replacement steering bushing - anybody interested?

[MadMaxedAtom]

The play drove me nuts! Not to mention the added deflection the crummy stock plastic bushings were allowing under extreme conditions.

You will NOT believe how much more precise the steering will feel without the wheel bouncing around in your hands.

I'm very surprised more people have not complained about this glaring shortcoming on the Atom.My Kubota tractor had a tighter steering column!

Easily remedied by the installation of the DC steering column bushing!   (you owe me a beer... )

[DarthChicken]

[quote="MadMaxedAtom"]

(you owe me a beer... )
[/quote]

Not a problem, glad to pay up

[forcesevens]

I'll take at least one or a whole bunch.  If it helps bring the price down I can buy a dozen or so and
stock them in my store fenix-store.com

[DarthChicken]

Dude!  I almost bought a flashlight from your store a couple weeks ago, LOL!

[MadMaxedAtom]

Ok,how do you "almost" buy a flashlight?

[DarthChicken]

When you order it, and its not in stock 

[MadMaxedAtom]

Oh.Hate when that happens.   ..what kind of flashlight was it?You've got me curious.

[rfmarz@frontiernet]

Guys, you owe it to yourself to have one (or more) of forcesevens LED flashlights. They are absolutely awesome!

[DarthChicken]

I had a Fenix T1 on order.

They seem to be on gallactic backorder, so I ordered a regalight WT1 from China, and had it in about a week. 

[rfmarz@frontiernet]

I have the CREE Q5 4 in 1 light. It is significantly brighter than my Maglights not to mention MUCH smaller and lighter, and versatile. Only way it is inferior to the Maglight is in that you can't hurt someone as much if you hit them with it .

[maverick1]

Darth...please add me to the list.
Just curious but will driving in the rain effect this steering bushing's performance like it did my original? Mine first started squeaking and then almost seized up during Atomfest.
Cheersâ?¢

[rfmarz@frontiernet]

Lubricate with Strike-Hold!

[fishkiller]

Darth,
Throw me in for one bushing also.
Thanks

[DarthChicken]

OK, I've been doing some more research ,and I think the selflube bushings referred to in post #8 are gonna be the ultimate solution.

Here is some data on the bushings themselves:

http://www.selflube.com/info.aspx

If you go here:

http://www.reidsupply.com/aDetail.aspx?N=1342104240+4294961493&A=SLB-401&An=1342104240+4294961493&On=1342104240&ST=

You can get the exact setup needed (ie 3/4" ID, 1.1255 OD... you may have to lightly sand the bushing and/or steering shaft pipe).  The shaft pipe the bushing is held in is 3.75" long... so if you order the 3.875" bushing, it would be about perfect (because the 3.875" includes 3/16" of flange, so part inside the tube itself is 3.6875").  You have two choices in that length, either graphite plugged (at $65.88 each, PN SLB-406), or the MUCH more eccomical Aluminum Bronze versions (at $26.38 each).  What you'll get with the aluminum bronze is a better bushing that what I would have designed, make out of better material, at a price about $20 cheaper, and I doubt you'll have to wait 2 months for it. 

I'm ordering tomorrow from Reid Supply.  If you freeze the bushing to as close to zero as possible (dry ice maybe?), it SHOULD shrink down enough to slide it into the shaft, and then when it warms back up its not gonna come loose on you.  So if you order one, don't sand it down until it fits... you've gone too far IMO.

[silver]

let us know when to send you money, and how much!

then tell us how to install it after you get your's in ...pretty please.