Loader teeth are the half of the Cat J-series that gets quoted wrong most often, because the letter on the quote — J300, J350, J400 — is only the tooth. On the same 966 the base can be a bolt-on, a weld-on heavy duty casting or a bottom strap weld-on, and the catalogue prints a different number for each. Widths this article the way the catalogues index it: rung by machine class, profile by profile, then the five ways a base is attached to the lip, and finally the pin and retainer, which is the one line on a loader order that cannot be guessed.
1. Which rung your loader takes
The rung is set by machine class. This is the loader column of the TRASTEEL TSJ catalogue read across, with the standard long tooth, the heavy duty long tooth and the hardware for each class:
| Loader class | Rung | Standard long / heavy duty long | Pin / retainer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 910, 914, 931, 933, IT12 | J200 | 1U-3202 1.3 kg (146 × 56 × 50 mm) / — short 1U-3201 1.2 kg | 8E-6208 / 8E-6209 |
| 916, 920, 926, 930, 936, IT18, IT28 | J250 | 1U-3252 3 kg (198 × 76 × 64 mm) / 9N-4252 3.8 kg (200 × 78 × 61 mm) | 8E-6258 (132-4763) / 8E-6259 (133-0699) |
| 950, 955, 960, 962, 963 | J300 | 1U-3302 4.1 kg (220 × 88 × 73 mm) / 9N-4302 5.6 kg (223 × 91.5 × 69 mm) | 9J-2308 (132-4766) / 8E-6259 (133-0699) |
| 966, 970, 973, 977, 972G | J350 | 1U-3352 6.1 kg (245 × 102 × 85 mm) / 9N-4352 8.9 kg (253 × 104.5 × 88 mm) | 8E-6358 (114-0358) / 8E-6359 (114-0359) |
| 977, 980, 982, 983 | J400 | 7T-3402 9.4 kg (267 × 119 × 107 mm) / 8E-4402 10.8 kg (278 × 119 × 101 mm) | 7T-3408 (116-7408) / 8E-8409 (166-7409) |
| 972, 980, 988 | J450 | 9W-8452 11.6 kg (290 × 128 × 108 mm) / 9N-4452 16 kg (310 × 138 × 117 mm) | 8E-0468 (114-0468) / 8E-8469 (107-3469) |
| 980G, 988, 992 | J550 | 9W-8552 18.5 kg (336 × 154 × 140 mm) / 9N-4552 25.5 kg (352 × 162 × 145 mm) | 6Y-8558 (107-3378) / 8E-5559 (107-8559) |
| 988, 992 | J600 | 6I-6602 30.3 kg (395 × 195 × 170 mm) / 7Y-0602 42 kg (415 × 195 × 170 mm) | 6I-6608 (113-9608) / 6I-6609 (113-9609) |
Two things are worth reading off that table before anything else. First, sizes overlap between neighbouring classes — the 972 and the 973 sit on different rungs, and so do the 977 and the 980 — so a machine number is not a shortcut to the rung. Second, the tooth weight on a loader climbs faster than the number suggests: 3 kg on a 926, 5.6 kg on a 950, 8.9 kg on a 966, 16 kg on a 972, 30.3 kg on a 988. Freight on a full bucket set is decided by that column, not by the tooth count.
2. Six profiles on every rung
The loader section of the catalogue prints six profiles per rung. The heavy duty long line is the one most quarry and aggregate loaders order, because it carries more wear metal at the point than the standard long tooth on the same base:
| Rung | Heavy duty long | Weight | A × B × C |
|---|---|---|---|
| J250 | 9N-4252 | 3.8 kg | 200 × 78 × 61 mm |
| J300 | 9N-4302 | 5.6 kg | 223 × 91.5 × 69 mm |
| J350 | 9N-4352 | 8.9 kg | 253 × 104.5 × 88 mm |
| J400 | 8E-4402 | 10.8 kg | 278 × 119 × 101 mm |
| J450 | 9N-4452 | 16 kg | 310 × 138 × 117 mm |
| J550 | 9N-4552 | 25.5 kg | 352 × 162 × 145 mm |
| J600 | 7Y-0602 | 42 kg | 415 × 195 × 170 mm |
The other five profiles, per rung, from the same loader tables:
| Profile | What it is for | J300 (950/962) | J350 (966/970) | J400 (980/982) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard long | General rehandle — sand, gravel, fertiliser | 1U-3302 — 4.1 kg, 220 × 88 × 73 | 1U-3352 — 6.1 kg, 245 × 102 × 85 | 7T-3402 — 9.4 kg, 267 × 119 × 107 |
| Short | Tighter penetration, higher breakout on a stuck face | 1U-3301 — 4.1 kg, 195 × 88 × 76 | 1U-3351 — 5.5 kg, 210 × 99 × 88 | — |
| Abrasion | Sand, coal, slag — wear along the point | 4T-2303 — 5.2 kg, 243 × 96 × 105 | 4T-2353 — 7.1 kg, 278 × 110 × 118 | 7T-3403 — 13.4 kg |
| Heavy duty abrasion | The longest-wearing field tooth on the rung | 9N-4303 — 7.3 kg, 230 × 92 × 108 | 9N-4353-A — 10.5 kg, 260 × 107 × 127 | — |
| Rock penetration HD | Blasted rock, granite, faces that need the point to bite | 135-9300 — 8.3 kg, 250 × 88 × 30 | 144-1358 — 12.7 kg, 290 × 110 × 35 | 135-9400 — 16.9 kg, 312 × 119 × 45 |
On the J300 rung the abrasion tooth is 5.2 kg and the heavy duty abrasion tooth 7.3 kg against a 4.1 kg standard long tooth — the same base, nearly double the wear metal. That is the whole reason a quarry gets 1,800 hours out of a set where a yard loader gets 5,000: profile first, brand second.
