[TowerTalk] Hy-Gain HG70HD thrust bearing

[kj6y (null)]

That is the whole bearing. The collar sits on top of the plate.  Use some grease between the collar and plate.

Skip, KJ6Y
818-522-5421
Communications Service Co
Sent from my IPad

On May 15, 2021, at 7:56 AM, Ken Alker <ka6ken at alker.net> wrote:

Hi,

I recently acquired a Hy-Gain HG70HD tower.  I hired a crane operator to lift the mast/antenna assembly off the tower and then had the tower lifted out of the back yard and placed horizontally on a boat trailer to haul it away.

When I got home, I removed a "collar" from the mast that appears to be what might sit on top of a thrust bearing (or, perhaps, *is* the "top" of the thrust bearing assembly).  Here is a picture:

http://www.alker.net/albums/ham-tower-thrust-bearing/IMG_6986.sized.jpg

This collar rested in a "female" circular mating piece that is bolted to a plate on the very top of the tower.  See following pictures:

http://www.alker.net/albums/ham-tower-thrust-bearing/IMG_6984.sized.jpg
http://www.alker.net/albums/ham-tower-thrust-bearing/IMG_6985.sized.jpg

I am assuming there was some kind of bearing "pack" sitting in between the collar and the mating surface on the top of the tower that was stuck to the bottom of the collar and fell off when the mast was lifted off the tower, or it stuck to the mating surface on the top of the tower and fell off when we tilted the tower over (or when I drove off).

That said, I'm not totally convinced there was ANY type of bearing between these two items.  Maybe they are meant to be lubricated and swivel against each other?  I don't think so, but I have no idea, as the manual I found doesn't show any pictures of the optional thrust bearing assembly.  There is enough space between where the collar sits on the top of the tower, and the inner "shelf" mating surface for some type of bearing assembly (I'm thinking of the circular exposed, but captured, ball bearings that I found in my Schwinn bicycle hub when I disassembled it as a child in the 1970's).

Can someone please enlighten me?  I'd really like to see some pictures!  I can't find anything via Google.

If there is a bearing that gets sandwiched between these pieces, does anyone know where I can get one?

Thanks!
Ken, KA6KEN
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