The Steel Guitar Forum

The solution is to insert 5/8 inch O rings between the clutch and the rubber foot. After these pictures were taken I covered the rings with black duct tape. (Black duct tape sounds better.)

That might be okay as an ersatz fix. But if it were mine, I'd repair the clutches so they'd work like they're supposed to. That way, you retain the adjustability feature.

Donny Hinson, how would you go about the repair?

on my road guitars it was duct tape.. when that stopped working, new duct tape over the old smeared duct tape... Then more duct tape......

If it slipped during a set, i would run out to a table, grab an ash tray, put a rag in it, or a few folded up napkins and stick it under the leg... good as new!

Donny Hinson wrote:..if it were mine, I'd repair the clutches so they'd work like they're supposed to.

Hi Donnie. We (Jim Palenscar) tried that and it worked for a while, but eventually the clutch started slipping again.

I've seen it suggested that you can insert a short wooden dowel inside the large tube to keep the smaller tube set at one length. Haven't tried it but I'm sure it would work.

Some years back I purchased a Studio Deluxe (basically a Champ with legs) that had been stripped of all its electronics but was otherwise intact. None if its three legs held; they all slipped. I took the legs apart and cleaned all the interior parts with a mild solvent (probably either naptha or denatured alcohol -- don't recall exactly) and all three have worked flawlessly ever since. It's worth a try.

The back legs on my Franklin were slipping. They were the original legs from late 81. I took them apart and cleaned the insert, even reversed the insert. That helped for a short while and then they started slipping again. I finally bought two repair kits and inserted the new parts but used the old "nuts" as the new ones are bigger and chrome plated. That didn't work but using the new kit parts with the new chrome plated nut did. That was almost a year ago and no more legs slipping.

Jerry Jones wrote:I've seen it suggested that you can insert a short wooden dowel inside the large tube to keep the smaller tube set at one length. Haven't tried it but I'm sure it would work.

This is more or less how Doug E. set up the front leg extensions on my Stage One. Works perfectly.

I use a small hose clamp around the small part of the leg under the clutch. Works good and still adjustable.

Butch Mullen wrote:I use a small hose clamp around the small part of the leg under the clutch. Works good and still adjustable.

Good idea there...

I guess I'm lucky. I've been playing all kinds of guitars for close to forty years and never had that problem. If they slipped, it was usually because I didn't have them quite tight enough. Biggest problem is sometimes I over-tightened to where they were a bear to loosen for small adjustments for an uneven floor.

Well I've been restoring pedal steels now for over 20 years and so that is at least 100 of them...and almost every one had a leg slipping and HERE IS WHY>
Over tightening.
Here's how I fixed hundreds of legs; yes EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM and now they don't slip after I fixed.
After OVER-tightening; there gets a build up of small metal shavings in the threads and that is what needs to be cleaned out. So take the tightener off...and with 3 and 1 oil or any very light oil..>gun oil; Sewing machine oil..etc...
Oil up a rag and clean all threads on inside of tightener and threads on the leg bar.
Put back together; make sure both fittings are on the small diameter bar, that you are actually tightening to not move; as metal fitting up against leg thread and plastic fitting against it...and put tightener back down...slowly screwing back to leg making sure it threads straight....and tighten slowly then loosen; then tighten; couple of times...then normal tighten and you're good to go.
Ricky

Jack has the right idea. Clean the parts in acetone or alcohol, and then reassemble properly ! Most all the ones I've seen that won't work right have been assembled wrong. The cone-edge (beveled edge) of the jam washer must be against the split ring!

And if you don't know what you're doing, never oil them or take them apart. Truth is, most of them work as intended...until somebody tries to fix them or make the work better.

Ricky Davis wrote:Well I've been restoring pedal steels now for over 20 years and so that is at least 100 of them...and almost every one had a leg slipping and HERE IS WHY>
Over tightening.
Here's how I fixed hundreds of legs; yes EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM and now they don't slip after I fixed.
After OVER-tightening; there gets a build up of small metal shavings in the threads and that is what needs to be cleaned out. So take the tightener off...and with 3 and 1 oil or any very light oil..>gun oil; Sewing machine oil..etc...
Oil up a rag and clean all threads on inside of tightener and threads on the leg bar.
Put back together; make sure both fittings are on the small diameter bar, that you are actually tightening to not move; as metal fitting up against leg thread and plastic fitting against it...and put tightener back down...slowly screwing back to leg making sure it threads straight....and tighten slowly then loosen; then tighten; couple of times...then normal tighten and you're good to go.
Ricky

Thank you for this tip! I have had a slipping leg on my old MSA ever since I got it, and this seems to have cured the problem.

