

any chrome shop can replate them they can also be welded up in a crank weld machine then turned back to the rightsize then replated

Thanks My personal pick was 1045 because it machines nice Rechrome was talked about but a straight edge shows a bend/bow on the D7 And the 977 rods are 😮 DOA

greyhead - Many repairers of hyd cylinders here in Australia, just cut the eyes off the old rod and purchase ready-to-go chromed bar stock, and weld the eyes onto it. I presume this is what you're planning to do?

For the price you can buy new chromed bar stock, it generally beats any style of repair work on old rods (chroming, machining, grinding, etc) .. and you have guaranteed straight rod immediately, instead of trying to press bends out of old rods.

The original rods aren't case hardened, but they are a high nickel/chrome content steel.
Welding angle-iron style, dirt deflectors, to the back of the blade, above the rods, assists with preventing or reducing the pitting caused by dirt falling over the back of the blade.

Ozdozer your right I buy Chrome rod blanks then turn the piston end first,then filp ends and machine the rod to lenght. But I go one more step by boring then threading 1 1/4-18 inside.also adding a 3/8 chanfer to the OD.
Then cut old rod 3inchs from eye turn/thread my 1 1/4-18 and a mating 3/8 chanfer screw it all to togehter and weld This may be a bit of overkill however I feel better knowing threads are holding along with the weld😄

I like your idea of threading.....not as overkill for attachment...but tends to solve the alignment problem.

I'm curious as to your source for the chrome rod blanks.

Have also heard of using nitride coated rod....any experience with that?

I've worked with NitroSteel shafting and it's not too bad. Surface hardened about .015-.020 deep and then it machines just like 1045, which I think it is. It doesn't rust when out in the weather but it's not any more resistant to dings and nicks than the chromed shafting, just no chrome plating to spall off. Small nicks and dings can be taken care of with a fine stone and crocus cloth. The only drawbacks are cost and availability. .not all suppliers stock it.

www.crconline.com This is where I buy Rod Blank. Ive gotten rod from other places and had a ? about what material was used?
Ive used Thomson Shafting as Cyl Rods (This is case hardened 1050 ) it comes with a case depth of .03 or .06 and 62-65rc I think that it may a nitrided product although Iam not sure😕
My use of gas nitrideing has been limted to use as a wear surface and only going .002/.003 deep for a case. And base Material of 8620(really good cold roll)or M2(highspeed steel)
l once made some shafts out 440 stainless steel heat treated to 55-56rc then had them gas nitrided. They became like GLASS just looking at one wrong would cause it break/crack or shatter😮