Browning has been a fixture in American power transmission since the 1880s, and units carrying that name run on conveyors, mixers, augers, and packaging lines all over the Gulf Coast. At Solution Gear Co. we tear down, inspect, and rebuild Browning speed reducers every week. We are a family owned Houston shop, established in 1998, and we do all of the work in house, from the teardown on the bench to the final dyno spin before a unit ships back to you.
Browning built its reducer line on a few signature designs. The TorqTaper Plus helical shaft mount reducer uses a single tapered bushing to clamp onto the driven shaft, AGMA Class 12 helical gearing keyed to every shaft, and tapered roller bearings throughout. The IRA Syncrogear worm and worm helical right angle units are the small to mid size workhorses you see on packaging and material handling equipment. We service all of them, plus the inline helical and helical bevel drives. See our full gearbox repair capabilities and the other brands we rebuild.
One thing we want to be straight about. We are an independent repair shop. We are not a Browning or Regal Rexnord authorized dealer and we are not affiliated with the manufacturer. We name the brand only to tell you what we work on. When you send us a unit, we repair and rebuild it as an OEM alternative, and we stand behind it with up to a 24 month workmanship warranty.
Browning grew out of Ohio Valley Pulley Works, became Browning Manufacturing in Maysville, Kentucky, started designing gears in the 1960s, and added shaft mount reducers in the early 1970s. The brand passed to Emerson and now sits inside Regal Rexnord. That long history means there is a huge installed base of older units still earning their keep, and parts are not always easy to come by. That is where a rebuild shop earns its place.
We regularly work on these Browning families:
If you are not sure of the model, send us a photo of the nameplate or the unit itself. We can usually identify the gearset and bearing arrangement from the casting.
We see the same handful of failures over and over, and most of them trace back to one root cause that got ignored too long. Here is the real engineering of what goes wrong inside these units.
Every job starts with a free inspection. We disassemble the reducer completely, clean every part, and measure the worm, the wheel, the helical gears, the shafts, and the bearing seats against spec. Then we tell you exactly what failed and what it will cost before we cut a chip.
When we rebuild, we do not just throw parts at it. We cut new gears in house when an OEM gear is gone or backordered, using our gear cutting shop, and we restore worn bearing seats and shafts in our bearing repair area rather than running new bearings on tired surfaces. Where the original design ran a marginal thrust bearing or an undersized shaft, we upgrade it. That is what we mean when we say we rebuild stronger than OEM. The bronze worm wheel gets correct contact pattern lapping, the helical sets get checked for proper backlash, and the unit gets new seals on freshly ground shaft surfaces.
Before anything ships, the reducer is run, checked for noise and heat, and filled with the correct lubricant for your application, including the right oil if your unit has an internal backstop.
We are based at 8449 West Belfort Ave in Houston, Texas, and distance is not a problem. Shipping a gearbox is expensive, so we cover it. We pay freight both ways, we handle the crating and rigging, and the inspection is free whether or not you go ahead with the repair. You send us a tag and we do the rest.
If you are inside the Houston metro, we will come pick the unit up and deliver it back when it is done, included at no charge. Plants across the Ship Channel, the refineries, the chemical corridor, and the dozens of distribution and material handling operations around town all run Browning gear on their lines, and we keep them moving. When a line is down and you cannot wait, call our 24 hour line and we will get a unit moving the same day. Reach out through our contact page or read more about our shop.
The bearing that absorbs the worm thread axial load fails and lets the worm walk, destroying the contact pattern. We replace it and reset end float to spec, upgrading the bearing where the original design was marginal.
The sacrificial bronze gear scores, loses tooth thickness, and backlashes once lubrication fails. We cut a new wheel in house and lap the correct contact pattern against the worm.
Surface fatigue on the helical flanks of shaft mount and inline units, from overload or dirty oil. We replace the affected gears and verify backlash on reassembly.
The tapered bushing and hollow output bore gall and fret when run loose. We re machine the bore or fit a fresh bushing arrangement so the unit clamps tight again.
Double lip seals fail when shaft surfaces groove or bearings spin on their seats. We restore the shaft, re grind the seal surface, and fit new seals so the unit holds oil.
Spun bearings and worn shafts that ruin the gear mesh geometry. We build up and re machine seats so new bearings run true instead of on tired metal.
Backstops that slip and allow reverse rotation, often from the wrong extreme pressure oil killing the sprag grip. We rebuild the backstop and fill with the correct lubricant.
Units running hot from worn gearing, low oil, or wrong lubricant. We find the heat source, rebuild the worn components, and set the unit up to run cool.
No. Solution Gear Co. is an independent gear repair shop. We are not affiliated with Browning or Regal Rexnord and we are not an authorized dealer. We repair and rebuild Browning units as an OEM alternative, and we name the brand only to describe the equipment we service.
Yes. A lot of the Browning units still in service are decades old and parts can be hard to find. We cut replacement gears in house and re machine worn shafts and bores, so we can rebuild units even when the original parts are no longer available.
Just contact us and we will arrange it. We pay freight both ways, handle crating and rigging, and the inspection is free. If you are in the Houston area we will pick the unit up and deliver it back at no charge.
In most cases it will be better. We rebuild stronger than OEM, upgrading marginal thrust bearings, shafts, and gear material where the original design fell short, and we back the work with up to a 24 month workmanship warranty.
It depends on the parts and the scope, which we confirm after the free inspection. When a line is down we can move fast, including same day on the 24 hour line at 832 270 2009. We will give you a realistic timeline before we start.
Free shipping both ways, free inspection, and an up to a 24 month warranty on every rebuild. Tell us about your unit and we reply fast, often the same day.
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