Steerable Nose Gear 3/32" 1/2A size

thingiverse

If you're like me then you're heartbroken that it's nearly impossible to find steerable nose gear in non-metric sizes now. Carl Goldberg stopped selling the 1/8" steerable nose gear a long time ago and I'm currently working on a 3D printed replacement for it. Dubro seems to have stopped selling my beloved #234 1/2A sized 3/32" steerable nose gear, which is why I only have three packages of the Dubro #234 gear left. I decided to 3D print some standby kits and design a nose gear bearing that looks like the Dubro part but meets my needs. I also never really liked the Dubro steering arm, so I took a Goldberg 1/8" arm design and sized it to fit my needs, much preferring the offset arm on the Goldberg part. I'm very happy with the outcome of these designs. Printer setup and accuracy are crucial when printing the steering arm or you'll be very unhappy with the results. For most holes, you can simply drill them out to final size, but the arm is sized for a 3/32" wheel collar and the opening needs an interference fit of 6.35 mm o.d. If you get it right, you should need to use pliers or a vise to push the wheel collar in place without splitting the sides out. It must be tight so your steering stays accurate. You also must use supports when printing the steering arm! Of course, you'll have to bend up your own gear wire, which is something I left for you to handle on your own since there are lots of tools available to help you get that done. I included .stl files of the "kit" as well as both parts in separate .stl files for your convenience should you want them that way.