Joystick Centering Spider

As you know, Williams use this ‘centering spider’ on Sinistar and ArchRivials, it may have also been used on other optical joysticks of era. This Spider provides the tension that you feel when you move the stick. As the red/orangefactory rubber got older, it dried out, causing it to crack. If you look at a game that has a bad Spider, you will most likely see that one or two ‘legs of the spider’ have broken. Williams long ago stopped making these, and even today if you can find one, it may have started to dry out, and may begin to crack shortly after…. A new spider installed on a joystick, and one before installation.. My Spider is a physical repoduction, but the material used is different, technology has changed a bit since the ‘golden years’. While I’ve not tested my design in a full arcade to determine its long term viability, I have put one in my Sinistar, and in my home and it has been fine. One of the uses for this material is making car motor mounts, so I figure it can take some pretty good abuse, I’ve bent the material 180 degrees and tried to tear it with no success, so I am hoping that it will last many years. The feel is Nearly identical to that of the factory one. These reproductions do NOT have the brass inserts that the factory one had, this material can handle more bending, so I don’t think they are needed.