<raises hand> Damage caused by raising the upper pf. Smallish connector to top of right sling broke off. Looking for repair or replacement.

In short, yes!
Since this is a vulnerable part, it would be nice if a vendor or two kept some in stock, as well, since these will likely fail on "good" tables, at some point.

This is where mine broke. Oddly, it didn't break at the weld (underneath).

<soapbox> Frankly, this area could use a little re-engineering for robustness. The action of raising the upper PF puts a lot of stress on this crossmember & weld. The springs actually act as a flexible joint, but the action of raising the UPF transfers a significant rotational downward force to the welded joint. The challenge is the weld and crossmember can't be much bigger because it needs room for the ball to pass underneath, to make the BK challenge lock shot. It's not really a design flaw (the ability of the UPF to be lifted for servicing is fantastic), but, like most machines, it wasn't designed to last for 30 years! </soapbox>

I'd be elated to work with anyone who would like to try their hand at fashioning a better crossmember support.

bk2k_break_small (resized).png

Found this ... https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/how-do-i-buildingmodifying-a-habitrail

I have made them and there is little to no information so here goes: made from 3mm (1/8") 303 Stainless steel, the spacing between them is 14mm (or 17mm centres). I print out full size and then bend the wires using a former (see attached) which is just a cylinder smaller than the smallest radius you want to make. The tabs are 3mm thick and can either be spot welded or silver soldered. i silver soldered mine as i didn't want any flats on the rails that spot welding may create.

My impression from that post, and a little experience, is that silver solder is easier to use than spot welding (less expensive/complex equipment). As you say, even a good solder weld would not be nearly as robust as a good spot weld. I would greatly prefer spot welded habitrails, especially for a damage-prone piece.

For me, the price ($200) is a little high for the size. Just to make sure -- I'm not interested in the 10" piece that catches the ball after the W-A-R rollovers -- just the ~7" one with the springs and mount (to the slings). A higher price certainly ups the ante in terms of investment (maybe a smaller run?), but serious owners/collectors are used to paying a premium for custom replacement (or NOS) metal. Springs (like these) are easier to find than a custom made piece of chromed metal. I can transfer my springs from the old piece to the new one. One could get by just fine with something close to the original springs, but there's nothing close enough to the habitrail.

As many painfully realize, sources for quality table parts are drying up. A happy side-effect of ever increasing table prices is a tolerance for higher replacement part cost. I'm 100% still interested in a replacement part, even if I have to chrome it myself.