3. The base is five different decisions
This is the table to send with a quotation request, because "J350 base" is not one part. The catalogue publishes five mounting families for loader buckets, and the machine lines decide which one your lip was built for:
| Mounting | Number | Weight | A × B × C | Machine lines as printed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flush weld-on | 4T-1204 | 2.1 kg | 235 × 40 × 13 mm | 910 / 914 / 931 / 933 / IT12 |
| Flush weld-on | 1U-1254 | 5.5 kg | 340 × 60 × 20 mm | 916 / 920 / 926 / 936 / IT18 / IT28 |
| Flush weld-on | 1U-1304 | 8 kg | 356 × 71 mm | 950 / 962 |
| Flush weld-on | 1U-1354 | 13.2 kg | 422 × 96 × 32 mm | 966 / 970 / 980 |
| Flush weld-on | 107-3404 | 19.6 kg | 450 × 92 × 38 mm | 966 / 970 / 980 |
| Flush weld-on | 8E-0464 | 20.4 kg | 483 × 104 × 45 mm | 972 / 980 / 988 |
| Flush weld-on | 3G-4554 (7I-9554) | 34 kg | 483 mm wide, 65 mm deep | 980 / 992 |
| Bottom strap weld-on | 8J-7525 | 1.75 kg | 182 × 52 × 13 mm | 910 / 914 / IT12 |
| Bottom strap weld-on | 3G-0169 | 4.2 kg | 295 × 65 × 25 mm | 916 / 920 / 926 / 930 / 936 / IT18 / IT28 |
| Bottom strap weld-on | 9J-8929 | 6.8 kg | 230 × 65 × 25 mm | 950 / 962 |
| Bottom strap weld-on | 1U-1350 | 9.5 kg | 390 × 76 × 32 mm | 966 / 970 / 980 |
| Bottom strap weld-on | 1U-1351 | 10.2 kg | 390 × 76 × 32 mm | 966 / 970 / 980 |
| Bottom strap weld-on | 1U-1352 | 10.2 kg | 390 × 76 × 32 mm | 966 / 970 / 980 |
| Weld-on heavy duty | 135-9354 | 14.4 kg | 380 × 140 × 42 mm | 966 / 970 / 980 |
| Weld-on heavy duty | 135-9355 / 135-9356 | 14.5 kg | 380 × 140 × 42 mm | 966 / 970 / 980 |
| Weld-on heavy duty | 125-8404 / 05 / 06 | 18.7 / 19.7 / 19.7 kg | 415 × 124 × 48 mm | 966 / 970 / 980 |
| Weld-on heavy duty | 114-0464 / 65 / 66 | 20.8 / 22.5 / 22.5 kg | 435 × 150 × 50 mm | 972 / 980 / 988 |
| Weld-on heavy duty | 107-3554 / 55 / 56 | 42.9 kg | 548 × 160 × 65 mm | 980G / 988 / 992 |
| Weld-on heavy duty | 119-8604 / 05 / 06 | 71 / 72 / 72 kg | 580 × 190 × 70 mm | 988 / 992 |
| Weld-on heavy duty | 171-1704 (4T-4704) / 05 / 06 | 75 / 72 / 72 kg | 585 × 200 × 75 mm | 988 / 992 |
| Bolt-on | 9J-4207 | 32 kg | 628 × 92 mm | 910 / 914 / 931 |
| Bolt-on | 1U-0257 | 8.9 kg | 340 × 124 × 25 mm | 916 / 920 / 924 / 926 / 928 / 930 / 936 |
| Bolt-on | 4T-4307 | 13.2 kg | 405 × 160 × 32 mm | 950 / 955 / 960 / 963 |
| Bolt-on | 3G-9307 | 14.7 kg | 405 × 165 × 32 mm | 966 |
| Bolt-on | 3G-3357 | 16.9 kg | 418 × 150 × 38 mm | 960 / 966 / 970 / 973 / 977 / 972G |
| Bolt-on | 1U-1357 | 19.8 kg | 430 × 156 × 45 mm | 980 / 983 |
| Bolt-on | 8E-2467 | 25.5 kg | 455 × 156 × 45 mm | 980 / 988 |
| Bolt-on | 6I-9898 | 27.5 kg | 460 × 156 × 45 mm | 977 / 980 / 983 |
| Bolt-on, side, 1 hole | 3G-4308 / 09 · 3G-8308 / 09 | 15.5 / 16.5 kg | 175 × 120 / 198 × 140 mm | 950 / 955 / 960 / 963 |
