The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Linear Actuator Brushes

This is a shot in the dark... but I have found that the guys on this forum have been around and maybe someone has an idea for this.... I use linear actuators in some of my vehicles and one failed this week... it was installed 20 years ago and the Iowa company no longer sells these... I am old school and hate throwing a good part away if it can be repaired so I tore into it and found the only problem to be the brushes in the electrical motor. In the old days, we paid $1 for these... and repaired the motors... the actuator is a SPAL LACT 8.... That company referred me to another company in Iowa that sells them and I contacted them. Of course, they only sell them and stock them but no parts... want to guess where the actuators are made? I asked for the Chinese company's name and they refused to give that to me.... I have spent a couple hours looking for any website that sells small electric motor brushes.... I came up empty... Does anyone have an idea on where I can match these brushes with a company or should I just accept the fact that this is the way it is going to be? I did order two new linear actuators for the project, and will install them and keep this one and the other good one in the garage in case I run across, perhaps a small town electric repair shop that might help me.. Any help/ideas you have would be greatly appreciated.... Thanks...

Exactly what I wanted to recommend, A DC Gen/motor shop. Try Googling something like that to locate something near by.

Try brushes for electric tools such as routers, skilsaws, electric drills, etc. Most brushes are just chunks of carbon with a piece of braided wire attached, and it one is a little oversized, a file works nicely to make it fit. I've adapted generator brushes to some non-standard applications many times- - -take one a little bigger than needed and file-fit it to the brush holder. Depending on the size of the original, a set of brushes for a Dremel tool might even work, and I just saw a set of them at Walmart earlier today. If the conductor and/or spring isn't right. just solder on an extension.
Jerry

If possible guesstimate the size of the brushes, in inches and MM's, then do a search. I've done some searches for a few uncommon parts lately and have found some "close enough" replacements to get the device back in service. Don't be surprised if some of the search returns point to Chinese company's through ebay...