Quoted from drummermike:My second new LOTR Gimli vuk switch has failed. I now put in a 180-5209-00 switch like that in Stern ST pro vuk. This switch does not have the side to side movement like the originals. It works great! Should have done this after the first one failed. The fork switches are not made anymore and if you do find them they are twice the price of the 180-5209-00. The tip of the 5209 may need to be bent slightly so it does not sit over the kicker. And I agree that the connections under the playfield do have to be plugged in properly. I had that happen after putting in the second new switch. I think the non Y switch is the long term solution.
This happens about as often on the vari-VUK target in RBION. I have both games and have replaced that Y switch on RBION a half dozen times; just replaced it for the first time on LOTR (which I've owned for just 3 months).
If the Stern ST switch works better, maybe that's what we should move to.