Problem with RRS BH-55 Lever-Release Ball Head

Although I've had the BH-55 ball head for about seven years (past warrant), I haven't really used it much during this time period. When I did use it, it was handled very gently. Yet, today, after I lever locked my R5 with the battery grip that's equipped with ProMediaGear L-bracket, the lever failed to open its jaw to release the camera. There was no other way to get my camera back than gently prying the clamp jaw open with a butter knife. Still, it took me quite a while before succeeding. Upon close inspection, several circular metal parts (in the second, close up photo), were loose. I believe this is what's preventing the lever from locking and releasing.

I was quite taken aback by this finding today. Although I've never been a fan of RRS, primarily due to their practice of overpricing their products, I had always believed in their quality workmanship. Has anyone with the BH-55 ever experienced this problem? Does anyone know whether it's something that I can fix myself as opposed to sending it in for a repair?

I've never had an issue with any of the RRS clamp, even when filled with dirt. The stack of washers you see between the handle and jaw are normal as they give the clamp it's ability to slide and adjust. However, since your clamp is stuck with the lever open, but washers down (and clamp closed), it looks like your shaft is bent. The shavings from the stainless shaft eating into the brass washer also indicate that.

The only way I can see that shaft bending is if the head took a fall and hit on the handle hinge. That would bend it just enough that it wouldn't slide up and down correctly. If it was just dirt causing it, the dirt would get pushed aside and that washer wouldn't be eaten up.

Looks like it's time to get a new clamp to replace yours with. You could add a drop of any oil (cheap 3-in-1 or even cooking oil) to be sure the shaft isn't just dirty, but from the looks of that and the eaten washer, it's definitely not riding true. The side that has the shavings is the side it's bent towards. You could always take a mallet and smack the whole hinge away from the shavings to see if you can get it back in line. A mm or so should do it. If it starts freeing up, smack it more.

docholliday_sc001 wrote in post #19364225
I've never had an issue with any of the RRS clamp, even when filled with dirt. The stack of washers you see between the handle and jaw are normal as they give the clamp it's ability to slide and adjust. However, since your clamp is stuck with the lever open, but washers down (and clamp closed), it looks like your shaft is bent. The shavings from the stainless shaft eating into the brass washer also indicate that.

The only way I can see that shaft bending is if the head took a fall and hit on the handle hinge. That would bend it just enough that it wouldn't slide up and down correctly. If it was just dirt causing it, the dirt would get pushed aside and that washer wouldn't be eaten up.

Looks like it's time to get a new clamp to replace yours with. You could add a drop of any oil (cheap 3-in-1 or even cooking oil) to be sure the shaft isn't just dirty, but from the looks of that and the eaten washer, it's definitely not riding true. The side that has the shavings is the side it's bent towards. You could always take a mallet and smack the whole hinge away from the shavings to see if you can get it back in line. A mm or so should do it. If it starts freeing up, smack it more.

Thank you for your response, Doc. Upon further inspection, I do believe that one of the washers that is deepest inside the jaw hole is somehow stuck in slanted position, causing the rest of stacked washers to be slanted, as well. I don't know whether it's bent or not, but I do find this bizarre as I've never dropped the ball head nor had it experienced a blow of any kind. As I stated earlier, I babied this ball head and used it rather sparingly.

I tried applying some WD-40 and using a mallet to try to straighten the washers back into the hole but all efforts have been for naught. So, instead of sending in for a costly repair or purchasing a $149 RRS lever clamp to replace it, I decided to come up with a much cheaper but effective solution. I simply clamped a $14.99 knob clamp onto the RRS clamp. Although the knob clamp is cheap, its quality is good enough to do as effective a job as the RRS. These two clamps have locked onto each other so tightly that there's no way they'll come apart unless I forcefully pry the RRS jaw to open up.

SYS wrote in post #19364490
Thank you for your response, Doc. Upon further inspection, I do believe that one of the washers that is deepest inside the jaw hole is somehow stuck in slanted position, causing the rest of stacked washers to be slanted, as well. I don't know whether it's bent or not, but I do find this bizarre as I've never dropped the ball head nor had it experienced a blow of any kind. As I stated earlier, I babied this ball head and used it rather sparingly.

I tried applying some WD-40 and using a mallet to try to straighten the washers back into the hole but all efforts have been for naught. So, instead of sending in for a costly repair or purchasing a $149 RRS lever clamp to replace it, I decided to come up with a much cheaper but effective solution. I simply clamped a $14.99 knob clamp onto the RRS clamp. Although the knob clamp is cheap, its quality is good enough to do as effective a job as the RRS. These two clamps have locked onto each other so tightly that there's no way they'll come apart unless I forcefully pry the RRS jaw to open up.

Hosted photo: posted by SYS in
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forum: Tripods, Monopods & Other Camera Support

Hosted photo: posted by SYS in
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forum: Tripods, Monopods & Other Camera Support

There's a set of springs that push the jaw outward and maintain pressure on it while opening. If you moved the lever, the springs keep the jaw riding against the curves of the handle. Since you show the handle open, but the jaw is still in the inward position, it would seem the shaft to be bent. Especially since I see the brass washer being eaten up. The washers should be very, very loose on that shaft. They should have no tension with the jaw position inward. Since you've added lubricant to the shaft, and they are still stuck, I'd venture to guess that the shaft has more issues than visible.

