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Old 06-19-2016, 11:25 AM   #1
katy
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Default Radius rod ball felt?

Can anyone supply me w/the dimensions for the radius rod ball felt?
I know that they're cheap enough to buy, but I have lots of felt that I could cut up and don't feel like spending the postage for one little part, not to mention the fact that it has to come across the border.

Tnx, Ken
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Old 06-19-2016, 01:14 PM   #2
Glenn C.
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Default Re: Radius rod ball felt?

Try these for measurements. 3" long 1 1/4" wide 5/8" thick Going by memory only.
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Old 06-19-2016, 02:21 PM   #3
Marshall V. Daut
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Default Re: Radius rod ball felt?

Unless you have the bellhousing out of the chassis and are planning to put the felt pad underneath the long radius rod bolt head mounting pin (Whew! What a name!), you can simply pull the radius rod ball away from the bellhousing while it's still in the chassis. Put a length of wood between the radius arms and the oil pan to keep the ball from coming back up. Now cram your felt pieces up the inside the opening in the bellhousing, using the longest and widest piece first. That long bolt that retains the radius rod mounting bolt heads from turning will stop the felt from being shoved up inside the bellhousing. But as I say, use a large piece first to block the entry of smaller pieces of felt. Actually, one long piece repeatedly doubled upon itself will work just as well. Pack the felt tightly within about 1/2" of the bottom of the opening. This will allow the cupped top half of the clamshell to go up inside. Then put that top clamshell piece in and use a floor jack to raise the radius rod ball into its socket. The rest is simple installation of the mounting kit parts.
I STRONLGY recommend you do NOT use that worthless %$*&^ rubber ball mounting kit that vendors continue to foist upon unsuspecting Model A owners. If your front end doesn't shimmy right away, it will. Use ONLY the original style mounting configuration without that rubber ball. 90% of the shimmy cases I have repaired in the last 50 years have NOT been caused by worn king pins or their bushings, or even loose steering components. The shimmying was overwhelmingly caused by that after-market rubber ball mounting design. A true shimmy maker, today or tomorrow, but for sure! I changed three of them in the last week and the shimmying in each case went away.
Marshall

Last edited by Marshall V. Daut; 06-19-2016 at 11:32 PM. Reason: Should have read "radius rod ball", not "bolt". Corrected.
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Old 06-20-2016, 10:12 AM   #4
katy
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Default Re: Radius rod ball felt?

Thanks Glenn.

Thanks Marshall, our '31 does have the "worthless %$*&^ rubber ball" in it, but that's the way it was when we bought it last year. No shimmy, but now that I know more about it I'll get around to replacing it one of these days.
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Old 06-20-2016, 03:16 PM   #5
BILL WILLIAMSON
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Default Re: Radius rod ball felt?

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Quote:
Originally Posted by katy View Post
Thanks Glenn.

Thanks Marshall, our '31 does have the "worthless %$*&^ rubber ball" in it, but that's the way it was when we bought it last year. No shimmy, but now that I know more about it I'll get around to replacing it one of these days.
Buster T. WON'T even PLAY with a RUBBER BALL!!
Busters' Dad
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