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XCS Ergo / PRO Gimbal rubbing issue


Justin Browne

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Ill make this quick. I recently had to buy a new PRO yoke and new spud for my Ergo handle. By spud I am referring to the small steel cone shaped piece that slides into the yoke conical. The reason I replaced these parts was because some "mushrooming" had occurred on one side of the conical, which in turn bent the spud on the Ergo handle. As a result and the rig tended to fall to one side. So with that being said after a costly fixing I bought a brand new yoke and a brand new spud. I purchased these items about 3 weeks ago and there is already some serious rubbing. There is no signs of a dent or mushrooming YET however my fear is that if my gimbal/yoke conical looks like this after 3 weeks I cant imagine what the damage look like after 3 years. There is a pic below that explains my problem. If there are any XCS Ergo handle with PRO Gimbal users out there please let me know if you have encountered a similar problem. In theory they are supposed to be completely compatible however this rubbing has lead me to believe thats not the case. Any input would very helpful. This silver/white looking line in the picture below is what I am referring to. The hole was all black when I bought it new.

post-6469-0-86520700-1323151368_thumb.jpg

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Thanks Eric but Greg actually put it together for me. I took it apart and everything seemed tight.

 

tolerances, 2 pieces made by 2 different manufactures not engineered to be used together, use at your own risk....i had to change my gimbal fork as well

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Yah, what Jens said. As much as manufacturers claim compatibility, you are asking for trouble by Frankenrigging to this degree. That spindle connection is like what they call the bolt that holds the rotor onto helicopters.... the Jesus Nut. i.e. Everything literally revolves around this bearing.

Both Pro & XCS make the best components in our industry, but the sad reality is that compromises must be made everywhere in life. Seeing as the spindle is the Jesus Nut of our entire being as Steadicam OPs, why mess with it? This is probably the single most critical tolerance on the entire sled. Beyond 3/1000's ???? Simply the type of anodizing can be enough of a variable to throw off the tolerance of the mating of the spindle into the yolk, even if they are machined to the exact same dimensions.

Unfortunately when you mix components to this degree, you really leave yourself no re-course for yourself or either manufacturer to be able to resolve any issues.

Theory is one thing.... reality another.

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