RAM Mount Ball Slip

[cyclemed]

I have my GPSs mounted on RAM mounts on the FJR and V Strom. Recently when going over bumps, the arm kind of slips on the ball and it falls. I have it tightened as much as I can.

Have any of you ever had this happen and if so what can I use to either make the ball grab the socket better or even make it tacky so it cannot slide or rotate on its own?

Thanks,

 

[wfooshee]

The balls are rubber, and deform over time. Ya might just have ta get a new one....

 

[Ignacio]

RAMs are nice most of the time, but for heavier items like GPS...that's why Stem Stands are popular options.

 

[Mudslide Miller]

The balls are rubber, and deform over time. Ya might just have ta get a new one....

Ditto; you'll have to replace the ball sides of your RAM mounts

 

[worney]

The balls are rubber, and deform over time. Ya might just have ta get a new one....

You could try washing the RAM parts (maybe they got something on them), rotating the balls 90 deg and/or roughing them up lightly with some light sandpaper.

Worney

 

[Bill Lumberg]

I've never had to replace a ball. I do have to retighten the clamps over time. Makes me wonder if the ball is contaminated. Try cleaning it with alcohol. If that doesn't work, replace it.

 

[Madmudder]

Lifetime warranty on Ram mounts give them a call and inquire, let us know the out come.

Phone Support
Monday–Friday 7:30 AM – 5 PM, Pacific Time (closed holidays)
1-800-497-7479 FREE (Toll-Free)
1-206-763-8361 (Seattle, WA)

 

[Cav47]

Warranty is a good option, but a quick fix for me has been to add a little black Electrical Tape. I blends in okay and is cheap. Temp fix has worked for quite a while before I rotated out the ram ball.

 

[Madmudder]

This stuff may also work well?

https://www.permatex.com/products-2/product-categories/adhesives-sealants/specialty-adhesives/permatex--liquid-electrical-tape-detail

 

[RichDoyle]

There is a kind of arm that RAM makes that can give you this behavior. They are the plastic ones with kind of a dog-bone shape. They get to a point where the jaws are completely closed. I've even broken one of these arms. I just use the aluminum ones now.

 

[art miller]

If you want the ram set up to be permanent, clean the ball with naphtha or alcohol and coat the ball with E6000 or similar adhesive and cinch it up. Let it sit overnight and it will not likely come loose . Otherwise, the other suggestions will likely give temp. relief.

 

[SacramentoMike]

Put a condom over it.

(Probably non-lubed.)

 

[metalman]

There is a Ram ball rehab thread here......https://www.st-owners.com/forums/showthread.php?142985-Ram-ball-rehabilitation

 

[RaYzerman19]

Never had a problem in 10 years...... they have plastic clamps now? Didn't know that.

 

[gapiob]

On my FZ6, I used a wooden drawer knob diameter 24 mm, mayby you can find 1". And no probleme during 2 years, (after I sold the bike to buy FJR

)

 

[08FJR4ME]

It is most likely not the ball but not enough tension from the clamp. Do you have the long version? So when all the way clamped are the two metal arms hitting each other? Once they hit each other you will not get any more clamping force.

Just some suggestions,

Dave

 

[cyclemed]

Thanks for all the suggestions. It is the long arm with my Zumo550 with XM puck. Possibly a few things going on. Age of the ball (no comments) and the fact that the arm is out almost horizontal vs veryical so all of the weight on the far side of the arm. May try and go back to the shorter arm as I did not seem to have the problem. Will report back.

 

[mikeames]

I have that problem with the smaller size ball system I've been using. Tried cleaning with 100% IPA and that helped a bit but in the end the GPS I was using was just too heavy for the size ball I was using.

The best option I encountered was to upgrade to the next size larger balls. Almost twice the grip area. Worked perfect but did cost a some money to buy the components.

I think if you tried waranty or asked Rammount about it they would say the same thing....you need bigger balls (no pun intended).

Now I can sit back and wait for the inevitable ball size comments to roll in...

 

[rPGoatBoy]

The rubber of the RAM ball also compresses some, so if you tighten the **** out of it originally, you'll find you can tighten it a little more a day or two later. After that, it seems to hold fine, at least for me and my Note 4 10,000 maH brick phone.