The Yoke bearings allow the yoke to slide in and out and turn while still providing firm support. They are mounted between pairs of steel channels directly behind the instrument panel.
The original bearings were made of phenolic as shown in Photo 1. Some folks make their bearings of nylon, which I suppose would give slightly less friction but faster wear. I chose to stick with the traditonal phenolic material...cheap, light, functional. You need 1/4" thick phenolic and since it's sold by the square foot you'll have to order 1/4 of a square foot (6"X6") enough to make 6 bearings! You'll also need a 2 foot length of 1/4" rubber channel.
The bearings are 2" X 2 3/8" so start by cutting a 2" X 6" slab off your 6X6 chunk of phenolic. Ordinary woodworking tools work fine on phenolic, so a bandsaw will serve.
Mark the hole locations (draw an "X" to find the centers), then drill 3/4" holes. If you use a spade drill like I did, drill 1/4" pilot holes first. (Photo 2) Smooth the inside and the edges of the hole with a round file. Check for fit on the yoke shaft.
After cutting the bearings off the 6" slab, fit pieces of the rubber channel around the outside of bearing. (Photo 3) The rubber channel will dampen vibration to the yoke.
Slide the bearing/rubber assembly down into the slot formed by the steel channels and secure it with #6 X 3" screws top and bottom. (Photo 1) If you have trouble sliding the bearing/rubber assembly into position, try putting the rubber channels in first and then slide the phenolic bearing into the rubber.
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Link to Yoke Centerpieces, Tank Installation, Instrument Panel Repair
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