Seat track ball bearings

[ptwothree]

Does anyone out there know the size of the seat track bearings?? I pulled the "rockin chair" out discover these thing are missing.

I tried some 5/8" balls from the hardware store, biggest they had, but I think they are to small. I think I can fix it if I can score the right size part.

Help!!!

[DonaldSmith]

About 5 years ago, I repaired my seat track, which had the ball bearings missing. "steve m" donated a seat track, from which I extracted the ball bearings. If he sent me two tracks I probaby extracted the balls from the second track also, and saved them somewhere.

There are large balls and small balls. I've got to look around to see if I have any. (You boys in the back row, stop snickering!)

Send me a PM and I'll e-mail you a description of the disassembly and assembly of the seat track, and some photos. In the meantime, I can keep looking for any spare balls.

[dirty dan]

Donald,

I PM'd you too. I don't need the bearings but I would like the instructions.

[DonaldSmith]

I couldn't help "ptwothree" with the size of the balls, but I sent him some photos of my disassembled track from five years ago, and a description of the ball replacement. "dirtydan" also wanted the description. I've rewritten it for clarity, and here it is:

Description of front seat track repair:

The track on each side of the seat is formed from two heavy gauge pieces, which when placed together form two outer races for small ball bearings and a middle race for large ones. It works like a drawer guide. The upper piece has three recessed bolts for attaching the seat, and the lower piece is riveted to the base. (I replaced the base, so I drilled out the rivets.) The upper piece rides over the large race and one small race. The lower piece hooks over the upper piece, so that the upper piece rides under the other small race. There are two large balls in the large race, and two small balls in each small race. Travel of small balls limited by indentations in track. Travel of the large balls is restricted by the heads of the bolts for the seat.

Disassembly:

Remove the lever that goes from the handle on the side of seat to the latch under the track. Drill out the rivet that connects the lever to the latch. (I forget why I had to do this.) Slide the track toward each extreme position, and push out the upper bolts at the ends, making room for the large balls to come out. (If the large balls do not come out, drive the large balls to the center of the track, to provide slack for popping out the small balls. (A 3/8 drive extension works well for this.) The small balls should be visible in their race. Use a large screwdriver or similar tool to pry the tracks apart and pop the small balls out. With the small balls out, the pieces will separate, releasing the large balls.

Assembly:

(It’s sort of reverse of disassembly.) Grease the race surfaces of the track. Grease the four small balls to hold them in place. Slip the two pieces of track together. Tape them, so they won't separate. Drive a large ball in each end. Slide the track toward each extreme, and install the seat bolts. Draw the seat bolts home with nut and washer, so that square end of the bolt fits in the square hole. (I used small bolts to replace the rivets to the base. For some reason I left the two end bolts out until the track was otherwise reassembled.)

I hope this helps.

[claybill]

the size of the balls is quite critical....why dont they specify..?

maybe inthe parts book/manual

bill.............i had such a problem last year..just forgot them ..it was a mess.!

[power_hungry]

If you get the size, you can order most any size bearing at www.bocabearings.com. I have the seats out of my Dodge, but I don't know that I can measure the bearings without removing one from the track. Can you use drill bits to determine the size of the holes?

I'll see if I can remember to check when I get home tonight.

[power_hungry]

Turns out I couldn't even see my balls, much less measure them!

[Niel Hoback]

As you get older, they get older to see. Measuring them is something entirely different.

[JIPJOBXX]

Might one have a over hang so that they are hidden?

[jd52cranbrook]

There are large balls and small balls. I've got to look around to see if I have any. (You boys in the back row, stop snickering!)

It's hard not to snicker when you talk about measuring, counting, drilling, mailing, ones balls.......

[ptwothree]

And it's even worse when you don't have any and don't know what size they were. This is nothing personal except if you are a Mopar seat track that used to full of 'em.......

[DonaldSmith]

Well, I see this thread has gone down the tubes. As Steve Allen used to say, "But all seriousness aside..."