Many John Deere tractors use special fasteners to attach the hood and grille. Here’s why they are important and where you can find them.
When the Dubuque, Iowa John Deere works opened in the late 1940s, they started using a new fastener style for the hoods and grills of the tractors produced at the factory. The special turnlock fasteners were originally invented for the aviation industry by William Dzus (pronounced “zeus”). While Dzus is a brand name of turnlock fasteners, many people refer to all fasteners of this style as Dzus fasteners.
These fasteners are special because they lock in place securely and quickly. This allows tractor hoods to be removed and replaced with a just a quarter-turn for each fastener – significantly faster than bolts. They are also more secure than a threaded bolt, which can slowly come loose with vibration. A well-designed turnlock fastener won’t loosen over time.
These fasteners were well-made and a really useful innovation. It’s the sort of small detail that made John Deere tractors great.
Through normal wear and tear, many existing fasteners have become broken or rusted. That’s to be expected on a 50+-year-old tractor! However, replacements have been hard to find – especially at a reasonable price.
Many people have given up on finding these fasteners and instead used bolts instead. While this choice is ok, it’s not nearly as nice (in looks or in function). If you want to do a detailed restoration project, I think you’ll appreciate getting the right fasteners.
The folks at Steiner have come through with an exact reproduction of these John Deere fasteners. They come in two different lengths, and they’ve even put together an ordering guide that lists how many of each length you’ll need for the hood and grille of your John Deere tractors – it’s available here.
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