CloudDriver wrote:
Velvac designed the arm so that the wiring goes through the center of the pivot. Another method could be used, but would require a way to get the wires into the door.
Velvac told me that the spring in the door is very strong. They use a hydraulic press for the assembly. Some type of threaded connection with lots of threads might hold.
YES SIR! My original plan was 5/8" threaded rod. Partly 'cause I have several pieces laying around, partly because another thread shows a caliper reading 0.62??-inch something. Plan was to epoxy a piece in the hole. Then I checked the OD of 3/8" pipe and it's right around the 5/8" size too. Actually took the pieces to Home Depot and found 3/8" pipe was just a tad big. I didn't want to include "drill out to 21/32" even if I happened to have that bit because most of us probably don't. Now that I know the INSIDE of that pivot is tapered along with the outside, I know that all it'll take is a few minutes with a round file go get a pipe nipple in place.
Using a 1/2" bolt was just TOO tempting, especially when I found the taper let me drive a nut into the top of the taper and put the pivot back in.
I didn't use a vise on any of this, but I found out it took some pretty good twist with a 3/4" box wrench to compress that spring. I imagine that's part of why Velvac won't provide repair parts. It'd be a bargain for them to send a $25 repair kit (new Pivot) and we pay NAPA or somebody $25 to press it in place. But I'd bet Velvac is worried that some of us'd try to press it with some home made ginny and ending up eating a flying spring.
The bolt is "proof of concept" and next step is 3/8" pipe. Part of the problem right now is I didn't see a simple "nut" in that size. It was either a threaded cap or threaded union.
Bolt taught me just how much compression that spring calls for, so both Nipple and Nut have to have enough thread, and GOOD thread, to pull the thing together. It takes about 1/2" of actual compression to pull the spring into position. That's OK, but it's gonna mean that a solution with the threaded piece epoxied in, will mean the plastic cap can't go back on. For me, practicality outweighs perfection, so a repaired one, stronger than new, at minimal cost, would more than offset seeing a fastener and loop of wire I'd have to go out of my way to see.
But, CD, when I think "perfection" I think of how you've documented things like that rear brake job with pix and text. If YOU were looking over my shoulder with a camera, this thread would look SO much better...
