How to Measure Pivot Lock Shoes and Pivot Bars

Today's blog will go over how to measure pivot lock shoes and pivot bars. These two items work together to allow your window to tilt outwards. The pivot bar has one end that fits inside the cam on the pivot lock shoe and engages the cam when the window is tilted. For these measurements we will be using a digital caliper to measure these parts as the measurements are very small and need to be as accurate as possible, however, you can use a regular ruler or tape measure as well. Due to manufacturing tolerances, your shoe may not be exactly what is stated in the product description but you should be able to get very close. For this guide, we will be using the 01-24 pivot lock shoe and the 020-40 pivot bar.

How to Measure a Pivot Lock Shoe 

 To begin, we will start by measuring the pivot lock shoe. The most important measurements for this are the width and thickness. To measure the width simply take your caliper (or ruler/tape measure) and measure the width of the shoe at the widest point.

The width of this shoe is about 1.26"

 Next, to measure the thickness of the shoe, measure the body at the widest point. Do not include the cam housing in your measurement. 

The thickness of this shoe is about 0.63", note that the measurement does not include the cam housing.

For the cam on the shoe, you simply need to measure the slot where the pivot bar will be inserted. A caliper will make this much easier. If your cam is a different shape than a straight slot, you will need to take measurements of each side. 

The slot on this cam is about 0.18"

How to Measure a Pivot Bar

Next, we're going to measure the pivot bar. The end of the pivot bar should fit into the slot on the pivot lock shoe cam so the measurements will be very similar. If your pivot bar has a different profile than a straight slot, you will need to measure all the sides. 

The end of this pivot bar is about 0.17" and fits perfectly into our shoe

For the length and with of your pivot bar you simply need to measure the longest and widest part of the pivot bar. The pivot bar is screwed into the bottom of the sash or fits into a slot on the bottom of the sash.

The length of this pivot bar is about 2.99"

The width of this pivot bar is about 1.18"

Conclusion

Every pivot lock shoe and pivot bar is different. If you need help with measurements or deciding what you need, you can always contact us or give us a call and send us pictures and we will do our best to find the parts you need.