Re: Needle Bearing conversion for two-tooth sector

Posted by Marco Tahtaras on December 23, 1997 at 00:32:41

In Reply to: Re: Needle Bearing conversion for two-tooth sector
posted by Giles Dillingham on December 22, 1997 at 22:04:14

: Properly reamed bushings (or what I THINK are properly reamed, anyway) start out with very little play, but it seems to me that the actual contact area is usually pretty small, and they tend to loosen up quick.Are bushings ever good for applications where you want extremely little play, like in a sector shaft? This is why I went to the needle rollers.
The proper bushings are bronze lined steel so there is little if any compression factor to consider. They have a spiral cut oil groove that is cut in from one end only, stopping short of the outer end to reduce lubricant loss. Not only do the bushings provide more surface area to handle the thrust of the pitman arm, they maintain a thin cushion of oil that is always present (assuming steering is full).
If you think of all the applications of bushings vs. bearings, bushings are used wherever thrust is a factor. Even the engine uses bushings (obviously a different alloy) where thrust and precision are both factors. The steering sector bushings should last almost indefinitely due to the constant feed of oil.

Follow Ups:
Re: Needles Bob Carabbio December 23, 1997 at 13:54:25(3)
Re: Needles Lee Baker December 24, 1997 at 10:45:25(0)
Re: Needles Lee Baker December 24, 1997 at 10:42:33(0)
Re: Needles Marco December 23, 1997 at 15:15:38(0)

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