Recirculating Ball and Nut

Today I thought I'd blip one of my favorite "treasures".

For me, it is a most fascinating piece of steel.

A recirculating ball and nut is the heart of the steering mechanism in many cars and trucks.

This one comes from a 1969 Ford van in which I replaced the steering column back in 1986 in a most primitive backyard situation.

The knuckle busting job not only fixed the van, it provided me with a recirculating ball and nut paperweight that tips the scales at just over 37 ounces (1kg) and is 71/2 inches (19cm) long.

Not only is its shiny steel of various textures and very intricately machined, but its worm gear shaft spins and moves effortlessly back and forth through the "nut" in an incomprehensible manner for a reasons that are totally obscure.

I've twiddled this gizmo while thinking about important stuff, and not so important stuff, for over 25 years.

It has graced all of my desks since the day I liberated it from the broken gearbox in which it lay imprisoned.

A treasure of inestimable value.

Here is everything you never wanted, or needed, to know about recirculating ball and nut gizmos:

Much paperweightier large: