TromboneChat

I need some replacement parts for bass bone linkages. One socket is slipping off the ball a little too often, seems like it is time to replace.
Any idea where to get a set of 4? The mating ball is 0.1525" diameter, 3.87 mm. The male thread is 0.100" OD.

Du-bro Ball Link Sockets #188. I use these on my Todd Clontz linkage.
I measure my rod (outside of the threads) at .08". So if one of us is a little off, it'll fit. My ball is spot-on (0.151").

There are actually minute differences between ball and socket joints that claim to be the same size. For example: for years, I used the “Great Planes” brand (parts for remote control airplanes). When I could no longer get that brand, I switched to DuBro, which are a couple of thousandths of an inch larger. Not liking the fit, I changed my ball joints to the DuBro as well. Most of these ball posts out in the wild are a 2/56 thread, some are a 2mm thread (very close in size and thread pitch). If you are a do-it-yourself person, you can order the taps fo a few bucks and complete the conversion to an exact size ball post.

If the nylon sockets are slightly too large, there are other tricks as well. Here are a couple:

1. Use a thick tuning slide grease in the socket. It will fill in the socket and reduce the play.

2. Use thick tuning slide grease PLUS a ver small amount soft filler in the socket to reduce the play. I have used a microscopic amount of cotton as a filler. I have also used a very small (1/16 of an inch square) of paper towel as a filler.

I got the Dubro 188 sockets, which were dirt cheap. The new sockets were slightly (~1mm) longer than the old ones, which actually solved a problem I had with the 2nd lever placement. They were self-threading, so I needed some pliers for extra grip, but the ones I replaced worked perfectly. If they are too long for the 1st valve lever, I'll just trim some off the end, which is easy to do with a hobby knife since they're plastic. They fit right on to the existing ball posts.