Coil washer "spacers" now available for Steve's lower rods...UPDATE -- PICS ADDED

[sgoss66]

Hi all!

Recently, washer "spacers" have become somewhat popular amongst Equinox users, especially beach hunters. The idea is that as your rubber washers wear down, due to sand, etc., the fit between the lower rod and the coil loosens; this results in the need to tighten your coil bolt tighter to keep your coil from flopping. However, the tighter the bolt, the more your coil ears bend inward -- which could eventually lead to coil ear failure.

As rubber washers wear down due to sand, etc., one solution of course is replacement of the washers. However, some folks have begun using thin plastic "spacers," behind the washers, so as to effectively extend the life of their washers. Once the washers have worn down a bit, the idea is to remove the washer, insert a thin "spacer" into the lower rod, and then reinstall the rubber washer on top of the spacer. With the spacer installed, the washer cannot fit as deeply into the "washer cavity" in the lower rod, and thus you restore the original, tight fit between the lower rod/washers, and the coil ears. With that original, tight fit achieved once again, you no longer need to over-tighten your coil bolt to keep the coil from "flopping." So -- the bottom line is the spacers allow you to extend the life of your rubber washers, without risking the chance for coil-ear failure that could result from tightening and re-tightening your coil bolt over time, trying to compensate for washer wear.

I now have such spacers available. They are 0.2mm thick plastic spacers, and I sell them in packs of 10. This way, as your rubber washers wear, you can insert a spacer behind each washer and thus restoring the proper "width" of the lower rod, so as to fit tightly between the coil ears. Later, as the washers experience additional wear, a second spacer can be installed (.4mm total width), and so on. With 10 washers per package (five washers per "side"), you can effectively restore up to 1mm of "washer wear" on each side, before you would need to replace the rubber washers themselves. And since these spacers fit BEHIND the washers, and thus not subject to any wear themselves, they can be used over and over again.

The 10-packs of spacers are available at an introductory price of $6.50, plus $3.50 shipping. Meanwhile, 10-packs of rubber washers are also available for $5.00, plus $3.50 shipping. If you are interested, please contact me here, or at [email protected], and I'll be happy to get you taken care of.

THANKS!

Steve

 

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[THing4CSA]

Hi My Fellow TH'er SGoss66
I guess that is one way to fix the problem. It seems that any messing around with the coil mounting bolt is an invitation for breaking the coil ears off. I have always used the Whites Coil Stabilizer kit which locks the coil down so it does not flop around. As Whites was bought out by Garrett anyone interested will need to contact one of the Garrett suppliers or you might get lucky with one of the Whites repair locations.

 

[sgoss66]

Hi My Fellow TH'er SGoss66
I guess that is one way to fix the problem. It seems that any messing around with the coil mounting bolt is an invitation for breaking the coil ears off. I have always used the Whites Coil Stabilizer kit which locks the coil down so it does not flop around. As Whites was bought out by Garrett anyone interested will need to contact one of the Garrett suppliers or you might get lucky with one of the Whites repair locations.

THing -- thanks for your reply!

Just to clarify, using these spacers does not change anything with the mounting bolt itself.

The basic idea here is that if over time, rubber washers can "wear down" and become thinner (often due to use in sandy environments). When this occurs, one option is to simply replace your washers. BUT -- to extend the life of your washers, you can use spacers. In other words, if you feel that your washers have "worn down," to the point that you've lost a couple of tenths of millimeters of thickness in your washers, then placing a spacer behind the washer effectively "restores" that lost couple of tenths of millimeters (as a spacer is two-tenths of a millimeter thick). The spacers are meant to allow you to maintain proper "width" of your lower rod, as your washers wear -- meaning you don't have to swap out your washers quite as often.

So, in that way, using the spacers would NOT contribute to breaking coil ears, but instead would do the opposite. Badly worn washers that have become too thin, thus reducing the "width" of the part of your lower rod that fits between the coil ears, can lead to stress on your coil ears, as you tighten your coil bolt further and further to account for the washers getting thinner and thinner. SO -- to prevent that, one should EITHER swap out their washers as they "wear," to maintain proper washer thickness, OR, alternatively, utilize the "spacers," which like I said, will effectively "restore" lost washer thickness. So, spacers (OR washer replacement, same effect) would actually act to DECREASE the likelihood for coil ear failure, not increase it.

Thanks!

Steve