Chrome Plating Lyman Ram

[Irascible]

I have a Lyman 4500 Lubrisizer which has developed a lot of play (of course) in the ram. I was wondering if anybody had ever chrome plated a ram to take up some of the slop?
Inversley, I was thinking maybe some slop is a good thing! Allowing the ram to self center?
Of course. I could just replace it with an RCBS which has more surface area to the ram and it's hole. Bound to wear less. But there is always the cost to consider.

[462]

Mine developed an excessive amount of play. I disassembled it and discover two things. First, the bolt that connects the ram to the linkage was broken. Second, the hole in the ram was elongated (perhaps, as a result of the broken bolt?).

I called Lyman and they shipped a new ram, at no charge, and I replaced all three bolts with Grade 8s.

[dragonrider]

The Perfessor post a thread about how he repair a lyman 450 that had the same problem, They all have or will develop the same problem, hopefully he will post a link to it.

[theperfessor]

I'll try and find the link and post it here after I get off work.

As far as the OP's question, I would bet chrome plating might be more expensive than just getting a new ram made up to fit. I know that there are no chrome platers near where I live. But I'm also betting the hole is oval, the cast iron/malleable iron sizer body is softer than the steel ram. I lined bored my 450 and put in a brass bushing. It's held in with JB Weld, but it can be replaced when it wears out. I had to turn ram down, but before I cut it I measured it and the wear was a lot less than the elongation of the hole in the press.

Having a little float isn't always a totally bad idea, but too much is never a good idea.

[Irascible]

Hay perfessor, is this yours?
http://www.usi.edu/science/engineering/Lyman450/Lyman450LuberRebuild.htm
Anyway, it's the Chinese cast iron that is worn, not the ram. Lyman wants $120 for a new casting. $44 more for a new RCBS at this moment in time.

[theperfessor]

That's it. The forces acting on the ram/hole interface will cause the hole to enlarge in the front to back direction faster than side to side.

If I were to make my own luber I would have a threaded or collared bushing that could be replaced when needed. And I'd probably use pre-plated hydraulic cylinder rod in a standard size for a ram.

There is a sticky in this subforum by Buckshot showing his solution. Worth reading.

[Buckshot]

.............If Lyman (or RCBS who makes the better sizer) wanted to make them what they SHOULD be, they'd hard chrome the ram and run it in a silicone bronze bushing. The front strut rods (7/8" OD) in a 87 Chevy Celebrity of ours had it's front struts changed out at 178,000 miles with ZERO wear on them. The rods that is, as the shocks were toast :-) I'd say that was a couple lifetimes of up and down for a lube-sizer.

................Buckshot