| Bolt-on, side, 2 holes | 8E-5308 / 09 | 18.4 kg | 200 × 163 × 25 mm | 950G / 960F / 962G |
| Bolt-on, side, 2 holes | 8E-5358 / 59 | 26.3 kg | 245 × 180 × 32 mm | 960F / 966F / 970F / 972G / 973 |
| Bolt-on, side, 2 holes | 6I-8243 / 44 | 35.1 kg | 273 × 207 × 45 mm | 980 / 982 |
A 966 turns up in six rows of that table, and that is the point: the same machine takes 3G-3357 bolted (16.9 kg), 135-9354 welded (14.4 kg) or 1U-1352 on a bottom strap (10.2 kg), among others. The base is not a fitment question, it is a repair question — what is on the bucket now, and how was it attached.
4. Bolt-on or weld-on — the one that costs a bucket
A bolt-on base is the reversible option. It uses 5P-8361 bolts and 5P-8362 nuts on a lip that already carries the pattern, and a worn base is unbolted in a yard in an afternoon. A weld-on base is cut onto the lip, so every measurement has to be taken before the order: the nose opening across the pocket, the pin bore, the strap thickness and the angle. Get a bolt-on base wrong and it comes back in a box. Get a weld-on base wrong and the bucket is cut open twice.
The price gap between the two is real but not the main risk. On the 966 lines, 3G-3357 is published at 16.9 kg against 14.4 kg for 135-9354 — a 2.5 kg step that is irrelevant to a single quote and significant on a 40-piece lip order, where it is 100 kg of metal and 100 kg of extra air freight. If you are rebuilding a lip that has been welded before, measure the old base still in place rather than ordering off the machine badge.
5. Numbers that come in threes
Seven of the loader base rows are published as runs of three consecutive numbers. They carry the same printed dimensions and differ by a few hundred grams:
| Run | Weights | Printed size | Machine lines |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1U-1350 / 1351 / 1352 | 9.5 / 10.2 / 10.2 kg | 390 × 76 × 32 mm | 966 / 970 / 980 |
| 135-9354 / 9355 / 9356 | 14.4 / 14.5 / 14.5 kg | 380 × 140 × 42 mm | 966 / 970 / 980 |
| 125-8404 / 8405 / 8406 | 18.7 / 19.7 / 19.7 kg | 415 × 124 × 48 mm | 966 / 970 / 980 |
| 114-0464 / 0465 / 0466 | 20.8 / 22.5 / 22.5 kg | 435 × 150 × 50 mm | 972 / 980 / 988 |
| 107-3554 / 3555 / 3556 | 42.9 kg each | 548 × 160 × 65 mm | 980G / 988 / 992 |
| 119-8604 / 8605 / 8606 | 71 / 72 / 72 kg | 580 × 190 × 70 mm | 988 / 992 |
| 171-1704 / 1705 / 1706 | 75 / 72 / 72 kg | 585 × 200 × 75 mm | 988 / 992 |
Because the printed dimensions are identical across each run, the number — not the size — is what separates one casting from the next, and in our reading the three are position-specific for the lip. The catalogue does not label left, centre and right, so on a rebuild we ask for the position of every base on the bucket and count how many of each are needed. A quotation that lists "J350 base × 12" without positions is a quotation that will come back short of one number and over on another.
