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    STRIK

    Steering Taper Repair and Inspection Kit 

    To suit Caterpillar 789 and 793 Haul Trucks

    Book a demo
    MEET THE MATE THAT SAVES YOUR STEERING ARMS

    The engineered system for safe, precise, and in-situ steering taper reclamation.

    Developed with mine site maintenance crews, Geographe’s Steering Taper Repair & Inspection Kit (STRIK) validates and restores steering component tapers on Caterpillar 789 and 793 haul trucks. This purpose-built system replaces guesswork with engineering precision, allowing you to inspect wear, recondition damaged bores, and install oversized ball studs entirely in-situ. It guarantees a perfect interference fit, preventing catastrophic failures and extending asset life. 

    CatastrophicFailure

    Prevent Catastrophic Failure

    Maximise

    Maximise the life of parts

    Guesswork

    Standardised Proceedure.
    No Guesswork

    4x

    Bore-Taper-80

    Hidden bore wear leads to ball stud movement.

    Cracked-BallStud-80

    Poor fitment causes stress concentrations and cracking.

    BallStud-Breaking-Steering-80

    Catastrophic failure resulting from a snapped ball stud.

    The Challenge: 

    The hidden hazard in your steering system.

    Steering components on haul trucks endure extreme loads and abrasive conditions. Over time, the tapered bores in the steering arm and tie rods become ovalized, pitted, or worn. Installing a new ball stud into a worn bore creates a critical safety risk because it leads to poor surface contact and stress concentration. This can cause the studs to crack, snap or come loose.

    • CATASTROPHIC RISK 
      A ball stud failure due to a loose taper fit can result in the total loss of vehicle steering control, posing a severe threat to operator safety.

    • WASTED ASSETS 
      Traditionally, a worn bore meant scrapping the entire steering arm or sending it off-site for expensive, time-consuming machining.

    • CRACKED BALL STUDS
      OEM ball studs are reported to frequently crack and snap due to poor fitment in worn tapers, necessitating frequent replacements and increasing the risk of catastrophic failure.  

    The Solution: 

    Swap your old mate for a standardised procedure.

    The STRIK replaces visual guesswork with an engineered procedure. This comprehensive kit allows technicians to validate the contact area using engineering blue, measure the wear, and precision-ream the bore to factory specifications, all while the truck is still on the stand or in the bay.

    • STRONGER THAN SLEEVING
      Unlike sleeving repairs, which require removing significant material from the housing wall, the STRIK removes only the minimum necessary material to restore the taper profile. This maintains the structural integrity of the steering arm.

    • SUPERIOR STRENGTH
      By fitting a Geographe Oversized Ball Stud, you are installing a component with a larger cross-section than the OEM standard, resulting in a stronger, more robust assembly.
    • IN-SITU RESTORATION
      Precision reamers (Coarse and Medium) allow you to cut the bore to the next oversize (up to 3rd oversize) by hand or low-RPM drive, right on the truck.
    SAY HELLO TO YOUR NEW MATE

    How does it work: 

    4 steps for efficient taper reaming

     

    STRIK-1-8
    Insufficient contact of blue in bore.
    1

    Assess, Gauge & Measure

    Use the Taper Gauge and Bearing Blue to check surface contact and determine if the bore requires reaming to an oversize.

    STRIK-2-8
    2

    Ream & Restore

    If wear is detected, use the Coarse and Medium Reamers to precision-cut the bore to the correct Oversize profile.

    STRIK-3-8
    3

    Inspect & Lap

    Apply lapping paste and rotate the Lapping Tool to clean the bore and reveal the true surface condition.

    STRIK-4-8
    4

    Verify & Install

    Perform a final check with the Taper Gauge to confirm >75% contact area before safely installing the new Ball Stud.

    Icons - Clock Saving Time

    Don't replace the part. Restore the fit.

    The STRIK is more than a repair kit, it’s a lifecycle extension strategy for your fleet. In the field, maintenance teams often face the choice of fitting a standard stud into a marginal bore (risking failure) or scrapping the arm (wasting money). The STRIK provides a third, smarter option.

    Recondition and Reuse

    By standardising this inspection process, sites can prevent the common cycle of "change-out > loosen > fail," ensuring that every steering component leaves the bay with a factory-spec interference fit. This directly supports Zero Harm by eliminating the mechanical cause of steering loss events.

    BSBIRT-ProvenIntheField
    SinglePersonOperation
    Artboard 5

    Flexible Single Person Operation

    Maximise Crew Efficiency:

    Instead of tying up multiple crew members on a single challenging task, the BSBIRT allows one operator to manage the entire process.

    Guaranteed Consistency:

    Geographe Specialised Tooling™ dictates the procedure. Our engineers and development team have done the hard yards, so you don’t have to. This removal of guesswork ensures the job is done to the same safe, high standard, every time.

    Simplify Planning:

    The BSBIRT can turn a high-risk, multi-person job into a straightforward, one-person task, making maintenance scheduling easier and the whole process more predictable and efficient.

     

    Total Weight including waterproof wheeled case - 43kg

    Total Dimensions of case - L 830mm / W 540mm / H 330mm

    What's in the box?

    The BSBIRT is a complete, engineered installation and removal system where every component is designed for a specific purpose:

     

    BSBIRT-Case

    Want to see the STRIK in action on your next bearing change out? We'd be happy to come and show you.

    Book a Demo

    Register your interest below for the Steering Taper Repair & Inspection Kit (STRIK) to suit Caterpillar 789 & 793 haul trucks.

     

    The STRIK is being produced in small batch numbers based on demand. If you are looking to make a safety or uptime improvement at your mine site or workshop, please add your contact details below and we'll notify you when this new Geographe Specialised Tooling™ becomes available in early 2026.

     

    Complete the form below, and our team will be in touch.