
The Q-D bushing is the flanged tapered bushing that Browning sheaves, sprockets and pulleys use where the hub is bored to the Q-D pattern. Its defining feature is that it can be mounted either way round. Align the tapped holes in the flange with the drilled holes in the hub and the flange faces the machine; reverse the two and the flange faces away from it. Either way the cap screws stay accessible from the outside, which is what makes it the practical choice where a drive is buried in a guard or against a wall. Sizes are stocked from JA at the small end through SH, SDS, SD, SK and SF and on up, each rated for a stated drive torque.
Also known as: qd bushings, q d bushing, sk bushing, sf bushing, quick detachable bushings
Series in this category
Related guides: Q-D bushing sizes, Split taper bushing sizes, V-belt sheave sizes, Cross-reference help
| Specification | What it means |
|---|---|
| Bushing type | The letter: JA, SH, SDS, SD, SK and SF at the common sizes, and E, F, J, M, N and P above them. |
| Bore size and bore type | The finished bore, in inches from about 1/2 to 7 or in millimeters from about 24 to 100. |
| Keyway | The key cut in the bore, width by depth, such as 1/4 by 1/8 inch or 22 by 7 millimeters. |
| Torque capacity | The drive torque the mounted bushing is rated for, in inch-pounds, from about 1,000 on JA upward. |
| Cap screws and bolt circle | How many screws hold the bushing, their thread and length, and the diameter of the circle they sit on. |
| Wrench torque | The tightening torque for those screws, stated in foot-pounds, from about 6 on the smallest letter. |
| Material | Ductile iron on most sizes, which is what carries the clamping load without the flange spreading. |
Through the cap screws. They are taken out of the holes that drove the assembly together and threaded into the tapped withdrawal holes instead, then tightened progressively until the bushing is pushed free of the taper, at which point the whole assembly lifts off the shaft. The screws stay reachable from outside whichever way the flange was mounted, which is what makes this possible in a confined drive.
Where that sheave is bored to the Q-D pattern, yes: the Q-D range is made to be fully interchangeable with the equivalent Q-D bushings from other manufacturers. Confirm the letter and the bore before ordering, since the letter is what has to match the hub and the bore is what has to match the shaft.
All the stocked sizes except JA carry a setscrew over the keyway. It holds the key and the bushing in position while the assembly is being drawn up, and it is not what transmits the drive torque, which is carried by the key and the clamping grip of the taper.
For the same nominal size the Split Taper system carries more torque, because it is keyed to the hub as well as to the shaft and the drive load never passes through the cap screws. The Q-D system trades some of that for reversible mounting and easy removal in tight spaces. In practice the choice is made by the hub, since each part is bored for one system only.