What the thread found

• A gimbal that fails the 180-degree balance test (static balance achieved, then rotated 180 degrees to check if balance shifts) can cause the rig to go out of trim after tilting movements even though no visible parts are moving
• Top stage fore-aft adjustment knobs can develop slack that needs to be taken up according to the manual, which may contribute to balance drift
• Gimbal side-to-side play in the yoke bearings can be a sign of gimbal wear that causes balance problems
• Compression or wear in top stage blocks can be too minute to detect with calipers but still cause balance to shift under load or after tilting
• A post clamp that appears tight but is very slowly loosening can cause the entire rig to gradually go out of level

Depends on

• The original poster was flying an older Clipper 24 model, so findings may not apply to newer rigs
• One respondent described a Clipper 24 from 2008 that had compression issues in top stage blocks, but this was addressed by replacing the blocks with different metal
• The exact mechanism by which gimbal play causes balance shift during movements that ultimately return to neutral position was not fully explained
• Diagonal or minute movement may be too small to perceive without specialized testing
• Gimbal issues and mechanical slack were identified as possible concurrent problems but never definitively separated

Parts

Top Stage

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