Hi all,
I?d like throw in my two cents.
Rob, if you reach the mechanical limits of your arm while hard mounted, because of ruff terrain, any arm is likely to fall apart, not only the socket block. Steadicam arms are not designed to withstand such kind of forces. Garrett addressed this issue on the first workshop I participated.
You need to build a frame around the hard mount that is big enough to handle the maximum or your desired arm range. On each corner you connect strong rubber bands and connect them to end of the arm. The config has to be adjusted so the arm can?t reach the limit in any direction. Make sure your arm, arm post and gimbal are secured to each other.
This way you are able to handle terrain that would normally exceed your arm range. Works like a charm.
By the way, the original steadicam aircraft pin fits perfectly into the PRO arm.
Benjamin