6. Pin and retainer: the line that never crosses a rung
| Rung | Pin | Retainer | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| J200 | 8E-6208 | 8E-6209 | Compact loaders, 910 to IT12 |
| J250 | 8E-6258 (132-4763) | 8E-6259 (133-0699) | Shares its retainer with J300 |
| J300 | 9J-2308 (132-4766) | 8E-6259 (133-0699) | Same retainer as J250, different pin |
| J350 | 8E-6358 (114-0358) | 8E-6359 (114-0359) | 966 / 970 / 973 / 977 / 972G |
| J400 | 7T-3408 (116-7408) | 8E-8409 (166-7409) | 980 / 982 / 983 |
| J450 / J460 | 8E-0468 (114-0468) | 8E-8469 (107-3469) | Filed as J450 or J460 depending on the catalogue — check the pin you pull |
| J550 | 6Y-8558 (107-3378) | 8E-5559 (107-8559) | 980G / 988 / 992 |
| J600 | 6I-6608 (113-9608) | 6I-6609 (113-9609) | 988 / 992 weld-on bases 119-8604 and up |
The retainers repeat across neighbouring rungs — 8E-6259 covers J250 and J300 — but no pin crosses a rung anywhere on the loader ladder. That single fact decides how a mixed order should be packed: pins by rung, retainers by the count of points, and the tooth number checked against the base before either is boxed.
7. What to send us
- The machine — 950H, 966H, 980H, 988H. Not "Cat loader".
- The tooth number you are replacing — 9N-4352, 1U-3352 — or its weight in kilos and its length in millimetres.
- The base number and how it is attached — bolt-on, flush weld-on, bottom strap or weld-on heavy duty. If the base has no number left, send the pin bore, the strap thickness and the machine.
- The position of every base on the lip — that is what separates the three-number runs we sell as centre and corner castings.
- The pin you pulled, or its diameter and length. A pin off a 950 is not a pin off a 966.
We supply the loader side of the J-series as aftermarket castings — teeth, bases, pins and retainers quoted on one line item, matched to the numbers above and shipped FOB Shanghai or CIF. Nothing on this page is a genuine Caterpillar part; the numbers are used to cross-reference fitment. For the excavator side of the same series, a 950-class bucket often shares its rung with a 20-tonne machine — see the full J-series ladder J200 to J800 for where the loader and excavator columns split, and the J600 and J700 guide for the rungs that only appear on the largest loaders.
FAQ
Q: What bucket teeth does a Cat 966 loader take?
A: J350 — 1U-3352 standard long (6.1 kg, 245 × 102 × 85 mm) or 9N-4352 heavy duty long (8.9 kg, 253 × 104.5 × 88 mm), on pin 8E-6358 (114-0358) with retainer 8E-6359 (114-0359). The base is separate: 3G-3357 bolt-on, 135-9354 weld-on heavy duty or 1U-1350 / 1351 / 1352 on a bottom strap, all printed for the 966 line.
Q: Which teeth does a Cat 950 or 962 loader take?
A: J300 — 1U-3302 standard long (4.1 kg, 220 × 88 × 73 mm) or 9N-4302 heavy duty long (5.6 kg, 223 × 91.5 × 69 mm), pin 9J-2308, retainer 8E-6259 (132-4766, 133-0699). Flush weld-on base 1U-1304 for the 950 and 962, bottom strap 9J-8929, bolt-on 4T-4307.
Q: Bolt-on or weld-on loader base — which do I order?
A: Match what is on the bucket now. A bolt-on base (3G-3357, 16.9 kg, 5P-8361 bolts / 5P-8362 nuts) needs a lip that already carries the pattern and can be swapped in a yard. A weld-on base (135-9354, 380 × 140 × 42 mm) is welded to the lip and cannot be corrected after the fact, so the pocket opening, pin bore, strap thickness and angle are measured first.
Q: Why are there three part numbers for one loader base?
A: The loader base rows are published in runs of three (119-8604 / 8605 / 8606, 171-1704 / 1705 / 1706) with identical printed dimensions and a few hundred grams of weight difference. In our reading they are position-specific castings for the lip; the catalogue does not label the positions, so we confirm the count of each from a photograph of the lip before quoting.
Sources
Tooth, base, pin and retainer numbers, published weights, printed A × B × C dimensions and the machine lines on this page are taken from the loader teeth, loader adapter and hardware tables of the COHIDREX TRASTEEL TSJ catalogue (metric). Where a number is published in two catalogues with different weights we print neither figure as fact — we weigh the casting before it ships. TRASTEEL and the J-series are third-party aftermarket systems: Caterpillar, Komatsu and the part numbers referenced are the property of their respective owners and are used here to cross-reference fitment only.