I recently bought an FD and it needs new bushings in the rear. I saw the jimlab unobtanium ones since I can't get them any more, and I think i can make them myself, I would like to give it a try. Could be fun.

Would anyone that has not installed them be willing to measure them with calipers for me? The only measurements I'll need is total length, length of step and OD of step.
I asked JimLab if he minded sharing this information and he can't since he doesn't own it any more. He had no problem with one of you supplying me with it though since ill only be making a set for myself and not to sell.

Anyone able to help me out?

 

Actually, to be perfectly accurate, what I said was that the information was proprietary and that I was not willing to share it with you, but that if you found someone willing to measure their set, that I was OK with you making one set of bushings for yourself.

The bushings are still available... visit N-Tech Engineering (www.n-tech.net) and get in on the group purchase that's in progress.

 

As per Jim's recommendations, purchase it from N-Tech.

You have to figure in the costs of:

1) The materials
2) The costs of the CNC machining/Lathe work

Just from this alone, it can be fairly costly. And it is a custom set for yourself. Assuming that something happend, and a bushing somehow was destroyed...fabricating a new set would again be expensive.

 

How long will the bushings be available for purchase? Will anymore be manufactured in the future?

 

I would say that since N-Tech is the authorized Unobtainium bushing manufacturer, call and ask them.

 

I am still the owner of the design, and still the supplier at this point, and N-Tech is the only licensed reseller of the product.

I just want to make absolutely clear that I have not sold the rights or the design of the bushings to anyone at this point.

 

You're still the supplier? I thought you didn't have time on your hands to handle the sourcing of the materials, etc.

 

You're absolutely right. The Nylon and stainless used to produce one set is much more expensive than the bulk pricing that is possible when doing a larger production run.

In addition, there are 7 different bushing sizes, which results in a lot of expensive set up time and different machining steps. If you have friends who are willing to do this for you, that's great, but they probably don't know what they're signing themselves up for.

 

Actually, I don't have the time on my hands to individually box and ship 100+ sets of 18 bushings (36 parts) each. The sourcing of materials is insignificant compared to ongoing customer maintenance and the delivery of the product.

 

Thanks for the clarification Jim!