--Al Evans

I gigged a 1974 MSA S10 that had legs that would not hold secure. I cleaned and worked on all 4 clutches. They held better, But I could not trust them.

I took one of the legs to a hardware store and bought 4 dowel rod that fit snug in the small leg tube. Adjusted the legs level. Removed the rubber foot, Inserted a dowel rod in each leg till it contacted the thread insert that screws in the guitar body, At top of leg. Cut the dowel rod even with the leg inter sleeve. Reinstalled the rubber feet. On the 2 front legs I hot glued the dowel rods in the legs, So they could not move. Then drilled the holes for the cross bolts that attach the pedal bar. Nothing visible on outside of legs.
I can adjust either rear leg to fit an uneven floor and use the clutch to hold the leg. If is slips it just stops when it hits the dowel rod.

I now gig a GFI with solid aluminum legs, The back legs screw adjust. No leg worries now.

Ricky Davis wrote:Well I've been restoring pedal steels now for over 20 years and so that is at least 100 of them...and almost every one had a leg slipping and HERE IS WHY>
Over tightening.
Here's how I fixed hundreds of legs; yes EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM and now they don't slip after I fixed.
After OVER-tightening; there gets a build up of small metal shavings in the threads and that is what needs to be cleaned out. So take the tightener off...and with 3 and 1 oil or any very light oil..>gun oil; Sewing machine oil..etc...
Oil up a rag and clean all threads on inside of tightener and threads on the leg bar.
Put back together; make sure both fittings are on the small diameter bar, that you are actually tightening to not move; as metal fitting up against leg thread and plastic fitting against it...and put tightener back down...slowly screwing back to leg making sure it threads straight....and tighten slowly then loosen; then tighten; couple of times...then normal tighten and you're good to go.
Ricky

Thanks for this. I have a '52 Fender Dual 8 steel where all three legs were slipping bad. This fixed 2 of them. Unfortunately the 3rd leg, which seems to be of a different make, is still slipping. Have you ever come across one where that method DIDN'T work, Ricky? If so.......just buy a new one??

Still.....at the evry least, you saved me @$80!

I did the dowel trick on my Sho-Bud years ago. It works well enough I forgot it was in there until I read this thread.

Scott Denniston wrote:I did the dowel trick on my Sho-Bud years ago. It works well enough I forgot it was in there until I read this thread.

I would absolutely do that with pedal steel, but with my console lap, I need to set it up differently, sitting or standing.

Usually when a leg slips, I take the clutch apart andsee white grease all over everything.

When you clean the clutch including cleaning lower leg with rubbing alcohol or citrus cleaner (goo gone), the plastic and metal locking rings in the clutch have beveled faces that need to go together.

I've used the dowels, and 1/2" inner diameter PVC pipe from Home Depot

[forgot to mention] sometimes the gap in the reddish plastic lock ring is too narrow and needs to be widened a bit with sandpaper, and sometimes it helps to roughen the insiden of it with sandpaper.

Everyone is talking about clutch....what and where is a clutch.

I play a D-10 Mullen PRP...pretty old. When I engage a pedal, the pedal board starts slipping down the leg. This causes my tuning to go wonkie!

I thought I might try to decrease the distance between the top of the rubber foot and the botton of the tightening grip. In other words, push the inner leg further into the outer leg. The board would not be able move...the rubber foot would stop any slipping. Thoughts?

I HAVE USED METAL COLLARS WITH LOCK SCREWS ON THE BACK LEGS.

I recently put a heat shrink sleeve on the inside leg, below the clutch....everything is working for now!

Randy Cook wrote:Everyone is talking about clutch....what and where is a clutch.

Inside the compression collar which is threaded on to the leg is a compression clutch to hold the legs in place.


Perhaps some will post some photos to explain what we are discussing.