Toobuilder
Well Known Member
There was a thread concerning the spring button release in the Classifieds a few weeks ago which will be gone soon. Anyway, I was given one of these things by a generous member (MOL780) and figured I'd report my instal experience on the back seat of my Rocket.
First thing I did was to machine a tight fitting collar which when welded to the stick would provide a solid index stop so it would be easier to line this thing up. Just stick it in the socket, push down until it stops, and twist back and forth until the pin snaps into place. This stop will also take all the structural load in at least one direction. Probably not required at all, but I know how to weld, so what the heck?
Also, the hole the spring button indexes into is pretty close tolerance, as I really don't like any slop in the stick. When in place, the stick is acceptably tight. Doing this does bring up another problem however. The "foot" of the spring assembly needs to be secured to the tube. Some people just shove it in there and let friction keep it in place, but I found that after working the button a few times, the foot works it's way down the tube a little and cocks the button so it won't snap back into place. Two choices: make the hole oversize, or secure the foot. I went with the later.
Securing the foot was a mechanical and adhesive two step approach. First, I drilled a small hole opposite the button in the stick tube which was the same real estate occupied by the button's foot when in the proper position. I marked the foot with a sharpie through this hole and made a dimple on the back side with a center punch. This dimple now indexes the hole in the tube. For good measure, I put a blob of RTV to keep it where it belongs. So far, so good.
There was some discussion concerning the security of this pin, and frankly, unless something manages to push the button all the way in, I can't see it going anywhere unless there is something really funny going on. It takes a fairly concerted effort to get the pin pushed in far enough to release. That said, I made it a point to locate the pin midway in the "grip" of the socket, thinking if the stick worked back and forth in the socket, the neutral axis of this motion is the safest place for it. Finally, I can easily reinstall the standard bolt and nut for extra security.
Thanks again Gil!
Sorry the picture is sideways.
First thing I did was to machine a tight fitting collar which when welded to the stick would provide a solid index stop so it would be easier to line this thing up. Just stick it in the socket, push down until it stops, and twist back and forth until the pin snaps into place. This stop will also take all the structural load in at least one direction. Probably not required at all, but I know how to weld, so what the heck?
Also, the hole the spring button indexes into is pretty close tolerance, as I really don't like any slop in the stick. When in place, the stick is acceptably tight. Doing this does bring up another problem however. The "foot" of the spring assembly needs to be secured to the tube. Some people just shove it in there and let friction keep it in place, but I found that after working the button a few times, the foot works it's way down the tube a little and cocks the button so it won't snap back into place. Two choices: make the hole oversize, or secure the foot. I went with the later.
Securing the foot was a mechanical and adhesive two step approach. First, I drilled a small hole opposite the button in the stick tube which was the same real estate occupied by the button's foot when in the proper position. I marked the foot with a sharpie through this hole and made a dimple on the back side with a center punch. This dimple now indexes the hole in the tube. For good measure, I put a blob of RTV to keep it where it belongs. So far, so good.
There was some discussion concerning the security of this pin, and frankly, unless something manages to push the button all the way in, I can't see it going anywhere unless there is something really funny going on. It takes a fairly concerted effort to get the pin pushed in far enough to release. That said, I made it a point to locate the pin midway in the "grip" of the socket, thinking if the stick worked back and forth in the socket, the neutral axis of this motion is the safest place for it. Finally, I can easily reinstall the standard bolt and nut for extra security.
Thanks again Gil!
Sorry the picture is sideways.
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