Load range for belleville spring washers for reel applicaions - McMaster-Carr

[williewiskers]

***THIS IS A REPLACED-POST DUE TO APPARENT SERVER DATA LOSS. IT WAS RECOVERED FROM MY BROWSER CACHE***

I have a PROBEROS YSK 2016 (Accurate twin disk clone). Its a pretty well made copy - except for the drag preload. To save money they used a coil spring so there's basically no drag pressure on this 30kg reel until after you pass STRIKE; then you get all of it. I have measured and confirmed the shaft and spool were basically MADE to use a belleville spring washer stack that's about 5-6mm high and the spool shaft is 5.9mm in diameter. There are an assortment of belleville washers and belleville spring washers available at McMaster-Carr with a 6.2mm ID that would fit, but I have NO IDEA what the general normal range for the spring washers used in reels are.

They go as light as 5# working load and as high as - well, very high. What is the normal range for these bellevilles. I know, "every reel is different", but they are generally, "a couple pounds load" or 10lbs or 30lbs or 70lbs or 377lbs" (they make 6.3mm belleville washers that have A LOT of compression holding capability).

Ive only ever bought belleville washers as part number for a specific reel, I dont know what pressure class bellevilles I should try in a reel with no parts or specifications available. Can someone put me in the ballpark?

[williewiskers]

So before we lost last weeks post several people were interested in seeing how things played out with trying to tune this Chinese accurate twin drag clone. I have some good news, but not great news. I WAS able to install "some" assemblage of a drag curve, but its not what I wanted. Originally I thought I would do this by replacing the coil spring, shown in the OP with belleville washers - however, being unfamiliar with twin drag reel design I failed to immediately realize that that spring, along with its compliment on the other side of the spool, were simply for pushing the drag plate away from the CF disk when in freespool.

I needed to re-evaluate things, I needed to get belleville washers OUTSIDE the spools drag assemble on the handle side. I removed the spool, spool sleeve, handle side bearing and coil spring. This exposed an evil little C-shaped wire retainer that held the handle side drag plate down. Removing that I had a 1.1mm fender washer and a 0.5mm shim. I tried several iterations of exceeding this 1.6mm space limit to increase the number of bellevlilles I could fit between the drag plate and the AR dog gear, but 1.6mm is the totality of space available for bellevilles - speaking of bellevilles...

I had ordered smaller belleville spring washers from McMaster-Carr - these were basically useless for this reel, ill save them. LUCKILY my old Penn 30T bellevilles had the same 9.5mm ID and were 1.4mm tall (yay!). Bad news I could only fit ONE.

I was able to reassemble everything as it had come out and retain freespool, exchanging the 1.4mm 30T belleville washer for the 1.1mm fender washer and 0.5mm shim between the dog gear and the drag plate. Below is the result

BEFORE
Max 5# drag before lever's cam moved past the STRIKE position, almost IMMEDIATE ramp up to 20# drag at FULL, with freespool (UNUSABLE)

AFTER
5# drag at PRE-STRIKE, 13# drag at STRIKE and a predictable linear progression to 26# drag at FULL (USABLE)


I was going for measurable drag of a couple lbs at first engagement, 17# at STRIKE and 26# at FULL, but it looks like I wont get that. However at least the reel is now usable. I will note that this reel DOESN'T have any markings for PRE-STRIKE or STRIKE. I made marks on the reel at positions I felt "slight" notches in the cam travel which corresponded to the locations one would typically find these markings on a real-brand reel. In the case of STRIKE - it was clearly felt as the position the cam made full engagement with the drags and began building up static pressure. My added belleville just gave it a bit of ramp-up that it was lacking before. I will note that I made the marks BEFORE I made any changes to the reel and I found the STRIKE position had MOVED forward toward SUNSET due to the -0.2mm change from removing 1.6mm of washer and adding a 1.4mm belleville. I didnt have a 0.2mm shim - so it is what it is or ill add one when i get one later. When I do I might read closer to 17# at "the STRIKE" position, but prob closer to 15#.


I think my buddy has a similar problem with a Camkoon (or something like that), but that should be a single drag reel and I should have more options. Ill post any cheap improvements I can make on that when I get it. Ill also be trying to tune a recently rebuilt International 30T for 80-pound-class line.



The Wiskers