2005Gimbal forum
Lubrication and maintenance procedure for a IIIA gimbal
21 years old. Gear and prices may have changed since.
What the thread found
- Disassemble the gimbal carefully while documenting the order of components removed from the outer housing.
- Clean the gimbal housing interior and bearing races with denatured alcohol to remove old lubricant and debris.
- Test bearing race condition by holding the inner ring with two fingers and spinning the outer ring by hand—a freely spinning race that maintains momentum indicates good condition, while grinding sounds or resistance suggests wear or contamination.
- Apply exactly two drops of teflon oil to each bearing race and distribute by rotating the race slowly.
- Apply a minimal amount of teflon oil on a cloth to the inside of the gimbal housing.
- Reassemble all components in reverse order, ensuring each piece inserts vertically without binding, as forcing misaligned precision-cut parts can permanently damage the bearing races.
- Bearing races may fail suddenly after exposure to sand, salt air, or high winds, making spare bearing races valuable for field repairs.
- Professional service is available through the manufacturer in Glendale for gimbal maintenance and repair.
Depends on
- Advice specifically applies to Tiffen IIIA gimbals and may not transfer to other manufacturers.
- The teflon oil recommendation is based on one technician's personal experience over many years.
- Spare bearing races mentioned as purchasable from Tiffen but specific part numbers not provided.
- Experience data spans historical conditions that may not reflect current gimbal designs or materials.