I've done only one hitch pin replacement so far but limited to the tenor section and bass. The tenor was easy by punching the pins out from underneath but the bass was a problem. Trying to pull them out often resulted in breaking them. This left a jagged surface which needed grinding on the ones which didn't break below the plate surface. Be prepared to go through many bits while drilling. Start smaller and work your way up to the desired diameter. The tenor section was drilled at an angle so I needed to force in MarineTex paste epoxy from the bottom, let it cure and drill straight down from the top to install vertical hitch pins. Some of the plate risers will have to be ground for bearing clearance. You may or may not be surprised at what factory surfacing produced, I usually find it too high in the low tenor for a few inches on the right side of the lower strut. I am a fan of vertical hitch pins. -- Regards, Jon Page
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