2004Gimbal forum
Gimbal losing level when panned 180 degrees
22 years old. Gear and prices may have changed since.
What the thread found
- A gimbal that goes off level when rotated 180 degrees may have misalignment where the gimbal yoke axes do not properly intersect with the center axis of the post or pan bearing.
- Looseness or play in gimbal fork bearings can cause the unit to go out of level, particularly when the adjustable bearing axes are not properly locked.
- Small play in the gimbal can be diagnosed by moving the gimbal sideways without load to detect movement.
- Re-centering a gimbal requires adjusting small screws that control the distance between the gimbal and post, which can be trial and error but resolves the problem.
- Slower drop times make bearing misalignment problems more apparent, while faster drop times can hide them.
- Bearing shimming to achieve true flatness down to half a thousandth of an inch is required for proper correction of this issue.
- Some amount of slight wobble during 180-degree pans can be normal due to the long leverage around a loaded gimbal, even with minor manufacturing tolerances.
Depends on
- The severity of the problem depends on the specific gimbal model and manufacturer.
- The exact adjustment procedure varies by gimbal model.
- One participant suggested this may be inherent to the design and unavoidable to some degree.
- It is unclear whether this is a common issue with specific gimbal models or isolated cases.
Parts
Same gear or parts
- 2026Adjusting play in a Steadicam® Master Series gimbal yoke and balancing it for smooth 180-degree pan without tipping.DisputedFacebookSteadicam operators group
- 2026PRO-Pan bearing sourcing change and specification differences between PRO and Tiffen gimbal bearingsFacebookThe Steadicam Group
- 2026Gimbal bearing lubrication: oil quantity, product selection, and the performance versus protection trade-off.DisputedFacebookThe Steadicam Group
- 2026Pan-bearing friction and image oscillation in Tiffen gimbals with Volt power cable: root cause and acceptance criteria.DisputedFacebookThe Steadicam Group