Newer style seat gears? (1 piece plastic vs brass) (1 Viewer)

[SoCal80series]

This is what I love about having the cloth manual seats - all the above is only academic for me.

 

[Malleus]

I agree with @NLXTACY, a brass gear against a plastic worm is a bad idea. I doubt it'll wear the worm, but it is a waste of money. What I have been working on is a bronze (not brass) ACME screw end bearing, to replace the far end plastic ACME screw retainer, held in place by two screws into the plastic. Number 1 son's power seats were wobbly, so we took them apart and I noticed that the ACME nut and the far end plastic bearing were both worn.

Unfortunately, both parts are components of the seat track assembly, and aren't listed as separate components (and aren't available anyway). I'm thinking of shimming the rubber on either side of the nut to take up that slack (instead of twisting it, as has been recommended).

The plastic end bearing can be replaced with a fender washer (modified with two mounting holes), but that's a little crude for my taste (to each his own). Since the screws are really just small lead screws (with lots of torque on them) and the near ends are supported by the motors, it makes sense that the far ends wobbling around would add to the premature wear of the near end gears (similar to the plastic end caps that keep falling out).

My evil plan is to press (or braze, I haven't decided which yet) a small bronze tube into a bronze plate, with the appropriate mounting holes and shape. My thought is the bronze will wear better against the steel screw than the plastic (which is abrasive and flimsy). It won't be much to make, and certainly a lot cheaper than brass gears. I'll post a picture when I get them fabbed up.

 

[PIP]

I agree with @NLXTACY, a brass gear against a plastic worm is a bad idea. I doubt it'll wear the worm, but it is a waste of money. What I have been working on is a bronze (not brass) ACME screw end bearing, to replace the far end plastic ACME screw retainer, held in place by two screws into the plastic. Number 1 son's power seats were wobbly, so we took them apart and I noticed that the ACME nut and the far end plastic bearing were both worn.

Unfortunately, both parts are components of the seat track assembly, and aren't listed as separate components (and aren't available anyway). I'm thinking of shimming the rubber on either side of the nut to take up that slack (instead of twisting it, as has been recommended).

The plastic end bearing can be replaced with a fender washer (modified with two mounting holes), but that's a little crude for my taste (to each his own). Since the screws are really just small lead screws (with lots of torque on them) and the near ends are supported by the motors, it makes sense that the far ends wobbling around would add to the premature wear of the near end gears (similar to the plastic end caps that keep falling out).

My evil plan is to press (or braze, I haven't decided which yet) a small bronze tube into a bronze plate, with the appropriate mounting holes and shape. My thought is the bronze will wear better against the steel screw than the plastic (which is abrasive and flimsy). It won't be much to make, and certainly a lot cheaper than brass gears. I'll post a picture when I get them fabbed up.

Polymer composite bearings are vastly superior to any red metal alloy when they are used correctly.

If you need your seat adjustment to last 1000 years you should machine up a sealed stainless housing, make everything that moves from hardened and ground toolsteel and flood it with synthetic oil or synthetic grease like Kyodo-Yushi.

Even though we're talking about Land Cruisers here they are still mass produced automobiles. Mild steel on mild steel or plastic is a perfectly acceptable bearing arrangement for a low speed, non-life threatening seat adjustment.

 

[Albatross80]

A note on brass gears: They have a small lip leftover from machining on the outside edges that needs to be sanded down to move freely in the metal sleeve/bushing on both ends.

I’m gambling on the brass gears. It’s a stop gap for me until I figure out what aftermarket seats I want to install.