[Article] Article: Fixing a walking pivot on a KitchenAid

So, the KitchenAid mixer I bought the ladybutt all those years ago has a bad habit of "walking" up and down when mixing (especially thick mixtures) enough so that the pivot pin will eventually work itself out enough to cause issues.
So, I went to fix this.

First, took the KitchenAid apart at the hinge, checked out the thickness of the pin and found it was a straight up 3/8" diameter. This is nice because it's real easy to find a 3/8" bolt of the right length and associated nuts and such.
So, I got to work.

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You want to find out a couple different widths, so slide the bolt in, slide it all the way through and find the distance between
If I had to start over, I would've got a bolt probably another inch longer as after I cut threads in this it will end up having threads inside. Not a big deal, but it bothers me slightly.
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Then you want to find the depth of the nut you use so that you make sure cut the threads enough. I used acorn nuts cause they're prettier
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This is a bad pic of most of the tools used.
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Test fit
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Now me, I don't ever want one side of this to come loose, so I'm using some red loc-tite which you have to use a torch to break down enough to break it loose, the other side is just gonna get torqued down snugly
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Finished
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Timely. I just had to hammer the pin back in ours like last week. Isn't there a reason it comes off the base tho?

I dunno, I never read the manual. But this isnt a permanent hold, only one side is locked in place indefinitely. You can take the other side off fairly easily right now as it is only on finger tight.


Also, cutting the threads is a PITA, file the blank side into a point to get it easy to start, then cut the point off.
 
Nice. I've been thinking about doing this on mine.

I probably would've just used threaded rod and two acorn nuts. I'm not about cutting threads. Besides, it's not like the threaded rod is going to damage the inside of the mixer. You could wrap it with Teflon tape if you were concerned.
 
Nice. I've been thinking about doing this on mine.

I probably would've just used threaded rod and two acorn nuts. I'm not about cutting threads. Besides, it's not like the threaded rod is going to damage the inside of the mixer. You could wrap it with Teflon tape if you were concerned.
I'd use JB Weld or some sort of epoxy at the very least. Considering how hard ours jumps on thick mixtures, eventually those threads will cut into the stand or mixer.
 
I'd use JB Weld or some sort of epoxy at the very least. Considering how hard ours jumps on thick mixtures, eventually those threads will cut into the stand or mixer.

What the hell are you making? I can admit that we don't have the jumping problems that you're referring to.
 
Alton Brown's Blueberry Buckle recipe is very good. You use frozen blueberries in the recipe (frozen so that the heat from the oven doesn't completely destroy them) and the cold of the blueberries thickens the batter tremendously. Some chocolate chip recipes. Cake batters are usually thin enough. I would bet that certain types of fudge could as well. Bread gets made in the bread machine, so we don't see issues with that. Anything relatively thick I guess.

And I don't mean that it jumps up and down and moves around the counter, just that as it comes back towards the pillar of the stand it lifts up enough to press against the lock, usually with a solid sounding clunk.
 
What the hell are you making? I can admit that we don't have the jumping problems that you're referring to.
Do you knead bread dough in yours? That's really the only thing that will cause mine to jump around. Almost lost the whole head once. I've got a rubber band around (one of the thick ones like they use to band broccoli heads) the pin area now.
 
I'd use JB Weld or some sort of epoxy at the very least. Considering how hard ours jumps on thick mixtures, eventually those threads will cut into the stand or mixer.
Meh, not really worried about that. If anything I'd think it would end up mushrooming the edges of the threads. And really, I don't think a little damage in there would compromise the integrity of the hinge. This isn't heavy equipment.
 
Do you knead bread dough in yours? That's really the only thing that will cause mine to jump around. Almost lost the whole head once. I've got a rubber band around (one of the thick ones like they use to band broccoli heads) the pin area now.

I don't, as I'm terrible with bread. April does however.