[jcurtis934]

If by the word "pin" you mean the rivets they used to connect the steps together, then it a matter of what the shear strength of a common grade 5/16 inch bolt is. A grade 2 (what you normally find in most bins at box stores) is 3405 lbs, a grade 5 bolt is 5521 lbs, and a grade 8 is 6902 lbs. The shear strength is the force put into the side of the bolt and as used in the steps, it is a simple single shear. So in your case, you can load up the step with 3400 lbs of weight and expect to see no issue. You can find grade 5 and grade 8 bolts at home depot, lowes, and other stores in most cases as well. Hope this helps, John