The adapter-in-adapter will work just fine. I do the same, but with multiple micrometer focusing rails when working with fine macro. That's the best part of the Arca system - being able to adapt on the fly!

docholliday_sc001 wrote in post #19364513
There's a set of springs that push the jaw outward and maintain pressure on it while opening. If you moved the lever, the springs keep the jaw riding against the curves of the handle. Since you show the handle open, but the jaw is still in the inward position, it would seem the shaft to be bent. Especially since I see the brass washer being eaten up. The washers should be very, very loose on that shaft. They should have no tension with the jaw position inward. Since you've added lubricant to the shaft, and they are still stuck, I'd venture to guess that the shaft has more issues than visible.

The adapter-in-adapter will work just fine. I do the same, but with multiple micrometer focusing rails when working with fine macro. That's the best part of the Arca system - being able to adapt on the fly!

Thank you for your diagnostic thoughts on this. I simply can't fathom how the shaft could have been compromised in any way, shape or form as the ball head served me more as a paper weight collecting dust than actual use over the years. In any case, I'm happy with the $14.99 solution.

SYS wrote in post #19364532
Thank you for your diagnostic thoughts on this. I simply can't fathom how the shaft could have been compromised in any way, shape or form as the ball head served me more as a paper weight collecting dust than actual use over the years. In any case, I'm happy with the $14.99 solution.

One thought I just had... be careful with it being stuck and the lever "free" to go wherever. Just in case it decides to suddenly loosen up later due to cold shrinkage or another happening. You don't want it to suddenly start working and be in the open position, dropping the little clamp and attached camera out.

Years ago, I was out in -10F weather with my Hasselblad 203FE. The cold shrunk the clamp enough that the camera slipped right out as I was carrying the tripod. It went down a frozen mud hill straight for a river. I dived for it and caught it by the cable release, but damn, the icy-mud friction burn on my exposed skin was horrible.

Remember Murphy's Postulate #72: quick releases can be very quick.

docholliday_sc001 wrote in post #19364603
One thought I just had... be careful with it being stuck and the lever "free" to go wherever. Just in case it decides to suddenly loosen up later due to cold shrinkage or another happening. You don't want it to suddenly start working and be in the open position, dropping the little clamp and attached camera out.

Years ago, I was out in -10F weather with my Hasselblad 203FE. The cold shrunk the clamp enough that the camera slipped right out as I was carrying the tripod. It went down a frozen mud hill straight for a river. I dived for it and caught it by the cable release, but damn, the icy-mud friction burn on my exposed skin was horrible.

Remember Murphy's Postulate #72: quick releases can be very quick.

Yes, that thought occurred to me as I was modifying it. It got me entertaining some possible ways to make the cheap clamp permanently attached to the RRS clamp. I'm not sure applying Loctite will be enough or whether soldering is even a possibility with the material.

SYS wrote in post #19364614
Yes, that thought occurred to me as I was modifying it. It got me entertaining some possible ways to make the cheap clamp permanently attached to the RRS clamp. I'm not sure applying Loctite will be enough or whether soldering is even a possibility with the material.

Before you go through all that, you might call RRS and ask about servicing that clamp. They are very responsive and caring. I'd rather spend any cost on properly fixing the clamp than rigging something onto it. At the least, you'll find out what the cost will be and they may have a different way to get that working.

There's a pin next to the clamp's mount screw. Driving that out with a drift will release the whole shaft, washers, and lever. You could always do that as a last resort, place the shaft onto a hard workbench (granite table or steel) and check it's trueness. A deadblow against the steel surface should straighten it if it's out of round. Then, just reassemble it and drive the pin back in.

I'd say to call RRS first - the worst case is that they tell you to buy a new clamp. But I'm sure that they'll have a much better solution for you.

docholliday_sc001 wrote in post #19364648
Before you go through all that, you might call RRS and ask about servicing that clamp. They are very responsive and caring. I'd rather spend any cost on properly fixing the clamp than rigging something onto it. At the least, you'll find out what the cost will be and they may have a different way to get that working.

There's a pin next to the clamp's mount screw. Driving that out with a drift will release the whole shaft, washers, and lever. You could always do that as a last resort, place the shaft onto a hard workbench (granite table or steel) and check it's trueness. A deadblow against the steel surface should straighten it if it's out of round. Then, just reassemble it and drive the pin back in.

I'd say to call RRS first - the worst case is that they tell you to buy a new clamp. But I'm sure that they'll have a much better solution for you.

Had thought about contacting them for a repair quote, but I hesitated since I know the repair isn't going to be cheap, for one, and I've been using PMG's BH-1 Pro Ball Head almost 100% of the time and won't be using the RRS all that much to justify going through the hassle. Still, I'll probably contact them at some point to at least find out what the repair cost would be.

SYS wrote in post #19364748
Had thought about contacting them for a repair quote, but I hesitated since I know the repair isn't going to be cheap, for one, and I've been using PMG's BH-1 Pro Ball Head almost 100% of the time and won't be using the RRS all that much to justify going through the hassle. Still, I'll probably contact them at some point to at least find out what the repair cost would be.

Never hurts to ask. I just had something replaced at no charge that I was set to purchase at $340. The device was over 10 years old and I was poking around the web to improve on price and delivery. The manufacturer's website customer service number came up so I called them. There wasn't even a shipping charge and it was fairly heavy, maybe 10#.